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Sky & Peacock

The Day of the Jackal

  • Art Direction
  • Brand Identity
  • CGI / Animation
  • Film

The Day of the Jackal is a new thriller, based on Frederick Forsyth’s original 1971 novel and subsequent film on Universal Pictures. Featuring leads Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, this 10–part series sets the world of ‘The Jackal’ in present day. HS designed the visual identity and opening title sequence for this exciting new show.

With its cat-and-mouse plot, this dynamic interplay sits at the heart of our sequence. Taking the word ‘Jackal’ as our primary element, we deconstructed the individual letterforms – spliced, fractured and distorted – these isolated fragments drift through the frame, forming a sequence of moving apertures, that reveal glimpses into the world of ‘Jackal’. Playing with this graphic device allows us to continually shift perspective – who is hiding from (or hunting) whom.

Fleeting glimpses of the lead protagonists build a sense of tension and intrigue – like a moving jigsaw puzzle, the fragments gradually converge to reveal the main title. A distinctive graphic language, which draws on 70’s cinema, the sequence evokes a noir world of thriller and espionage, presented through a contemporary lens.

Working with the Celeste track, ‘This Is Who I Am’, we established a visual synergy with the score – the onscreen geometry responding to the strings, their exact movement precisely choregraphed to the vocals and musical arrangement.

The final sequence features footage from the show, mixed with portraiture of the lead cast members, directed and shot by HS.

Credits

Sequence Design: Hingston Studio
Sequence Director of Photography: Benjamin Wearing
Sequence Editor: Struan Clay
Edit House: Final Cut
Sequence Colourist: Grace Weston
Post House: The Look
Post Production Supervisors: Cory McCrum, Claire Davis-Bell, Nicholas Baker
Sequence Music: Celeste ‘This Is Who I am’

Executive Producers, Carnival Films: Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant
Executive Producers, Sky Studios: Sam Hoyle, Sue Naegle
Executive Producer/Director: Brian Kirk
Executive Producer/Star: Eddie Redmayne
Co-Executive Producer/Star: Lashana Lynch
Co-Executive Producer: Marianne Buckland
Writer/Showrunner/Executive Producer: Ronan Bennett
Consulting Producer: Frederick Forsyth

Dark red geometric composition with a central blurred circular form and the text “Directed by Brian Kirk” in bold beige lettering.
Black background with tall vertical cut-outs showing warm-toned street scenes, smoke clouds and a silhouetted figure mid-jump.
Dark split-panel composition of a face in close-up, with the name EDDIE REDMAYNE in bold beige lettering on the right.
Split portrait fragments on a black background, with beige text reading “BEN HALL” and “JONJO O’NEILL” on the right.
Large black lettering with a scenic road and forest visible through the letterforms, including a small car on a winding hillside road.
Dark composition with fragmented vertical panels showing a woman holding a rifle, alongside bold beige text reading “LIA WILLIAMS” and “ELEANOR MATSUURA”.
Black layout with beige “AND CHARLES DANCE” text beside two overlapping landscape frames, including a car driving along a dusty rural track.
Portrait of a man in a hat, split into tall vertical panels on a black background, with the names CHUKWUDI IWUJI and KHALID ABDALLA in bold type.
Dark composition of a woman’s face split into vertical panels, with the name “LASHANA LYNCH” in bold beige type at lower right.
Black composition with tall cropped panels of aerial sea and speedboats forming large abstract lettering, with text reading “BASED ON THE NOVEL BY FREDERICK FORSYTH”.
Dark cinematic graphic with cropped portrait fragments and gold credits reading “EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS RONAN BENNETT, BRIAN KIRK, EDDIE REDMAYNE.”
Dark, cinematic composition with a partially obscured face behind vertical panels and the credit text “WRITTEN AND CREATED FOR TELEVISION BY RONAN BENNETT”.