Concrete Completes Opening Titles For Psychoville

Concrete completed the titles for dark new BBC comedy Psychoville created by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton of The League of Gentlemen, also starring Dawn French, Dame Eileen Atkins and Christopher Biggins.
The single camera comedy is directed by Matt Lipsey (Jekyl, Human Remains) and produced by Justin Davies (Beautiful People). The Post Producer on the project was Vanessa Lees who approached Chris Jennings initially after successful work on another BBC comedy Parents of the Band.
The Concrete Graphic Design Department headed by Creative Director Chris Jennings won the pitch from BBC inhouse comedy to create the opening titles, inspired by the work of legendary titles artist Saul Bass. Bass created many classic Hitchcock titles including Psycho, North by Northwest and Vertigo. Chris Jennings said: "Our client wanted the titles to be strong and urgent and mysterious all at once - and rather creepy which we managed to achieve. It was a great project to work on."
Marcus Millichope, Concrete's Senior Smoke Artist in Smoke and Abi Tomasiewicz, Digital Artist in AfterFX created sample animations for the pitch. Graphic Designer Matt Rowley in After Effects built the final edit.
Producer Justin Davies stated: "Chris Jennings and his team at Concrete made the whole process very easy. They responded to our brief with amazing boards so we knew exactly where their designs were headed from the get go. The end result is captivating and fresh and gives the viewer a sense that trouble is brewing... which it certainly is in Psychovile."
Psychoville is about five seemingly disparate characters that all receive a chilling message: "I know what you did". An embittered hook-handed clown, a desperately misguided midwife, a love struck telekinetic dwarf, a blind avaricious collector and a murder-obsessed man-child: all are affected in different ways by the letters and their already bizarre lives are hilariously turned on their heads.
The comedy series will be broadcast on June 11 2009 on BBC Two.
Further information is available at: www.concretepostproduction.com.
(KMcA/JM)