Barry
title sequence and rebrand
2022
Isn't it great when watching your favorite TV show somehow becomes "research"?
For my Multiplatform Media Brand Packaging class at SCAD, I rebranded the HBO show 'Barry,' which included a title sequence as well as social media promos, network assets for their after show, mockups for HBOMAX, and a digital billboard ad. Watch the montage reel below!
CONCEPT & PROCESS
The first thing I did in my process was to research and analyze their current branding which consists of a bold and versatile title card, series/season promotional posters, and their social media which is limited to a relatively inactive Facebook page.
TITLE CARD ANALYSIS:
Although it started out as an extremely simple title card with a quick music sting, they actually started to use the title card comedically and narratively (example).
In other moments, the title card evokes a sense of suspense when played in silence because in every other instance of seeing the title, it was accompanied by music. It unsettles the audience and brings the same unfamiliarity that the title character now feels.
Overall, it is a very simple and versatile intro for a very complex show, and while they definitely make it work, there is a lot of room for improvement in their branding package as a whole since this one title card is pretty much their only design element.
My goal for this project is to:
1) create a title sequence that encompasses all of this without having to change it on an episode-to-episode basis
2) incorporate the BOLD & CONDENSED style that I admire from their current branding into a cohesive style across all platforms (a style that I admittedly haven't worked in before but am very excited to experiment with!)
current branding
Synopsis of the show
'Barry' is a dark comedy/drama starring Bill Hader as a depressed, low-rent hitman from the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life, he reluctantly travels to Los Angeles to execute a hit on an aspiring actor. Barry follows his “mark” into an acting class and ends up finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the LA theater scene. He wants to start a new life as an actor, but his criminal past won’t let him walk away.
TITLE SEQUENCE:
IDEATION & STORYBOARDING
Brainstorming for the imagery that will represent the characters and story.
Creating a storyboard, then revising it, then revising it again, then making one more little change before I'm satisfied with it.
These were some initial style tests that I completely scrapped because they looked too obviously filtered, so I decided I needed a more hands-on solution for the design.
I created these style frames directly in AE using shape layers, which ended up being the base of my animation. I don't want this title sequence to look stylistically similar to typical comedy shows because it very much is not a typical comedy show.
ANIMATION
This project involved a lot of rotoscoping scenes from the show as well as designing many of my own elements to fit the concept I had developed for this rebrand. Here is a sample of the animation process from the marionette scene.
