Story development and creation of original content to produce a title sequence for a fictional film.

About the Project

Baba Yaga isn’t really a scary old witch, she’s just an old witch.
Kind of ugly too. Really wrinkly… Covered in warts…
In this project, I created a complete title sequence for a movie concept developed based on only a title for the film, and a list of fictional actors, directors, and other movie personnel. Set in Finnish Lapland during the Winter War from the end of 1939 to the first months of 1940, it follows the adventures of the young witch in training: Alicia My.

Project Goals

The goal of this project was to create an original title sequence based on a given fictional title, cast, and crew for a film. The title sequence had to explore type, motion, sound, and transitions. The resulting project should be a polished, well designed title sequence that helped generate interest for the film or show.

Final Title Sequence

Belle Process Work

About the Film
Baba Yaga isn’t really a scary old witch, she’s just an old witch.

                Kind of ugly too.

                                Really wrinkly…
                                                                Covered in warts…

Alicia My is a 12 year old girl working as Baba Yaga’s apprentice. Alicia is learning so that eventually she can take over the care of the forest spirit Bэllэ (Belle). Not content to just study old books, Alicia sets out into the forests of Lapland to learn about the forest through her own experience. Unbeknownst to her, on that same day Zablud Rasputin—the grandson of the famous wizard Rasputin—is himself making his way into Lapland as well. Though his motives are considerably more sinister. With the power of the Veles, a shapeshifting Slavic god, he has a mind to take Bэllэ’s powers for his own use, and bring a harsh Russian winter to the country of Finland. If Alicia wants to complete her task of keeping the forest safe, she will first have to find a way to keep Bэllэ safe from the evil of Zablud and the Veles.

Moodboards

Concept
The concept for this title sequence is a historical fiction set in a fictional Finnish Lapland during the winter war from the end of 1939 to the first months of 1940. The goal of the title sequence is to take the viewers to a different place. Somewhere wild, far away, and even a little bit magical.
It takes visual inspiration from traditional and medieval map styles. It also draws from the opening visuals from the Mushishi (2005) series as well as the opening theme from Moominvalley (2019). The story itself is also vaguely inspired by the stories of these two shows. The title sequence is portrayed as if the viewer was looking at the world from the view of a bird, even though the title sequence shows a map of the world rather than the world itself.

Early Maps

Map of Lapland
Styleframes