Stylized Darkness, Cinematic Precision

NBC’s Hannibal follows Will Graham, a gifted FBI profiler with a unique ability to empathize with serial killers, as he seeks insight from renowned psychiatrist, and future nemesis, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. For this critically acclaimed psychological thriller, GRAFX Co. was brought on board to help design key frames for the show’s opening title sequence, in collaboration with agency Smoke & Mirrors.

Project

Hannibal – Opening Title Design

Client

NBC / Smoke & Mirrors

Our Role

Style Frame Design

Profiles

Using character-driven imagery, we created high-contrast, close-up compositions that abstracted the facial features of main cast members. The minimalist, type-driven treatment amplified the haunting tension and psychological complexity central to the show’s identity.

Murder

Inspired by forensic photography and crime scene documentation, this approach took a grittier, textured visual path. Stylized overlays, visceral color grading, and haunting compositing evoked the dark elegance and horror embedded in the narrative. These design frames served as a conceptual foundation for the final sequence.

Depths Below

Drawing inspiration from forensic documentation, anatomical studies, and the psychological undercurrents of the series, each frame is steeped in a moody realism that contrasts the ethereal with the grotesque. By integrating textural overlays, macro close-ups, and anatomical motifs, this direction aimed to dissect the duality of beauty and brutality.