We were ecstatic to collaborate for a second time with Rob Letterman and the Goosebumps team at Disney+. Just like our Season 1 (S1) title sequence, we created the majority of our Season 2 (S2) titles in-camera.

The practical effects we achieved in S1 allowed us to closely replicate each Goosebumps letter with digital-level precision, while only using ink and paper. By achieving this premium level of design detail with practical effects, we were able to create a seemingly digital sequence that appeared to exceed the limits of CGI software. 

This created an eerie, unexplainable aesthetic that directly mirrored the feel of the show. We strongly felt that the S2 titles should achieve the same effect. As a result, we pitched only in-camera, practical solutions for S2.

The black goo is a major theme in Goosebumps S2, so much so that it almost feels like its own character. The goo is invasive, pervasive, and constantly changing forms throughout the season. Using this goo to create the logo would not only be a perfect conceptual tie-in to the show, but would also nod to S1’s titles, which used ink to create the logo.

To call to the goo’s constantly changing viscosity throughout the show, we wanted to show the goo starting as a liquid and becoming more solid as the sequence progresses. To achieve this effect, we had to find a black substance that could be molded into defined letterforms and become completely liquid.

After lots of trial and error, we ended up freezing a mixture of black paint and water into custom molds of the Goosebumps letterforms. We created the background asphalt texture simply by spray painting Styrofoam with black paint.

To make the molds, we enlisted the help of Special Effects Designer Geoff Binns-Calvey, who we also paired up with to make the unicorn horn on WeCrashed. Together, we created 3D prints of each letter and cast those prints into silicone.

During the shoot, we typically had 3-5 sets of the Goosebumps letters chilling in the freezer. For the lighting/camera set ups, we used wax letters as stand-ins. When we were ready to shoot, we brought in the ice letters.

We used dry ice to keep the letters from melting while we did final kerning tweaks (kerning in real life!). We then rolled the camera and melted the letters with heat guns. Each take was about 3-5 minutes long.

We reversed and sped up the footage in post to make the goo feel as though it was rapidly going from liquid to solid.

The Goosebumps shoot was not a simple task! It was a 2-day dance between timing the camera to the level of melt. It was also a challenge to light a scene that starts solid but turns 100% liquid.

Our DP, Mike Bove, and his team were more than up for the challenge! Here are some behind-the-scenes shots with some of our creative collaborators.

Making a title sequence in-camera typically requires a robust pre-production process to prevent surprises during the actual shoot.

We went through several rounds of storyboards before settling on the general flow of the sequence.

By the time we went into the shoot, we had the entire sequence mapped out and timed to the music. To do this, we created a rough cut with a mixture of CG letters and test footage from our in-studio experiments to depict the angle of shots, the different letters featured, and the level of melt. On the day of the shoot, we were able to use this detailed simulation as our guide.

It was important to the Goosebumps team that “The Vanishing” stood out while feeling part of the practical world. Our creative solution? Shining a flashlight through a pane of glass covered with a die cut stencil of “The Vanishing.” 

This created delicate light floods and streaks within and outside of the letters that we then enhanced in post. The font used is a distressed version of Standard Typewriter Condensed.