01
INTRODUCTION
After our work on the Agent Carter title sequence, our team at Perception was once again approached by Marvel, this time to create the Main-on-End title sequence for their next One Shot short, All Hail the King. Writer/Director Drew Pearce gave us an unusually fun brief, referencing everything from Dr. No to obscure Kung-Fu exploitation films. This bold and dynamic sequence was never intended to retell the story, but to suggest further possibilities within the Marvel Universe. In addition to the title sequence, we were also tasked with several other graphic elements including the main title and opening quote for a mock 80’s show within the short, just to name a few.
02
INSPIRATION
From the very start, the director suggested some specific references like Dr. No, Charade, and even Iron Monkey. From there, our team immersed ourselves in the world of exploitation cinema, ranging from obscure Kung Fu to funky Italian Horror.
Main On End Inspiration from Classic Film Titles
MAIN ON END INSPIRATION FROM KUNG FU IRON MONKEY
03
80’S TITLE CARD INSPIRATION
Since our main character was an “80’s actor” we had to mock up an old title sequence that opened the show. We got inspired by the great shows from the 80’s. These titles alone evoked the extreme action you were about to see in the next episode of your favorite action show.
To provide more background on Trevor Slattery’s history and experience as an actor, we used the 80s title cards as inspiration to create the titles for his hit 80s action show Caged Heat.
04
TITLE CARD DESIGN DIRECTIONS
Also based in the 80’s actor theme, we mocked up an old title sequence that opened the show. We got inspired by the great shows from the 80’s. These titles alone evoked the extreme action you were about to see in the next episode of your favorite action show.
05
RING DESIGNS & ANIMATION
For the full opening sequence we explored several options. We used a graphic approach in each but wanted to keep a common theme hinting at the Ten Rings of the mysterious Mandarin.
One of the earliest explorations was a simple test to figure out how many different ways the 10-Ring logo could animate.
06
FINAL MAIN ON END TITLE SEQUENCE
The Mandarin’s ten magic rings became the graphic approach and main symbol throughout the titles. The designers blended the gritty tones of exploitation and underground kung-fu films with the classic geometric looks of title designers like Maurice Binder and Saul Bass. All Hail the King can be found on the Thor: The Dark World DVD & BLU RAY and on Disney+
