Set one year after the events of the first game, Miles Morales has embraced his role as Spider-Man and defends his home in Harlem and New York City. Miles must put a stop to the conflict between a criminal organisation Underground, led by supervillain The Tinkerer, and Roxxon Energy Corporation.
Our brief was to produce a more refined and serious take that reflects Miles’ unique journey throughout the game, from his heroic battles with the Underground gang to the heartfelt moments with family and friends in East Harlem.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Territory swings into action with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The follow-up to the hit 2018 game, we follow Miles Morales’ journey in taking up the mantle and becoming a true neighborhood Spider-Man.
Read MoreFinal Frames
Creating a visually arresting sequence, we utilised duotone lighting to depict the different worlds Miles must navigate throughout the game. We take pride in world creation and we wanted the colour schemes of the respective worlds to echo the conflict Miles faces.
This was our second collaboration with Sony on the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, having created the end titles for the previous game. Once again it was an absolute pleasure and incredibly fun project to work on. We were delighted to be asked to pitch again and even more delighted to come up with a treatment that resonated with the evolution of this exciting new game and Miles Morales’ character.
Andrew Popplestone, Creative Director at Territory Studio
Styleframe Development
At first, we created styleframes which played with the idea of graphic silhouettes, seeking the minimal amount of information needed to sell the shot itself. After achieving this, we moved onto selecting key moments in the game which we wanted to frame.
Once the key moments were established, we moved into 3D. We focused on re-creating poses to form tension/excitement in the frozen moment. Implementing dynamic camera movement helped to focus the player’s attention and gradual reveals created a sense of intrigue.
With the character poses we wanted to pay homage to Spider-Man’s Comic routes, making sure the composition lock-ups felt graphic at all times.
This was a dream project for us to work on & a great opportunity to create a cinematic Title Sequence with a strong graphic aesthetic
Dan Herlihy, Creative Lead at Territory Studio
Pitch Frames
We presented to the client multiple variants on potential approaches we could have taken with the project.
From Harlem with Love
This Concept embraces the Street Art of East Harlem itself, combining the Neon Noir aesthetic with the cultural richness of the neighborhood. The inner conflict will be conveyed through a visceral tear running through the composition to echo the emotional development of Miles himself whilst maintaining the striking angular compositions found in comic books.
Vibrant Conflict
This approach is both a playful yet powerful insight into Miles’ psyche. Dynamically recapping some of the action from the game, we showcase the evolution of Miles’ powers as a hero as well as his teenage emotions. The concept uses a combination of silhouettes, negative space & bold painterly colours to capture our Spider-Man’s unique journey. Split screen will be used as a device to depict the duality of the Super Hero world and Miles’ internal struggle with the moral decisions he faces.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Channelling Miles Morales’ irreverent attitude, we borrow as much from his personality as from the quirky flavour of the neighborhood in which he lives. Putting a unique spin on the everyday neighborhood sights that reflects East Harlem’s very own Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
© 2021 MARVEL