Post-production uncovered: ​Moonraker on Planet Earth III titles (BBC)

Bristol-based Moonraker VFX has created the title sequence and graphic design for BBC1’s eight-part Planet Earth III series.

Moonraker delivered the titles and graphic design as well as shots of the Earth from space. It also provided editing work for the production.

The company had previously worked on Planet Earth II.

For the titles and graphic design, Moonraker considered the legacy of the Planet Earth brand and gave the series a contemporary update that complemented its two predecessors.

Moonraker executive producer, Scott Metcalfe, said: “The series is a global brand with an established visual identity. It was a great experience to return to this project and reimagine the titles and graphic design in a new way while still being respectful of its original iconic style.

“Since we worked on Planet Earth II, we have been constantly enhancing our imaging capabilities, which have developed significantly since the last series. Using the latest satellite imagery, we have continued to create incredibly detailed and cinematic shots of Earth.

Graham Stott, Moonraker creative director, said: “On the titles for Planet Earth III we added a small but significant evolution to the iconic end resolve: humanity’s fingerprint on the Earth—the lights of cities at night. Another scene captured the awesome power and swirling clouds of a hurricane formed over the Atlantic Ocean.

“In terms of editing, we undertook a particularly complicated and ambitious multi-camera scene in Episode 7, Human, which included time-lapse footage taken with a motion control rig. It was one of the scenes that both BBC Studios and Moonraker had been planning the longest and its success is thanks to some excellent talent and teamwork.”