magic everywhere
David Blaine: Do Not Attempt
Client
Imagine Documentaries, Disney+
World-renowned magician and performance artist David Blaine takes viewers on the most jaw-dropping journey yet in his latest reality venture with National Geographic, the documentary series 'David Blaine: Do Not Attempt'.
Series Design and Main Title
BGSTR designed the six-part series which follows world-renowned magician and endurance artist David Blaine exploring the world through the lens of magic.
In the series’ six episodes, David Blaine takes us on a fascinating cultural exchange and a jaw-dropping journey through extraordinary cultures, where he meets with performers and masters— kindred spirits who inspire and share with him exceptional skills (and secrets)— in Brazil, Southeast Asia, India, the Arctic Circle, South Africa and Japan.
We wanted our design to reflect the intimate position the series takes with Blaine and the storytelling journey he takes us on along with each stunt’s subjects. We stylized each location with graphics and imagery until we landed on the linear style that connected with the spirit of the show’s world traveling nature.
We incorporated motion into the archival materials we worked with and treated them to aesthetically fit into the series design we established.
Our design finds the balance between the international location of each episode and Blaine’s existing brand and his unruffled demeanor to underscore the storytelling of the series and what takes magic beyond mere illusion.
AR Experience
To complement the design we contributed to the series, we partnered with Nat Geo again on the series for an entirely new-to-us element— an AR fully immersive experience.
Using newly advanced technologies, we partnered with our friends at OddCommon to develop an experience that seamlessly blends the digital experience with the viewer’s real world environment, without the need to install a new app by using a QR code.
We explored a few different experiences that all focused on a unique aspect of the show— David’s card tricks jumping out of the screen, miniature games related to the series, selfie content that could be shared on social media and more.
Ultimately, we landed on an experience that immerses viewers in the action by bringing some of the more outrageous shots to life—the king cobra, fire in the palm of your hand, a deadly scorpion and more.
This element was a great way for us to expand our thinking around design and how it affects viewer experience across mediums, confirming how influential our craft is to visual storytelling
Overall, our design across the series finds the balance between the international location of each episode and Blaine’s existing brand and his unruffled demeanor to underscore the storytelling of the series and what takes magic beyond mere illusion. Stream all episodes of Do Not Attempt on Disney+ !
Props where props are due
Credits
DNA Series
Executive Vice President, Executive Producer Carson HoodVice President, Head of Production Virgil ConklinCreative Director Mark ThompsonProducer Jessica RowleyDesign and Animation Paolo Garcia, Ivan Viaranchyk, Muskaan SethiDesign Riley Carson, Briana CarliniIllustration Mark StutzmanAnimation Andrij Dynko
DNA AR Experience
Founder, Executive Creative Director Josh NortonExecutive Vice President, Executive Producer Carson HoodVice President, Head of Production Virgil ConklinDesign and Production OddCommon