Huge Designs' opening title sequence for the UK's Channel 4 television adaptation of William Boyd's novel Any Human Heart casts widening threads of light and shadow to frame a journey through infinite sadness and celebrity.
A production breakdown with PAUL MCDONNELL at Huge Designs.
PM: We were initially briefed by the director, Michael Samuels. They were looking for a title sequence that would encapsulate the journey of a man from birth to the grave in 40 seconds but without being too literal. One thing we had to keep in mind was the fact that our character couldn't be recognised as any of the three actors who played Logan Mountstuart in different stages of his life. So, having the stylized silhouette of a man seemed to be the perfect solution.
Storyboards
The execution of the animation itself mainly took place on our studio rooftop. We filmed myself performing the various sequences. These were then rotoscoped and then stitched together. A few of the sequences described are his birth, rise to literary fame, traveling to the city, his time in the gallery, and finally his death. Then we sent the sequence off to the composer, Dan Jones, who put the icing on the cake with his evocative music.
Original artwork stills