Post-production uncovered: Coffee & TV on The Listeners (BBC)

Coffee & TV has created the opening title sequence for The Listeners, a BBC drama directed by Janicza Bravo, based and adapted on the book by Jordan Tannahill.

The series explores the story of a woman whose life takes a dark turn as she becomes haunted by a barely perceptible sound.

Creative director, Ed Kevill-Davies, translated the show’s pivotal sound into a haunting visual language for the titles, creating a sequence that evokes the show’s eerie, tense atmosphere.

With the sound itself fueling the protagonist’s unraveling, Kevill-Davies knew that sound had to be the driving force in the title sequence, directing every aspect of the visual design.

Working with the show’s sound designer (Steve Fanagan) and composer (Devonté Hynes), Kevill-Davies sourced immersive drone soundscapes, which he then brought into the visual development platform, TouchDesigner.

This innovative approach allowed the software to capture minute fluctuations in the sound, driving particle-based visual systems in real time.

The audio-driven visuals offered an unexpected synchronicity, creating eerie, uncanny textures that captured the show’s mysterious tone.

He explains: “Working with TouchDesigner’s audio response capabilities gave us textures that were as unsettling as the sound itself. This interaction between sound and visuals was central to capturing The Listeners’ core themes.”

The second creative hurdle lay in integrating these otherworldly textures with shots from the show itself.

Encouraged by Bravo, Kevill-Davies drew inspiration from the cinematic tension of early psychological horror films like Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby, as well as the uncanny, atmospheric work of photographer Gregory Crewdson. He composed a sequence that blends unsettling visuals and poignant moments from the show. The result is a seamless, visceral opening sequence that draws viewers into the psychological mystery at the heart of The Listeners.

The Listeners is an Element Pictures (a Fremantle company) production for the BBC.

The series is written by Jordan Tannahill and directed by Janicza Bravo. Both also serve as executive producers, alongside Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann and Rachel Dargavel for Element Pictures, Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, and Alice Birch.

The series is produced by Ed King (His House, Suspect, Howl). Fremantle is handling global sales.

The Listeners premiered on BBC on 19 November 2024.