Bleach

For this film adaptation of the manga and anime classic, Bleach, we were tasked with creating a title sequence that blends traditional Japanese folklore and today's contemporary Japanese society within the context of one of the film's iconic sword blades. Reflected on the face of the blade, we see the juxtaposition of ancient demon illustrations and shinto shrines back to back with imagery of everyday modern life, punctuated by footage of unexplained disturbances and disasters. Surveillance and cellphone footage of random acts of violence show cars being smashed and people attacked by unknown, unseen forces. Created with VFX, our job was to hint that these seemingly random freak occurrences are actually evidence and the result of a never ending, invisible battle between the heroic Soul Reapers and the Shinigami demons they hunt. We also executed a live action shoot to capture abstract insert shots of the flowing robes, hair and combat movements of a demon hunter.  In order to set the proper tone, we employed an edgy editorial method reminiscent of a flip book as a subtle nod to the franchise's manga roots.