©2025 Tyrone
©2025 Tyrone
©2025 Tyrone
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Cinematics
CLIENT
Activision
Activision
OVERVIEW
CREDITS
Activision approached Territory Studio to create cinematics for the upcoming Black Ops 6. Each mission required a 30-second visual sequence to accompany the voiceover briefing. This work established the game’s overall visual identity, drawing on the grungy, imperfect, and tactile design language pioneered by graphic designers such as David Carson and Chris Ashworth. Many of the assets and visual elements we created were later requested by the client for use across the wider game.
Activision approached Territory Studio to create cinematics for the upcoming Black Ops 6. Each mission required a 30-second visual sequence to accompany the voiceover briefing. This work established the game’s overall visual identity, drawing on the grungy, imperfect, and tactile design language pioneered by graphic designers such as David Carson and Chris Ashworth. Many of the assets and visual elements we created were later requested by the client for use across the wider game.
Activision approached Territory Studio to create cinematics for the upcoming Black Ops 6. Each mission required a 30-second visual sequence to accompany the voiceover briefing. This work established the game’s overall visual identity, drawing on the grungy, imperfect, and tactile design language pioneered by graphic designers such as David Carson and Chris Ashworth. Many of the assets and visual elements we created were later requested by the client for use across the wider game.
Tyrone Magnusen Motion Designer
Ryan Hays Creative Director
Liam Proniewicz Art Director
Harriet Craig Lead Producer
Josh Thorpe 3D Lead
Aaron Stelfox Motion Designer
Francise Long Motion Designer
Jacob Wrigley Motion Designer
Nick Bishop Motion Designer
Daniel Wyatt Motion Designer
Sophie Marschner Motion Designer
Toby Haslam 3D Modeller
Aeneas Duncan Editor
Tyrone Magnusen Motion Designer
Ryan Hays Creative Director
Liam Proniewicz Art Director
Harriet Craig Lead Producer
Josh Thorpe 3D Lead
Aaron Stelfox Motion Designer
Francise Long Motion Designer
Jacob Wrigley Motion Designer
Nick Bishop Motion Designer
Daniel Wyatt Motion Designer
Sophie Marschner Motion Designer
Toby Haslam 3D Modeller
Aeneas Duncan Editor
Tyrone Magnusen Motion Designer
Ryan Hays Creative Director
Liam Proniewicz Art Director
Harriet Craig Lead Producer
Josh Thorpe 3D Lead
Aaron Stelfox Motion Designer
Francise Long Motion Designer
Jacob Wrigley Motion Designer
Nick Bishop Motion Designer
Daniel Wyatt Motion Designer
Sophie Marschner Motion Designer
Toby Haslam 3D Modeller
Aeneas Duncan Editor
I spent just over a year with the Territory team, contributing from concept through to final delivery on Call of Duty 6 for Activision. As someone who grew up with the franchise, being part of the visual development was a proud and fulfilling experience.
This project was an ideal fit for my skill set, requiring a broad mix of techniques including handcrafted Letraset work, 2D design and animation, as well as full 3D modelling, lighting and animation.
A major focus was on developing a distinctive visual language using tactile, hand-made textures. We used various arts and crafts tools to create a rich library of assets—fingerprints, photocopier misalignments, paper textures, hand-drawn markings, paint splatters, dust, scratches and more. Many of these elements were scanned and digitised for use in our asset pipeline.
Our approach to UI began with a clean, graphic design-led aesthetic. From there, we intentionally deconstructed the layout—misaligning elements and layering in our bespoke grunge, distortions and imperfections—to achieve a worn, authentic look that aligned with the tone of the game. This process formed the backbone of our visual methodology.
We then combined this aesthetic with 3D elements in a flexible and adaptive workflow. Some sequences were built entirely in 3D, while in others we rendered models and animations before importing camera data into After Effects for compositing. This hybrid approach allowed us to create cinematic visuals with a distinctly handcrafted edge.
The reel to the left features a selection of shots I worked on either entirely or predominantly, across several of the game's load movie sequences.
Click to watch the cinematic reel showcasing parts of the process and sneaky little cameo of myself.
I spent just over a year with the Territory team, contributing from concept through to final delivery on Call of Duty 6 for Activision. As someone who grew up with the franchise, being part of the visual development was a proud and fulfilling experience.
This project was an ideal fit for my skill set, requiring a broad mix of techniques including handcrafted Letraset work, 2D design and animation, as well as full 3D modelling, lighting and animation.
A major focus was on developing a distinctive visual language using tactile, hand-made textures. We used various arts and crafts tools to create a rich library of assets—fingerprints, photocopier misalignments, paper textures, hand-drawn markings, paint splatters, dust, scratches and more. Many of these elements were scanned and digitised for use in our asset pipeline.
Our approach to UI began with a clean, graphic design-led aesthetic. From there, we intentionally deconstructed the layout—misaligning elements and layering in our bespoke grunge, distortions and imperfections—to achieve a worn, authentic look that aligned with the tone of the game. This process formed the backbone of our visual methodology.
We then combined this aesthetic with 3D elements in a flexible and adaptive workflow. Some sequences were built entirely in 3D, while in others we rendered models and animations before importing camera data into After Effects for compositing. This hybrid approach allowed us to create cinematic visuals with a distinctly handcrafted edge.
The reel to the left features a selection of shots I worked on either entirely or predominantly, across several of the game's load movie sequences.
Click to watch the cinematic reel showcasing parts of the process and sneaky little cameo of myself.
Load movie: Destination
This load movie explored the corrupt dealings between the American government and the Soviet Union. The story revealed our protagonist uncovering a trail of bank transfers leading to a Soviet contact, Matvey Gusev.
I led the creative direction and crafted all the shots shown here. Working with our art director, Liam, we began with style frames for each script section — a standard workflow across all load movies. Once approved, we pushed these into animation.
To stay efficient, style frames were built in the same software used for final animation, so cameras, lighting, and compositing were ready to go once signed off. Most shots were developed in C4D, with Illustrator used to refine 2D elements and After Effects for final composition. The Benjamin Franklin shot, however, was created entirely in After Effects and Illustrator.
Load movie: Destination
This load movie explored the corrupt dealings between the American government and the Soviet Union. The story revealed our protagonist uncovering a trail of bank transfers leading to a Soviet contact, Matvey Gusev.
I led the creative direction and crafted all the shots shown here. Working with our art director, Liam, we began with style frames for each script section — a standard workflow across all load movies. Once approved, we pushed these into animation.
To stay efficient, style frames were built in the same software used for final animation, so cameras, lighting, and compositing were ready to go once signed off. Most shots were developed in C4D, with Illustrator used to refine 2D elements and After Effects for final composition. The Benjamin Franklin shot, however, was created entirely in After Effects and Illustrator.
Load movie: Destination
This load movie explored the corrupt dealings between the American government and the Soviet Union. The story revealed our protagonist uncovering a trail of bank transfers leading to a Soviet contact, Matvey Gusev.
I led the creative direction and crafted all the shots shown here. Working with our art director, Liam, we began with style frames for each script section — a standard workflow across all load movies. Once approved, we pushed these into animation.
To stay efficient, style frames were built in the same software used for final animation, so cameras, lighting, and compositing were ready to go once signed off. Most shots were developed in C4D, with Illustrator used to refine 2D elements and After Effects for final composition. The Benjamin Franklin shot, however, was created entirely in After Effects and Illustrator.
Load movie: Capital
This was the first load movie we worked on for the project — a time of finding our feet. Below are style frames that didn’t make the cut, shown alongside breakdowns and final footage. The team for this section included a 3D lead and three motion designers, myself included.
We invested heavily in asset creation at the start, experimenting with textures made from Letraset, grunge, paint, sponges, dust, and photocopy imperfections. It was a really fun, hands-on phase before bringing everything into the computer. This approach carried into later load movies, but its foundations were laid here.
As we found our rhythm, the team naturally fell into a workflow where each designer developed shots within the sequence, while assets were created and shared collaboratively across the group.
Load movie: Domestic
The Domestic load movie focused on the identification of Matvey Gusev, presented as a character profile within the sequence. I led on this load, beginning with dossiers created in Illustrator and enhanced with hand-made textures crafted using ink, markers, and photocopying. The client provided a few character-related models, and below are the shots I worked on — from style frame through to final delivery.
Load movie: Domestic
The Domestic load movie focused on the identification of Matvey Gusev, presented as a character profile within the sequence. I led on this load, beginning with dossiers created in Illustrator and enhanced with hand-made textures crafted using ink, markers, and photocopying. The client provided a few character-related models, and below are the shots I worked on — from style frame through to final delivery.
Load movie: Domestic
The Domestic load movie focused on the identification of Matvey Gusev, presented as a character profile within the sequence. I led on this load, beginning with dossiers created in Illustrator and enhanced with hand-made textures crafted using ink, markers, and photocopying. The client provided a few character-related models, and below are the shots I worked on — from style frame through to final delivery.
Load Movie: Sabotage
I was brought into this project at a later stage, after the client requested a number of wholesale changes to the work already in development. I created new assets and style frames, sharing them with the team to bring greater cohesiveness to the overall movie.
During this process, new shots were added to improve pacing and flow — such as the large text animations. I designed these in After Effects, first creating the UI and then deconstructing it into the creative style we had developed for the project. Below are the shots I worked on most heavily.
Load Movie: Sabotage
I was brought into this project at a later stage, after the client requested a number of wholesale changes to the work already in development. I created new assets and style frames, sharing them with the team to bring greater cohesiveness to the overall movie.
During this process, new shots were added to improve pacing and flow — such as the large text animations. I designed these in After Effects, first creating the UI and then deconstructing it into the creative style we had developed for the project. Below are the shots I worked on most heavily.
Load Movie: Sabotage
I was brought into this project at a later stage, after the client requested a number of wholesale changes to the work already in development. I created new assets and style frames, sharing them with the team to bring greater cohesiveness to the overall movie.
During this process, new shots were added to improve pacing and flow — such as the large text animations. I designed these in After Effects, first creating the UI and then deconstructing it into the creative style we had developed for the project. Below are the shots I worked on most heavily.
Load Movie: Sandbox
Sandbox was another sequence developed early in the project’s life. One of the key challenges was depicting the game’s map using assets provided by the client. Below is an example of how I manipulated their photo — applying our custom-made textures, photocopy layers, and rescanning techniques to create the aged, paper-like quality we were aiming for, before using it as an asset to build the shot. Also shown is an early style frame that didn’t make the final cut.
Load Movie: Sandbox
Sandbox was another sequence developed early in the project’s life. One of the key challenges was depicting the game’s map using assets provided by the client. Below is an example of how I manipulated their photo — applying our custom-made textures, photocopy layers, and rescanning techniques to create the aged, paper-like quality we were aiming for, before using it as an asset to build the shot. Also shown is an early style frame that didn’t make the final cut.
Load Movie: Sandbox
Sandbox was another sequence developed early in the project’s life. One of the key challenges was depicting the game’s map using assets provided by the client. Below is an example of how I manipulated their photo — applying our custom-made textures, photocopy layers, and rescanning techniques to create the aged, paper-like quality we were aiming for, before using it as an asset to build the shot. Also shown is an early style frame that didn’t make the final cut.
Load Movie: Interrogation
Interrogation was one of the later sequences, designed as a hallucinatory, almost dreamlike experience. I built the sequence in Trapcode Form, creating a world that reacted directly to the voiceover — surging with violent energy at moments of intensity, then softening as the voice receded. This interplay blurred the line between illusion and reality, immersing the viewer in a shifting environment where the voice itself became the architect of the trip.
Load Movie: Interrogation
Interrogation was one of the later sequences, designed as a hallucinatory, almost dreamlike experience. I built the sequence in Trapcode Form, creating a world that reacted directly to the voiceover — surging with violent energy at moments of intensity, then softening as the voice receded. This interplay blurred the line between illusion and reality, immersing the viewer in a shifting environment where the voice itself became the architect of the trip.
Load Movie: Interrogation
Interrogation was one of the later sequences, designed as a hallucinatory, almost dreamlike experience. I built the sequence in Trapcode Form, creating a world that reacted directly to the voiceover — surging with violent energy at moments of intensity, then softening as the voice receded. This interplay blurred the line between illusion and reality, immersing the viewer in a shifting environment where the voice itself became the architect of the trip.
