Ladies First, a sharp and hilarious comedy set in modern-day London, takes audiences on a wild ride through a flipped world where gender dynamics are turned upside down. This power shift is visually represented by designing two distinct identities: one for Damien’s patriarchal world and another for Alex’s matriarchal society he must now navigate.
The creative team behind Ladies First were tasked with crafting in-camera playback visuals that seamlessly integrate into the set graphics, bringing ATLAS agency’s work to life while remaining true to the world of the story.
Collaborating closely with cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos and production designer Chris Lowe, we used the agency’s 30 meter video wall motion graphics as an active lighting source within the set itself. The motion design helped define and reinforce the contrasting emotional tones of the two worlds, a cool blue palette representing Damien’s patriarchal environment, and a softer peach-toned palette defining Alex’s matriarchal reality.
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81001524
Director: Thea Sharrock
Production company: 3Dot Productions
Director of photography: Haris Zambarloukos
Production Designer: Chris Lowe
Supervising Art Directors: Sandra Phillips
Lead Graphic Designer: Julian Nix
Playback & LED Wall supplier: Revolver AV
Distributed by: Netflix
Key aspects of the design system included:
Crafting the ATLAS agency brand identity, including its logo, as the visual anchor of the film’s corporate world. Developing adaptable visual concepts exploring themes of power, technology, time and human connection.
Using colour, typography and motion language to differentiate the two opposing worlds. Integrating playback graphics with practical lighting and set architecture to enhance atmosphere and visual continuity. We delivered content at a challenging 13K resolution with a 25:3 aspect ratio, using horizontal motion and layered parallax animation to maximise scale, depth and immersion across the expansive canvas.
Balancing contemporary near-future design with the humour, wit and satire embedded within the narrative.
Oscar-nominated star Sacha Baron Cohen plays Damien, a charismatic womaniser who quickly finds himself out of his depth, opposite Rosamund Pike in a world where women rule.
