It is a classic political murder thriller, a film set in the shadow of France’s show of force to thwart the Algerian anti-colonialist revolution and Charles DeGaulle’s retreat. The Day of the Jackal (1973) was about the anti-DeGaulle faction that so vehemently sought to retain French colonies that they conspired to have the President assassinated. The Jackal was a nibble-paid assassin who was always one step ahead of the police. The new ten-part TV series, The Day of the Jackal from Sky, based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel, stars award-winning actors Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. The TV adaptation is a contemporary reimagining of the iconic film and is streaming on Peacock.
Hingston Studio has designed the visual identity and opening title sequence for The Day of the Jackal. Founded by Tom Hingston, Hingston Studio is an independent design practice based in London, specializing in motion, design, and creative direction. Over the past 25 years, Hingston Studio has collaborated with an impressive roster of influential brands, artists, and organizations. Their portfolio spans diverse industries, including fashion, beauty, music, film, and technology, with title sequence work that includes The Darkest Hour, Atonement, and Control.
The word “Jackal” serves as the graphic centerpiece. Letterforms are deconstructed – spliced and distorted into isolated fragments that drift through the frame. This evolving composition embodies a metaphorical game of concealment and revelation. Brief, fleeting glimpses of the lead protagonists heighten the tension and intrigue – like pieces of a moving jigsaw puzzle, the fragments gradually align to reveal the main title.
The sequence draws on 70s cinema. The title track, “This Is Who I Am,” scored by Celeste, moves effortlessly between nostalgia and contemporary. Hingston worked closely with the track to create a seamless synergy between visuals and music. The geometric visual form is choreographed to mirror the song’s haunting melody.
The final sequence combines footage from the series with the original portraiture of the lead cast members, shot by Tom Hingston, who I queried about making titles for an adaptation of such an iconic film.
What is the genesis of your approach to The Day of the Jackal title sequence?
We wanted to create something that embraced the enigmatic essence of Jackal’s world. To craft an opening sequence that would nod to the era of the original film – harnessing the underlying tension between characters – and presenting this through a contemporary lens. It was also important to define a visual language that felt stylized and cinematic, reflecting the look and feel of the show itself.
The original film had great resonance at the time of its release. What, if anything, do your designs reference from the original story?
There are specific themes which carry over from the original film, the primary one being the underlying cat-and-mouse narrative that runs throughout – our edited sequence captures that constant oscillation between hunter and the hunted. The grade and texture of the footage that appears in the sequence are also evocative of 70s cinema.
How have you made the new, serial version your own visual personality?
We created a visual language that was derived from the main title itself. 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. 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.
Were there alternative ideas? Or did you nail this out of the box?
We were actually brought in quite early on in the process before they had started filming, so there were a number of different approaches that we worked through with the show’s creators, before landing on the final idea. Our team was on the project for around eight months, so ideas had the time and space to develop and evolve.
More generally, do you believe streaming shows have opened a new golden era of motion graphic sequences?
Yes, absolutely. It’s an exciting time in that respect. I think streaming has opened up a real opportunity in this space and it’s so much more than a renaissance of a bygone era – you’re seeing some beautiful work that really transports you into the world of a show – innovative work that pushes expectations and techniques in whole new directions.
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