AMC Networks International UK returned to Second Home to create a new piece of promotional work. The project follows the launch of AMCs UK channel rebrand earlier in 2024. (Second Home produced the channel presentation packs.)
Style: Live Action, CGI
Client: AMC International Networks UK
Year: 2024
The Brief
In their latest rebrand, AMC International Networks UK saw CBS Reality become ‘True Crime’ and ‘True Crime Extra’. We worked in close collaboration with the AMC team to forge a vision and approach for the channels. Our goal was to appeal to new viewers while retaining their loyal audience. Following the re-brand, AMC required some promotional materials to let their CBS viewers know their favourite programs are still available on both channels.
We wanted to complement the theme of ‘True Crime’. So, we featured the channels’ most popular shows, set amongst items on a detective’s evidence board.
The Creative
Over the years there have been many variations and styles of an evidence board for title sequences and promotional items. Ours followed the humble standard pin-board and red string. As a prop of both crime fact and fiction, we created this highly recognisable ‘mind-map’ of items linked with thread. All the items pull together to reveal the prime suspect – the True Crime channel logo!
Our director envisioned close-ups and oblique angles to reveal each of the programs, with additional snippets of string and evidence. The ‘evidence’ presented, consisted of 9 popular program logos on polaroids, mounted using pins matching the colour of the logo. Surrounding them were other key items associated with the term ‘crime’. These items included evidence bags, newspaper clippings and mug shots. The majority of them were crafted in-house by our graphic designer and the art team.
Production
We shot the full sequence on-site using our very own motion control rig. This allowed us to capture a variation of unique travelling shots. For maximum creative control, we shot the board on its own. We then digitally added the logo to float in front of the evidence board. The physical strings on the board were also stretched forwards in post-production to connect to the back of the logo.
To achieve the floating logo, the camera movements of the board were tracked to generate a virtual 3D camera that matched the movement performed by our motion control rig in the studio. Using these takes, we recreated the board in a virtual 3D space and placed the logo over the top. By adding the logo digitally, it allowed us to have greater control over the aesthetic qualities. For example, the softness of the shadow of the logo compared to the rest of the in-camera shadows.
To extend the red strings to reach the logo, we scanned in sections of it as assets. We then added them to the 3D scene and adjusted them to align to the physical strings on the actual board. This made it look as though they are all the same, continuous pieces of string.
Once rendered, the final edit including music and voiceover was complete by AMCs internal production team.