SKY MOVIES DISNEY

Production: Sky Movies

Director: Ted Thorpe, Grant Berry

Lead Concept Artist: Rafael Martin

Disney is an inspiration for all of our artists, and we have collaborated with them many times - from Maleficent to the latest Beauty and the Beast. When Sky Movies asked us to create concept and matte paintings for their new ident back in 2015, our artists were brimming with ideas. A perfect blend of 2D-looking animation and live-action shoot, this ident spans across 90 years of Disney/Pixar magic, enchanting both children and grown-ups. Our Partner Rafael Martin led the team in bringing together dozens of Disney movie references into a harmonious panoramic landscape. We needed to combine key characters and timeless Disney moments into a fantastical set piece which starts and ends at London’s Tower Bridge. We also referenced iconic London landmarks such as Piccadilly and the skyline of the city’s rooftops. 

The charm of the ident comes from the painterly look developed by Rafael and our artists at concept stage. It emulated the traditional feel and texture of the early Disney classics. Director Ted Thorpe was keen to maintain this look for the final animation and composition. This led to a more traditional approach towards the animation techniques, playing with parallax and ‘2D cards’. Many of the foreground characters seen in the ident (Cinderella, Aerial, Jasmine and the Seven Dwarfs for example) were shot live-action over at Sky Studios.

Painting Practice were involved in styling the VFX shoot, supplying fun props and some in-camera trickery. Our artists went to infinity and beyond for this ident. The result – over a minute of magic, jam packed full of Disney memories. See how many Disney movie references you can count! We guarantee you’ll see something new every time…