The Velvet Claw (1992)

Concept and creative process

Opening titles for a natural history series. From big cats to tiny weasels, this series followed the sometimes surprising evolution of the Carnivora - the mammals that eat meat. For the generic title to represent all of the other carnivores, the designers used animation to bring to life as one of the fiercest carnivores that once prowled the Earth and preyed upon other animals – the extinct sabretooth tiger. The animation artwork was scanned into a Quantel Henry at 4:2:2 Videographics and composited with a starfield and moving textured background, together with 3D computer-generated lettering for the programme credits.