Permanent Collection

Filmograph Reveals the Fear (and Fun) Under the Fantasy in “IT: Welcome to Derry” Titles

Posted on Friday, April 24, 2026

Following their 2025 Emmy-nom for The Penguin titles, CD Aaron Becker and the motion crew at Filmograph reteam with HBO but shift to a campy mid-century illustration style in this open for supernatural horror series It: Welcome to Derry.

Aaron Becker: “We had the delightfully dark pleasure of collaborating with showrunner Andy Muschietti on the opening title sequence for their new series based on the adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel.

“As the secrets of the past are gradually revealed, each vignette sinks deeper and deeper into a state of manifested fear, 1960s postwar paranoia, and violence.”

“Idyllic scenes throughout Derry’s history slowly descend into dread, as we shatter the facade of small town America, with its white picket fences and childhood innocence.

“As the secrets of the past are gradually revealed, each vignette sinks deeper and deeper into a state of manifested fear, 1960s postwar paranoia, and violence brought on by the timeless Pennywise, who returns to Derry every 27 years to wreak havoc on its youngest residents.”

Images

A family of five enjoys a picnic on a grassy hill surrounded by wildflowers, with churches, houses, and a Paul Bunyan statue creating a fantasy-like, Filmograph-worthy scene in the sunlit background. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A young girl in a blue dress kneels by a storm drain on a city street, her bicycle fallen nearby and a missing person flyer on the curb—a haunting scene fit for an IT: Welcome to Derry title sequence, with buildings and a water tower looming behind. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A person in a large brown rabbit costume is on fire, flames leaping from the suit as smoke swirls behind. The text Executive Producer David Coatsworth appears on the left, echoing the surreal style of IT: Welcome to Derry fantasy titles by Filmograph. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A patient lies on an operating table with mouth open, surrounded by nurses and doctors in vintage uniforms—a chilling scene reminiscent of a title sequence from IT: Welcome to Derry, brought to life by Filmograph. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Children in old-fashioned clothing run in panic as flames and smoke engulf the scene, reminiscent of a dramatic escape in IT: Welcome to Derry; the burning building looms like a backdrop from classic film title design. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Client: HBO
Showrunner: Andy Muschietti

Production: Filmograph
CD: Aaron Becker
EP: Seth Kleinberg
Producer: Troy Miller
CG Lead: Lee Nelson
Designer/Animator: Joseph Ahn, Mike Lo, Hsien Lun Su
Additional Design: Li-Yu Chen, Orlando Zihao Li, Jenna Choi, Michael Daniels
Colorist: Jeremy Stuart

Film Processing: Fotokem, Dave Cole, Alison Kravitz, Pamela Scott-Farr

Music: “A Smile and a Ribbon” by Patience and Prudence

Special Thanks: Sarah Rath, Barbara Muschietti, Esther Sokolow, Dinorah Aguilar, Kristen Kuchenbecker, Jason Fuchs, Brad Caleb Kane

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
Follow on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram

Category: Broadcast Design, Featured, Illustration, Motion Design, Titles · Tags: Aaron Becker, Filmograph, HBO