The Kurcs embody a tapestry of joy, music, creativity, and beauty, seamlessly finding warmth and humor even in the darkest moments. The main title serves a pivotal role in constantly reminding viewers of the family’s resilient spirit, acting as a beacon that illuminates their essence amidst the harrowing adversities portrayed throughout the series.

Despite being a period show, the creators challenged us to steer clear of overly nostalgic elements that might evoke a mere gaze into the past. The objective was to immerse the audience fully, making them feel like active participants in that historical era.

The main title aligns with this vision, as our exploration from the outset prioritized solutions that exuded artistry, contemporaneity, and timeless elegance. Each frame resonates with a sense of living in the present moment within the historical backdrop, allowing the audience to connect with the Kurcs’ experiences on a deeply relatable level.

We settled on a treatment that cleverly weaves together a collage of images, vividly capturing the essence of each character and the entire universe of the show, which takes place across four continents.

After engaging in several productive brainstorming sessions with the show team, we landed on a script that skillfully incorporated diverse elements to define each character. This script served as a roadmap, guiding our researcher in the meticulous task of gathering stock and archival footage essential for each collage.

Talented collage artists, Barbara Gibson and Marta Kochanek, harnessed our extensive library of collected assets to design a full set of styleframes (see above). These styleframes served as the foundational elements for our initial boardomatic.  Throughout this creative process, we maintained a dynamic collaboration, exchanging ideas and feedback with show executives, including the book author, Georgia Hunter.

To enrich the collages further, we seamlessly integrated assets provided by the show’s production design team and from the family’s personal archives. This collaborative effort added a layer of authenticity and depth to the visual narrative.

Following an iterative process and with the full approval of the studio and network, our skilled animators breathed life into the designs, employing animation techniques and clever transitions to bring each collage to life.