Disney needed an opening title sequence and stings for their Christmas and Thanksgiving programming.

Wanting to capture the warmth and charm of classic Disney storytelling, we imagined iconic Disneyland locations rebuilt entirely from paper.

It had to be festive, recognisably Disney and have the flexibility to serve both Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The Approach

Working with Lost and Found Studio, we explored several visual directions: 2D paper-cut scenes, layered dioramas, and finally, a full 3D paper world for the camera to fly through, settling on the latter.

The approach brought energy and a cinematic feel, like taking a miniature rollercoaster ride through a festive Disneyland.

To heighten the mood, we layered in snow, tinsel, Christmas trees, and a touch of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust.

And, because it wouldn’t be Disney without a little magic, we hid a few Easter eggs along the way.

The Craft

The technical challenge was showcasing multiple Disneyland locations in one shot whilst keeping render times and scene complexity under control.

We explored several approaches:

Flying one continuous camera through all the scenes (a heavy lift for Cinema 4D).
Loading the world into Unreal Engine for performance, though this came at the cost of control over our aesthetic.
Or, matching camera moves scene-to-scene and stitching them together in post.

It’s that classic choice: the slick, technical shortcut or the hands-on route. I’ll usually pick the route that gives the most creative control and flexibility.

We landed on the third route - rendering each scene independently from Cinema 4D and compositing in After Effects gave us full creative control. It also allowed for greater flexibility when rendering iterations and in team collaboration further down the line.

A Curveball

Towards the end of the project, experimenting with ways to add a little extra sparkle, the client loved a test render featuring a glitterball material.

“Can we have more of that… in everything?”

It was one of those moments - the realisation that the entire film was about to need re-texturing and rendering overnight, with delivery due the next morning. Oh boy…

But, once it was all said and done, it was the right call - the added shimmer gave the whole sequence a brighter, more celebratory feel - a great finishing touch!

After that one, we were done. Fully approved 2 full weeks ahead of deadline.

The Result

It was a joy collaborating with Lost and Found Studio, especially Cagdas, who trusted me deeply on our first project together. Working amongst such a talented group of CG Artists, sharing our progress and ideas each day was a real highlight.

The finished titles strike a playful balance between handcrafted warmth and Disney spectacle. The materiality and iconic landmarks bring a warm nostalgia, while the dynamic camera rig keeps the pace up, like a wild sleigh ride on rockets!

Technically, the modular render setup proved invaluable, allowing the team to iterate quickly and share work efficiently without getting bogged down with tricky, technical scene management.

Our efficient approach resulted in a sequence that was adaptable for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. Requiring only minimal title swaps saved production time without compromising our design intent.

Disney
Christmas Special

A miniature Christmas Disneyland rollercoaster

Disney needed an opening title sequence and stings for their Christmas and Thanksgiving programming.

Wanting to capture the warmth and charm of classic Disney storytelling, we imagined iconic Disneyland locations rebuilt entirely from paper.

It had to be festive, recognisably Disney and have the flexibility to serve both Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The Approach

Working with Lost and Found Studio, we explored several visual directions: 2D paper-cut scenes, layered dioramas, and finally, a full 3D paper world for the camera to fly through, settling on the latter.

The approach brought energy and a cinematic feel, like taking a miniature rollercoaster ride through a festive Disneyland.

To heighten the mood, we layered in snow, tinsel, Christmas trees, and a touch of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust.

And, because it wouldn’t be Disney without a little magic, we hid a few Easter eggs along the way.

The Craft

The technical challenge was showcasing multiple Disneyland locations in one shot whilst keeping render times and scene complexity under control.

We explored several approaches:

Flying one continuous camera through all the scenes (a heavy lift for Cinema 4D).

Loading the world into Unreal Engine for performance, though this came at the cost of control over our aesthetic.

Or, matching camera moves scene-to-scene and stitching them together in post.

It’s that classic choice: the slick, technical shortcut or the hands-on route. I’ll usually pick the route that gives the most creative control and flexibility.

We landed on the third route - rendering each scene independently from Cinema 4D and compositing in After Effects gave us full creative control. It also allowed for greater flexibility when rendering iterations and in team collaboration further down the line.

A Curveball

Towards the end of the project, experimenting with ways to add a little extra sparkle, the client loved a test render featuring a glitterball material.

“Can we have more of that… in everything?”

It was one of those moments - the realisation that the entire film was about to need re-texturing and rendering overnight, with delivery due the next morning. Oh boy…

But, once it was all said and done, it was the right call - the added shimmer gave the whole sequence a brighter, more celebratory feel - a great finishing touch!

After that one, we were done. Fully approved 2 full weeks ahead of deadline.

The Result

It was a joy collaborating with Lost and Found Studio, especially Cagdas, who trusted me deeply on our first project together. Working amongst such a talented group of CG Artists, sharing our progress and ideas each day was a real highlight.

The finished titles strike a playful balance between handcrafted warmth and Disney spectacle. The materiality and iconic landmarks bring a warm nostalgia, while the dynamic camera rig keeps the pace up, like a wild sleigh ride on rockets!

Technically, the modular render setup proved invaluable, allowing the team to iterate quickly and share work efficiently without getting bogged down with tricky, technical scene management.

Our efficient approach resulted in a sequence that was adaptable for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. Requiring only minimal title swaps saved production time without compromising our design intent.

Portfolio Contact

Disney Christmas Special

A miniature Christmas Disneyland rollercoaster

Disney needed an opening title sequence and stings for their Christmas and Thanksgiving programming.

Wanting to capture the warmth and charm of classic Disney storytelling, we imagined iconic Disneyland locations rebuilt entirely from paper.

It had to be festive, recognisably Disney and have the flexibility to serve both Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The Approach

Working with Lost and Found Studio, we explored several visual directions: 2D paper-cut scenes, layered dioramas, and finally, a full 3D paper world for the camera to fly through, settling on the latter.

The approach brought energy and a cinematic feel, like taking a miniature rollercoaster ride through a festive Disneyland.

To heighten the mood, we layered in snow, tinsel, Christmas trees, and a touch of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust.

And, because it wouldn’t be Disney without a little magic, we hid a few Easter eggs along the way.

The Craft

The technical challenge was showcasing multiple Disneyland locations in one shot whilst keeping render times and scene complexity under control.

We explored several approaches:

Flying one continuous camera through all the scenes (a heavy lift for Cinema 4D).

Loading the world into Unreal Engine for performance, though this came at the cost of control over our aesthetic.

Or, matching camera moves scene-to-scene and stitching them together in post.

It’s that classic choice: the slick, technical shortcut or the hands-on route. I’ll usually pick the route that gives the most creative control and flexibility.

We landed on the third route - rendering each scene independently from Cinema 4D and compositing in After Effects gave us full creative control. It also allowed for greater flexibility when rendering iterations and in team collaboration further down the line.

A Curveball

Towards the end of the project, experimenting with ways to add a little extra sparkle, the client loved a test render featuring a glitterball material.

“Can we have more of that… in everything?”

It was one of those moments - the realisation that the entire film was about to need re-texturing and rendering overnight, with delivery due the next morning. Oh boy…

But, once it was all said and done, it was the right call - the added shimmer gave the whole sequence a brighter, more celebratory feel - a great finishing touch!

After that one, we were done. Fully approved 2 full weeks ahead of deadline.

The Result

It was a joy collaborating with Lost and Found Studio, especially Cagdas, who trusted me deeply on our first project together. Working amongst such a talented group of CG Artists, sharing our progress and ideas each day was a real highlight.

The finished titles strike a playful balance between handcrafted warmth and Disney spectacle. The materiality and iconic landmarks bring a warm nostalgia, while the dynamic camera rig keeps the pace up, like a wild sleigh ride on rockets!

Technically, the modular render setup proved invaluable, allowing the team to iterate quickly and share work efficiently without getting bogged down with tricky, technical scene management.

Our efficient approach resulted in a sequence that was adaptable for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. Requiring only minimal title swaps saved production time without compromising our design intent.

Roku

Portfolio Contact

Disney
Christmas Special