It’s no secret that for many motion designers, creating a title sequence for a standout show is a dream project and one of the true milestones of a career. I was incredibly fortunate to be part of the talented team at King + Country, who crafted the main title sequence for the Netflix historical drama miniseries Death by Lightning.
Death by Lightning explores the rise and assassination of U.S. President James A. Garfield, weaving political tension, historical detail, and psychological drama into a gripping period narrative.
Beyond animation and compositing, I played a key role across multiple stages of production. My responsibilities included developing previsualization to establish timing, pacing, and narrative flow. Defining the spatial layout of the sequence by positioning and grounding all elements within the 3D world. Crafting camera animation to enhance depth, and cinematic movement. Modeling the stylized White House, a central visual asset that helped anchor the sequence’s world-building and historical tone.
For a deeper look into the creative process, visual development, and extensive world-building behind the sequence, be sure to check out the outstanding behind-the-scenes breakdown by King + Country:
https://kingandcountry.tv/deathbylightning/
https://kingandcountry.tv/deathbylightning/
Credits
Client: Netflix
Creator: Mike Makowski
EP: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss.
Production: King+Country
Director/CD: Rick Gledhill
EP: Jerry Torgerson
Animation Supervisor: Andrew Cook
Producer: Ryan Lowrie
Art Director: KA Batcha
Designer: Josh Lewis, Jason Guerrero
3d Animator/Modeler: Saman Khorram
Animator/Compositor: Hugo Codinach, Rafael Monguilhott, Tom Kenney
Editor: Hans Carillo
Director/CD: Rick Gledhill
EP: Jerry Torgerson
Animation Supervisor: Andrew Cook
Producer: Ryan Lowrie
Art Director: KA Batcha
Designer: Josh Lewis, Jason Guerrero
3d Animator/Modeler: Saman Khorram
Animator/Compositor: Hugo Codinach, Rafael Monguilhott, Tom Kenney
Editor: Hans Carillo
Music: Hanni El Khatib “You Rascal You”
