Sarofsky’s interpretation sets the stage at the beginning of the film, with the animation of Superman’s iconic S-Shield morphing off of Superman himself into a glowing, solar-infused moment before sending it racing off into the horizon.

Superman’s iconic S-Shield logo begins as an integral part of his suit, then gracefully detaches and transforms in a radiant, solar-charged burst.

Glowing with energy, it soars into the sky, accelerating toward the horizon — setting an epic and symbolic tone for the story to come.

To tackle the challenge of keeping viewers engaged during a two-minute sequence of name credits, we explored a wide range of visual approaches centered around the expressive qualities of light.

This included everything from colorful light streaks and radiant rays to bokeh effects, aurora-like movements, light leaks, lens flares, and — most notably — the iconic light trails inspired by the original 1978 film.

Our goal was to steer clear of a rigid or overly polished CGI aesthetic. Instead, we embraced texture, organic motion, and subtle imperfections to create a more tactile, cinematic feel that honored the spirit of the original while feeling fresh and immersive.

Aiming for a gritty, grounded aesthetic, we deliberately avoided the slick, over-polished feel of conventional CG. Instead, the volumetric light effects were informed by a series of hands-on experiments with analog and practical lighting techniques, using materials like glass, smoke, and physical filters to capture organic textures and natural imperfections. This approach helped connect the sequence to the optical quality of the original ’70s films and brought a sense of realism to the visual language.

To provide essential backstory and orient the audience before the action begins, the director conceived a title sequence inspired by the iconic openings of the Star Wars saga.

These titles unfold over a stark, icy landscape — serving as the audience’s first visual impression of the film. Beyond delivering narrative context, the sequence is carefully designed to establish the film’s tone: quiet, still, and hauntingly cold.

To preserve this atmosphere, we collaborated closely with the editorial team, carefully timing each paragraph of text to align with the pacing and mood of the footage.

The end result is a deliberate and immersive introduction that draws viewers into the world with a sense of solemn anticipation.

As with our previous collaborations with James Gunn, the subtitles were thoughtfully crafted to complement the tone and composition of each scene. After an extensive exploration of typography, we ultimately chose Bricolage Grotesque Bold, applying an optical treatment that gave the text the appearance of being printed directly onto the celluloid. These subtitles played a crucial role in conveying the Boravian characters’ dialogue, ensuring both clarity and stylistic cohesion within the film.