REBRAND DESCRIPTION
2015 WAS A YEAR OF BOLD INNOVATION AT TURNER ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKS. KEVIN REILLY, TURNER'S PRESIDENT AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, INTRODUCED NEW STRATEGIES THAT INCLUDED A HEAVY FOCUS ON ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING AND HOLISTIC REBRAND OF BOTH TBS AND TNT. "WE INTEND TO REWRITE THE RULES AND LEAD THE TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT ERA OF WHAT A TV NETWORK WILL BECOME." REILLY STATED AT THIS YEAR'S TCA CONFERENCE.
HAVING ALREADY ENGAGED IN A SUCCESSFUL UPFRONT COLLABORATION IN THE SPRING OF 2015, KATHRYN ALLEN, VP OF BROADCAST DESIGN TAPPED TBIK TO HANDLE THE TNT PORTION OF THE REBRAND. THE 'NEXT ERA' OF TNT'S EVOLUTION NEEDED A MODERN, VISUAL REFRESH THAT REFLECTED IT'S NEW POSITION AS A PREMIUM, CONTENT DRIVEN NETWORK.
THE KILL 2 BIRDS TEAM, LED BY TOM BIK AND JONATHAN OUELLETTE, CREATED A PRINT-INSPIRED VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT FEATURES DRAMATICALLY FRAMED, BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY HOUSED WITHIN A SIMPLE, YET CONTEMPORARY GRAPHIC MOTIF. COLOR PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN ANCHORING THE DESIGN, AS TBIK CREATED A LIBRARY OF INTERACTIVE PALETTES AND TEXTURES THAT ASSURED TNT'S ON AIR ELEMENTS REMAIN FRESH NO MATTER HOW OFTEN THEY ARE SEEN.
A CUSTOM DESIGNED TYPEFACE CAPPED THE NEW LOOK, FEATURING A 'CUT' DESIGN THAT OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO INFUSE COLORED INLAYS INTO THE TYPE, OR CREATE AN ENTIRE NEGATIVE SPACE, DEPENDING ON A PARTICULAR ELEMENT'S NEED.
THE COMPREHENSIVE REBRAND ENCOMPASSED 'EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK'. KILL 2 BIRDSSTARTED WITH A REVAMPED LOGO AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSPOSED THROUGHOUT TNT'S PROMO PACKAGE, MOVIE PACKAGE AND NETWORK PACKAGE, ULTIMATELY CREATING OVER 300 DELIVERABLES OVER A SPAN OF THREE MONTHS.
LOGO REDESIGN
THE TNT LOGO NEEDED NOT ONLY AN EVOLUTION, BUT A REVOLUTION. THE PREVIOUS TNT LOGO HAD BEEN A MAINSTAY SINCE 2001 AND NEEDED FAR MORE FUNCTIONALITY TO MEET THE NEWEST DEMANDS OF THE NETWORK. TNT REQUESTED THAT THE LOGO BECOME MORE MODERN, MORE SOPHISTICATED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE IN ANY SIZE AND ANY APPLICATION.
TBIK RESPONDED WITH HUNDREDS OF LOGO STUDIES DURING THE 'INCUBATION' PHASE, ULTIMATELY LANDING ON A BOLD, NEW LOGO SYSTEM THAT OFFERS EXTREME MODULARITY WHILE STILL RETAINING HARMONY WITH THE DESIGN.
CUSTOM FONTS
IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR THIS REBRAND TO INTRODUCE SOME PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER. FROM TBIK'S PERSPECTIVE, THE TITLE CARD AND ENDPAGE SYSTEM WOULD BE THE PERFECT PLACE TO HOUSE PERSONALIZED EXPRESSION. THIS SYSTEM IS THE WORKHORSE OF PROMO PACKAGES, SO HOW CAN THEY BE FRESH AND UNIQUE DESPITE THEIR FREQUENCY ON AIR?
AFTER SOME SLEEPLESS NIGHTS OF BRAINSTORMING, THE TNT CUT FONT WAS BORN!
BEGINNING WITH STANDARD UNIVERS FONT AS A BASE, TBIK CREATED A CUSTOM, CUT VERSION OF THE TYPEFACE THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO OVERLAY ON ITSELF [OR NOT], ALLOWING DESIGNERS THE OPTION OF FILLING THE CUT PORTION WITH A COLOR OR CUTTING THE SPACE OUT COMPLETELY. ONCE ANIMATED, THE REVEALS WITHIN THE COLOR FILLS [OR NEGATIVE SPACE] PROVIDE DYNAMIC MOTION AND NEEDED ENERGY TO AREAS THAT ARE TYPICALLY MOTIONLESS ON SCREEN.
THE RESULTING LOOK PROVIDES A UNIQUE, OWN-ABLE BRAND LANGUAGE WHILE ALSO PROVIDING ENDLESS MODULARITY AND FRESH EXECUTIONS.
CUSTOM AFTER EFFECTS CONTROL PANEL
TYPICAL NETWORK TOOLKITS PROVIDE LIMITED ABILITY TO ANIMATE TEXT WITHIN TITLE CARDS AND ENDPAGES. GENERALLY, THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS THAT CAN GO AWRY IF COMPLEX ANIMATION IS INTRODUCED... AND NETWORKS ARE USUALLY PRESSED FOR TIME WITH TIGHT PRODUCTION DEADLINES. TOM AND JONNY HOWEVER, WANTED TO PUT AN END TO THAT LIMITATION FOR TNT.
WHILE THE CUSTOM FONTS CREATED A FRESH, CONTEMPORARY SPIN ON TITLE CARDS AND ENDPAGES, THEY ALSO PRESENTED A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE IN HOW TO EXECUTE THE TYPE REVEALS. COULD THIS SOMEHOW BE AUTOMATED?
YES IT CAN!
BY ENLISTING THE HELP OF SOME VERY TALENTED CODERS, TBIK CREATED A CUSTOM, AFTER EFFECTS CONTROL PANEL THAT MAKES THE PROCESS OF CREATING TITLE CARDS AND ENDPAGES AS EASY AS DATA ENTRY. DESIGNERS AT TNT ONLY NEED TO ENTER THEIR DESIRED TEXT, CHOOSE A COLOR AND THE CONTROL PANEL NOT ONLY PRODUCED THE FINAL CARD, BUT ANIMATES IT AS WELL!
TBIK CREATED MULTIPLE PROPRIETARY AE SCRIPTS THAT DO ALL THE WORK VIA A RANDOMIZER EMBEDDED WITHIN THE CODE. ALL THAT'S LEFT TO DO IS HIT RENDER AND DELIVER! THE INNOVATIVE SYSTEM IS SIMPLE TO USE AND TURNS AROUND FINAL PRODUCT WITH EXTREME EFFICIENCY.
TCA / OOH
KEVIN REILLY INTRODUCED THE PRESS TO THE NEW TNT THIS PAST JANUARY AT THE ANNUAL TCA MEETING IN LOS ANGELES.
TBIK WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN DEFINING THE PACKAGING OF THE PRESENTATION BY CREATING THE GRAPHIC OPENS AND INTERSTITIALS IN THE SIZZLE TAPES, ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNAGE, STEP AND REPEATS, POSTERS, BANNERS [JUST TO NAME A FEW]... ALL IN THE NEW LOOK.
AS REILLY ARTICULATED HIS VISION TO THE GATHERED MASSES, HE WAS SURROUNDED BY VISUAL EVIDENCE OF TNT'S EVOLUTION AND COMMITMENT TO USHERING IN THEIR 'NEXT ERA OF WHAT A TELEVISION NETWORK WILL BECOME'.
