SKY History: Royal Kill List

Diving into Royal Kill List series was an exciting opportunity for our team, who had very much enjoyed working with the 72 Films team previously.

The brief was intriguing, and the script captivating – avoiding the usual dry historical tone with high end drama with a bold visual approach.

Royal Kill List unfolds as a gripping adventure, weaving together thrilling storytelling with the monumental, nation-changing events of the time. It’s a fun, star-studded story of Charles II as he lusts for bloody revenge.

The three narrators (including Joseph Fiennes) humanises each point of view, enabling viewers to digest and contemplate the weight of the narrative.

Process

Collaborating with the client, our aim was to craft a visually immersive experience that plunges viewers into the depths of the 17th-century mindset, while effectively conveying the gripping manhunt at the story’s core. We strived for a dark, gritty, and contemporary ambiance, integrating elements such as bloodstains on documents, ink on parchment, etchings and wax seals to authentically evoke the era’s essence. We also introduced a number of hand illustrated assets into our work, leaning into the printing press aesthetic of the era.

Balancing historical accuracy with narrative integrity, our visuals steer clear of comedy, ensuring they resonate with the story’s dark and violent undertones, but with a fresh and punchy feel, tonally embedding with the feel of the series.

Explainer Sequences / Maps

For these sequences, our aim was to craft something that shows royalist and republican elements within the same image, easily readable for the audience to see exactly where we are in the story.

Drawing inspiration from hand-drawn maps on aged parchment, we wanted to infuse a raw intensity and foreboding darkness into the images. Scratchy line drawings and rugged woodblock prints guided our approach to these sequences. In simplifying the maps, we stripped away excess detail such as place names and borders, allowing for a streamlined presentation of information. This simplification enabled us to introduce icons, borders, and graphical elements strategically, ensuring clarity where needed within the narrative.

The series was produced by 72 Films, London, England.

Studio: Past Curfew

Design Director: Allison Brownmoore

Production Coordinator: Mark Hughes

Designers: Sylvain Doussa, John Quinn, Kevin Smy, Callum Welch

“I had a fantastic time collaborating with 72 Films on Royal Kill List. I particularly enjoyed us diving into the dark, grungy aesthetic they envisioned and bringing that to life for them.” Mark, Production Coordinator.