Building an audience before the first frame is finished
Client
SC Films
Country
United Kingdom
Disciplines
Movie Marketing
Brand Identity
Sector
Entertainment
Film Industry
SC Films International is a London-based film sales, distribution, finance and production company working across live action, animation and family entertainment for the international market. Its role spans the commercial life of a film, helping producers finance, position and sell projects to distributors around the world.
The brief
SC Films International asked BakerWilcox to create an early visual identity and international sales key art for Ark at 8 while the film was still in development. The commission has since expanded to include further marketing and sales materials used to introduce the project to potential partners, distributors and international buyers.
BakerWilcox always deliver, and always on time. Having worked with them for more than 20 years, I cannot speak highly enough of their professionalism, talent and deep understanding of both the film industry and our requirements as a sales agent. I would recommend them without hesitation.
Managing DirectorSC Films International
The execution
Film marketing does not begin only when a production is complete. We are regularly asked to work with projects at every stage of the development cycle, from an initial concept or screenplay through to production, theatrical release and home entertainment. At the development stage, the task is to give an unfinished film a convincing visual identity that can communicate its tone, scale and commercial potential long before final footage exists.
For Ark at 8, the available assets were limited to a small number of early character illustrations and CGI development images. We used these as the foundations for a much richer campaign world, carefully combining, extending and refining the supplied material to create artwork with the depth and polish expected of a completed animated feature.
The key art places the three penguins at the centre of the proposition, immediately establishing the comic problem behind the story. Character expression, scale and positioning were used to suggest their contrasting personalities and the chaos ahead, while the ark and surrounding environment introduce the larger adventure without overwhelming the central trio.
We developed the film’s title treatment alongside the artwork, creating a recognisable identity that could operate independently across presentations, sales materials and future campaign applications. Typography, colour and composition were designed to feel warm, energetic and cinematic, giving the project a consistent visual signature while leaving room for the identity to evolve as production assets become available.
Some of the most interesting film-marketing challenges arrive before there is a finished film to market. Working with only a handful of early characters and CGI assets demands imagination, careful image-making and a clear understanding of what international buyers need to see. The aim is to create belief in the project today while building an identity flexible enough to grow with the film tomorrow.
RICHARD BAKER
Some of the most interesting film-marketing challenges arrive before there is a finished film to market. Working with only a handful of early characters and CGI assets demands imagination, careful image-making and a clear understanding of what international buyers need to see. The aim is to create belief in the project today while building an identity flexible enough to grow with the film tomorrow.”
