Commissioned for the Sky and HBO documentary Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist, we developed a stark and cinematic title sequence that reflected the film’s investigative tone and sensitive subject matter.

Our approach centred around abstracting the psychological layers of the story — using fragmented type, redacted visuals, and restrained motion design to evoke themes of control, surveillance, and radicalisation. The typographic system was deliberately impersonal and forensic, set against a bleak tonal palette that served as both visual metaphor and narrative primer.

Designed to sit apart from traditional opening titles, the sequence was treated almost like a visual prologue — introducing viewers to the gravity and complexity of the film’s core questions, while maintaining respect for its victims and journalistic integrity.

Our visual system drew from both real-world interface aesthetics and narrative abstraction — employing data fragments, degraded video feeds, and semi-technical schematics to reflect the complexity of modern terrorism, hacking, and state-level intelligence work.

The challenge was in balancing clarity with nuance, and delivering a motion language that supported the film’s tone: investigative, haunting, and deeply human.

Project Credits
Client: Nutopia
Production: Nutopia in association with Livedrop Media and HBO for Channel 4
Director: Anthony Wonke
Written & Produced by: Richard Kerbaj
Studio: Territory Studio
Creative Director: Nils Kloth
Motion Design: Territory Studio team