SERIAL KILLERS in TURKIYE
// Title Sequence
"Locals used to call them monsters. Unseen, haunting, they fall upon to their homelands like a dark suffocating mist."
We have teamed up with Mordak Yapim to create a title sequence for this documentary. We liked their approach to the subject ; they wanted to digg the cultural, political, geographical and psychological influences over serial killers, and related motivations of theirs. They were staying away from bloody, groy content to keep the focus. And same vision had to be applied to title sequence as well.
They interviewed with psychiatrists, journalists, neurology, investigators. One of them was saying that, locals were describing them like "...they describe them as invisible monsters, almost like roaming around as a deadly mist yet they know that they exist..." and this became the main inspiration for our theme.
// CONCEPT
Killers' roots, place of origin, and their relationship to these factors are metaphorically essential. Location, time period, family, and other related elements are significant because murderers often undergo traumatic events in their past that contribute to their evolution. Consequently, the psychological burden they carry continues to manifest, striking fear into the hearts of people in a chilling manner.
Fog emerges as a pivotal visual element, symbolizing concealment, mystery, and the presence of killers who are simultaneously visible and invisible.
// References for giant silhouettes
// References for mood
Furthermore, since the locals often characterizes them as 'monsters,' we propose an unconventional and intriguing approach. Rather than depicting them as literal giants or ogres, we suggest portraying them as enigmatic silhouettes that defy full comprehension. This concept aligns with the theme, in a cinematic, eerie, yet subtle and emotion-driven manner.
To enhance these giant silhouettes' characters, we proposed incorporating details such as medical documentation, news segments, and newspaper clippings onto them. These nuanced period-specific details could enrich the narrative. Later on we decided to keep them subtle, and keep some of them them as projections over face at the end of the sequence.
// References for content projection visual style
// PROCESS
First off, we designed 2 frames as proof of concept to sell the idea along with the written concept and references ;
Then we went to some of the villages and towns where some of the killers lived to take pictures ; as reference for building scenes or using for projection mapping later on :
Storyboards ; every shot represents one killer, the location he used to live and commiting murders, and some particular details related to them. A few examples ; one is the relationship with rats in basement with his, another one is a concstruction building that he used to hide bodies etc... :
Some design frames ; it became a complation of live action, photography and CGI :
// PRODUCTION
Then Mert Ercin, Taha Celal Yildirim and Emre Camci brought everything to life :
Some additional unusued designs ;
Key Art and typography, created by amazing Mert Senturk ;
Full Credits :
Creative Director : Mert Kızılay
Producer : Duygu Türkmen
Lead Designers : Mert Erçin, Taha Celal Yıldırım
Designers & Animators : Mert Erçin, Taha Celal Yıldırım, Begüm Tuncer, Yasin Esin, Soner Ünlü
Character Animator : Emre Çamcı
Title Designer :Mert Sentürk
Photography : Nazlı Pekdemir Special thanks to Zehra Kizilay, Mehmet Kizilay, Ceyhun Inceoglu, Susi Sie