Design for Films - Title Design + Motion Design Systems
Curry & Cyanide : The Jolly Joseph Case
Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case is a true-crime documentary directed by Christo Tomy, investigating six deaths in the same family and the woman at the center of the Koodathayi Cyanide killing case. We were approached to create the title design and the motion design system for the show.
Creating designs for documentaries was a delicate balance between artistic expression and effective communication. In Curry & Cyanide, the narrative revolves around poison in family meals within a semi-rural Indian setting, the challenge was in navigating a rich and layered environment.
Main Titles
The titles give a glimpse to the unsettling story. Unlike blood-soaked narratives about serial killers, our challenge lay in subtly depicting the slow, sinister undertone of death by poisoning over time.
Using the quintessential Indian household as our canvas, everyday objects became narrative elements, layering frames with subtle clues and cryptic symbolism. We aimed for palpable tension, creating a foreboding unease hinting at imminent danger.
The textless version of the sequence is used in the film trailer that sets the stage for intrigue, suspense, and anticipation.
At the core of the concept for all the design in Curry & Cyanide lies a personality layered with lies and deceit.
Building from that a key image is developed that represents the approach, the visual language and the direction for most of the graphic elements in the film
A Case Study : Design for Film
To achieve a seamless integration of recreations, actual photos, and news footage, we created a cohesive visual language through a Motion Design System with a predefined Style Guide for every element, ensuring an immersive visual journey.
Initial Type explorations
The final Logotype
In Curry & Cyanide, we initially experimented with poison as a weapon, trying acid-treated and polaroid-style photos to evoke the era. In the final version, we envisioned the narrator telling the story while placing photos on a table.
Handling inconsistent archival photo quality, design interventions, including AI upscaling and color grading, rescued the shots. Adding light and shadows to table-top setups transformed them, giving an authentic 'in-camera' feel.
We viewed archival treatment as a plot device, initially considering a corrosion effect for a weathered look, reflecting the film's historical context. After iterative testing, we opted for a cleaner presentation. Capturing the media sensationalism surrounding the murder was crucial, aiming to authentically convey the unsettling nature of the documents and their narrative importance.
Adjusting document animation, introducing subtle light flares, and highlighting specific keywords visually revealed the murder mystery, maintaining the painstaking effort invested in piecing the story together.
Information was designed to be subtly impactful. Astons, timelines, and maps play pivotal roles in conveying key information in the film. The map portrayal underwent iterative refinement, aligning seamlessly with its storyline purpose. We meticulously timed and presented it to harmonize with the unfolding narrative.
The family tree was one of the key motion design elements in the show. It presents the connections between characters in this tale. Departing from traditional chart-style designs, we crafted a collage-style composition, infusing motion into photos, names, and graphic lines to create intrigue.
Initial drafts of the Family Tree
Final version of Family Tree
