The viewer can almost feel the humidity in Denver-based Spillt’s main titles for HBO Max’s three-part docuseries Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty.
Combining imagery and music, Spill worked with the docuseries’ producer, Campfire Studios, to produce a sequence that evokes the American South.
“While most main titles are reserved for serving as a prologue to the feature, our team was fortunate enough to be tasked with crafting a mood piece. Creatively, this opened the doors to focus on an authentic southern locale, combined with the tone of decay, rotting, and generational wealth,” Spillt Executive Creative Director Ed Rhine wrote in an email.
“Following our ‘beautiful mess’ rallying cry, our team approached this unlike any other main title we’ve created so far,” Rhine continued. “Involving every staff member, we brainstormed via Milanote and utilized a combination of slap comps and AI tools to develop rough shots for assembly. With picture lock from HBO/Campfire we designed out necessary shots in Cinema 4D, adding atmosphere and polish in After Effects and Resolve. The result was a truly unsettling sequence, full of story easter-eggs that prepares the viewer for the story twists that will unfold.”
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The docuseries follows the century-long dynasty of the Murdaugh family, who reigned over the legal system in South Carolina’s low country. The family’s unchecked power ultimately unravels after they are accused of fraud and deception, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty premiered November 3 on HBO Max.
CREDITS
Client: Campfire Studios
Directors: Mor Loushy, Daniel Sivan
Executive Producers: Ross M. Dinerstein, Mor Loushy, Daniel Sivan
Co-Executive Producer: Brendan Daw, Rebecca Evans, Ross Girard
Producers: Brooke Brunson, Kaitlin Del Campo
Directors of Photography: Peter Hutchens, Jeff Hutchens
Editors: Gary Pollak, Erin Perri, Eileen Kennedy, Alex Durham ACE
Music: Antonio Pinto, Eduardo Aram
Agency: Spillt
Executive Producer: Kate Swift
Producer: Katie Mariani
ECD: Ed Rhine
Creative Director: Ryan Summers
Editorial and Color: Adam Schmisek
Design and Animation: David Rickles, Hollee Winans, Jason Oberg, Adam Schmisek, Samantha Mireles, Harrison Vincent
Tags: campfire studios hbo max hot spots low country: the murdaugh dynasty main titles spillt