Aquaman (2018)

“I'm no leader. I came because I have no choice.” — Arthur Curry

Ever since they met more than a decade ago while working at studio Prologue, creative directors Aaron Becker and Simon Clowes have been looking for projects to work on together.

In the last decade, Becker has made waves with title sequences for films like The Conjuring (2013), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Split (2017). Meanwhile, Clowes has been busy creating title sequences for X-Men: First Class (2011), TV series Elementary (2012), and video game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015). In 2012 Becker co-founded Filmograph, a studio specializing in film and TV title sequence design with partner and executive producer Seth Kleinberg, and in 2018, they found themselves with the chance to both collaborate and land a white whale: the elusive superhero film.

Many small design teams dream of scoring a DC or Marvel gig but what do you do when you finally reel in such a big fish? For Filmograph, the task meant bringing in extra hands, renting additional graphics processing units, upgrading their power and switches, boosting their software infrastructure and committing to months of painstaking production.

The Aquaman sequence is a stunning departure for Filmograph as a studio and a testament to their ability to grow and adapt. The gorgeous travelogue that closes the film gives viewers a chance to take a deep breath and a slow dive into the various aquatic kingdoms of the film. Moving gracefully between three distinct areas – bioluminescence, gold and pearlescence, and lava – the sequence feels like a soft reminiscence and a gentle discovery of life beneath the surface. While they took inspiration from documentary-style cinematography as well as modern title designs like Game of Thrones, the team was conscious of creating something impressionistic, surreal, and truly their own.

In our interview below, we talk to Becker, Clowes, and Kleinberg about souping up to meet the demands of a new pipeline, making and breaking the rules of underwater action, and just how they got that lustrous undersea look.

A discussion with Creative Directors AARON BECKER and SIMON CLOWES and Executive Producer SETH KLEINBERG.

You’ve worked with director James Wan a lot over the years. Was this your biggest project together?

Aaron: Yeah, Aquaman was a crazy thing. We have an ongoing relationship with James, since 2010. But with a film of this stature there were four or five other companies pitching on the titles. We put a lot into it and luckily our relationship with Kirk [Morri], the editor, and James and the producers helped. But it definitely felt like we had to pour even more into it.…

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