
The team at Moonraker VFX discuss making great TV remotely for Netflixs new series History 101
By Contributor
Published: May 21, 2020
The team at Moonraker VFX discuss making great TV remotely for Netflix's new series History 101
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> The team at Moonraker VFX discuss making great TV remotely for Netflix's new series History 101
https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/is-it-possible-to-create-high-end-content-while-working-remotely title=Share via Email class=share-email>
With film crews set to return to work under restricted circumstances and production companies likely to be working from home for the foreseeable future, the TV industry is facing a novel challenge. Producing new content is essential in keeping viewers engaged, but how can this be achieved by a dispersed team?
History 101, a new type of documentary series produced by ITN Productions, debuts on Netflix in the UK on 22nd May. The series shines a light on how new content could be created under these new conditions, and Moonraker's animations were on the front line of making this possible.
Completed earlier in the year, prior to lockdown, it's easy to say History 101 is eerily forward-thinking in that the production was compiled solely with a combination of stock footage and animation, requiring no filming at all.
Delving into a diverse range of subjects, from robots to HIV/AIDs to nuclear power, the show takes viewers on a historical journey through unique archive footage. Each episode examines the importance of the topic and its significance in the world today.
Building narrative and visual identity through animation Working with a collection of shots from ITN's archive, Bristol-based VFX studio Moonraker were tasked with the creative challenge of illustrating the complex historical narrative behind the footage whilst also creating a visual identity unique to the show something that was impossible to achieve with archival shots alone. This was delivered through playful animated sequences, to create an overarching style over varied topics, presenting information to the audience in an engaging and humorous way.
From the outset, the challenge for the Moonraker team was to create a coherent style across such a broad range of complicated historical subjects and high volume of animations. Alex Dilworth, senior art director of the series, explains: The challenge with archive footage is it can feel quite distant, our role was to inject humour and interest through animation, helping illustrate the complicated ideas within each episode in a fun way and bring the programme together stylistically.
The team used a host of tools from the Adobe CC suite alongside C4D to create the animated content, which provided a stylistic identity to the series. Incorporating 3D and 2D animation, Moonraker were also keen to reference a range of animation styles, with the aim of adding further depth to the series whilst also bringing the stock footage, and all episodes, together using a consistent artistic style.
Executive director, Simon George, comments: The animation and design elements for History 101 were critical for two reasons. Firstly, for providing clean and dynamic information sections for the viewers, and secondly in forming the overall identity for the show.
Producing content with remote teams While History 101 sets a precedent for how production companies can revisit old footage and repurpose it into new content that appeals to modern audiences, the combination of animation and stock footage is also a process that can be effectively replicated as the industry continues to work remotely.
Scott Metcalfe, who produced the series at Moonraker, is confident that the process can be repeated for future productions: The way this project worked, using stock footage and then collaborating as a team to create the visuals, coupled with how we can work remotely, means we could do another series almost immediately, he says.
We could tackle any subject now with virtually no obstacles, even in lockdown conditions.
Adapting to change Even before lockdown, Moonraker has been working hard to replicate the systems and dynamics of the studio at home to facilitate home working. With a combination of early planning and remote logins, Moonraker artists are able to access the studio network and machines from their home devices.
Alex Dilworth, who recently joined Moonraker as senior art director, says this foresight is the reason the team have been able to transition relatively seamlessly to a new way of working. The reason we can work almost as efficiently at home is due to having access to our studio systems. The whole network is still there , he says.
In terms of the creative process and working collaboratively as a team, channels such as Slack have been an effective way to facilitate the informal conversations of the studio, whilst pipeline tools such as Shotgun enable the team to share and edit footage.
Dilworth concludes, I am sure we will see many more programmes revisiting archive material in the upcoming months as the industry looks for innovative ways to produce fresh content. That being said, nothing replaces the collaborative process you get from the studio.
SubscribeFor more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...