The directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, enlisted us to create all of the film’s graphics. Because there are six chapters with very distinct looks, we started our design journey by creating individual title cards for each. After we had an “ownable” look developed, we worked on additional typography that appears over several scenes and finally, created  the main-on-end title sequence.

The film is divided into chapters that mirror the sections of the novel it’s based on. Each has a very distinct vibe. When designing the title cards that appear at the front of each section, we wanted them to serve almost as palate cleansers: The cards create a somewhat disruptive moment that gives viewers the chance to breathe before going into the next new world of the film’s experience. The titles also sprinkle a graphic look throughout the film that both brands it and provides a consistent feel, connecting the whole.

We still giggle when we have to say these words out loud–especially in a studio full of people!

The scene was funny/satirical to begin with. Once we added huge, bold type calling out the biggest profanities being yelled at Cherry, it became hysterical. This treatment really emphasizes the absurdity of the situation, while adding some style and visual relief to the scene.

Because the film has such a strong, emotional ending, we deliberated for a long time about what feeling we wanted to leave viewers with in our main-on-end.  Should we call out a specific moment in Cherry’s life? Should we recap different parts of the film? In the end, what felt best was to imply the continuation of the main character’s journey, with a nod to his hometown of Cleveland in a sequence of beautiful aerial shots. The footage was treated with the same red tint as the chapter cards and we also used a consistent typography treatment throughout.

These style frames were our starting point for establishing the overall look and feel for our work on the film . The arresting, bold, cherry-red tint not only creates a great base for typography, but is also conceptually relevant: It speaks to Cherry’s color blindness. Eventually we stripped a lot of the initial grit and texture away, moving toward a simpler and more elegant finish. But we love how the essence of our original style frames live on in the final cut and in all of the marketing materials for the film.

We were briefed and read the script while the film was being shot. This gave us the opportunity to chime in, bounce different ideas back and forth, and really feel like a part of the filmmaking process. Fun fact: Erin and Duarte even had the chance to take a roadtrip to Cleveland to visit the set!