The Fall of Diddy

After years of rumors, allegations of violent, abusive behavior at the hands of Sean “Diddy” Combs have come to light along with federal charges that include sex trafficking and racketeering. Tackling a controversial subject matter with the appropriate level of sensitivity is a particular area of expertise for our partners at Maxine Productions, and we knew we could trust them to effectively bring this important story to viewers.

To set the tone of the series, we needed to design a compelling title sequence. Bold, but filled with references of the many decades of Combs-related archival media we had to work with. It was important for our design to reference the incredible level of celebrity Combs had achieved in his career as well as the divergence from his public persona to the more sinister personality that lurked behind closed doors.

We explored a variety of graphic styles for conveying both the height of his celebrity and also Combs’ grittier associations. What we featured in the short open was key to introducing the series, so we played with options including featured interviews from the series, headlines, award shows and of course New York City— the backdrop for so much of Combs’ career and persona.

A split screen approach allowed us to succinctly take viewers through Combs’ career journey, incorporating a sense of where the public persona diverged from the alleged criminal behavior. The sequence ends with two shots of Combs juxtaposed on either side of the screen, setting the stage for the series and realizing the Diddy we knew with the one we didn’t.

Once we’d established the look and feel of the timeline, we needed to align the design across elements and bring the same style into the documents, text, photos and lower thirds. The intensity of the subject matter led us to a restrained version of our graphics, not wanting the text to distract from the on-screen events.

The final design effect is one that references the glossy, glamorous lifestyle Combs’ lived for the decades prior to his incarceration. Designed to highlight the dichotomy between the meteoric levels of success Combs’ achieved to the grittier accounts of the featured interviews, a full spectrum of emotions are conveyed through our design decisions.

From award-winning entertainer to disgraced, incarcerated and awaiting trial— for some, the downfall of Sean "Puffy" Combs had been decades in the making. Watch all four parts (plus a bonus) of 'The Fall of Diddy' on Investigation Discovery or MAX to learn more about the insidious and terrifying allegations leveled against Combs.