Eight fast paced episodes using animation, archive and recon to reveal the funny, disturbing, weird, but always interesting bits of history.
This project was so much fun to work on and exactly the kind of thing that would be a joy to do again.
Working with the creative directors and writers at Impossible Factual on this National Geographic series, the challenge was to bring to life some of the lesser-known parts of history, often with little or no archival material to draw on. That meant the visuals had to lean heavily on imaginative illustration and quirky animation to bring each moment to life.
As art director, the overall visual style was my responsibility, from the core look and feel through to how it was shared with the rest of the team. Using a rich stock image library as a base, a fresh collage style with pops of colour was developed to tie everything together and keep a distinctive, quirky character without tipping into visual chaos. This approach worked really well alongside some cute illustrative elements and playful animation.
To keep everyone aligned, a clear style guide was created, including colour swatches, style frames, references, and examples, so the whole design and animation team could stay on the same page.
The series writers did an incredible job – the depth of their research and the sharp, funny scripts gave us a brilliant foundation to build on, turning those little nuggets of history into something both genuinely interesting and often hilarious.
The combination of strong writing, a cohesive visual direction, and a genuinely collaborative team made this project a pleasure from start to finish, with plenty of laughs along the way.
Project completed while Art Director at Hocus Pocus Studio
