Unveiled at London’s Barbican centre, the opening titles for this year’s Playgrounds in Motion festival have set a vibrant tone for one of the most celebrated gatherings in the animation and motion design world. Created by design at Nexus studios, the sequence captures the essence of motion craft in all its forms — a visual and emotional prelude to two days of creativity, experimentation, and artistic expression.
Creative directed by Erwin van den Ijssel, the piece reflects a concept-first, detail-driven approach that balances freedom with precision. The film, much like the free jazz that scores it, thrives on rhythm and improvisation while maintaining clear intent. Its signature infinite zoom transports viewers through a kaleidoscopic journey — from blooming woodlands alive with foxes to swirling musical manuscripts and flashing typography that gradually infuses color into a once monochromatic world.
Designed to premiere in Barbican hall, the sequence resonates equally well online, where every frame reveals new details, hidden easter eggs, and flashes of organic chaos. The team drew on a wide range of artistic techniques — from Hannah Lau-Walker’s cel-animated musical notation to Melanie Climent’s intricately illustrated skyline and forest scenes.
“The sequence is a celebration of craft in all its forms,” said Erwin van den Ijssel, creative director at Nexus studios. “We wanted to showcase motion design across dimensions — from cel animation to 3D — and kick off Playgrounds in Motion with a bang.”
The project serves as a tribute to collaboration, experimentation, and the limitless nature of motion design. By merging analog artistry with digital innovation, Nexus studios reminds audiences that motion design is defined not by tools, but by the imagination behind them.
As the festival unfolds with talks, workshops, screenings, and performances, the titles stand as both an artistic manifesto and an invitation: to move, to create, and to celebrate the craft that keeps design — and storytelling — in constant motion.
