Disney Upfront 2026

Disney Upfront is the flagship showcase for Disney’s upcoming year across its movie and TV IPs including content from Marvel, ESPN, and Hulu. We developed the branding and visual language for this years presentation which was then disseminated to the teams across Disney with whom we collaborated closely to produce content for the final event. The show featured a line-up of guest speakers including Anne Hathaway, Robert Downey Jr., Jimmy Kimmel, Ewen McGregor, Olivia Coleman and Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro to name a few, with visuals spanning three enormous screens behind the talent throughout.

CLIENT: DISNEY | STUDIO: LUKE HALLS STUDIO | ROLE: 3D MOTION-DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, MOTION-TEMPLATES | DESIGNERS: SAM GUILLOTEL, IAN MACINTOSH, ROSS MARSHALL, LAURA PERRETT | TECH-LEAD: TOM DURRANT | PRODUCER: CHARLOTTE WILDE | CREATIVE DIRECTORS: MARK TODD, LUKE HALLS

We developed a visual language centred around monolithic 3D vessels moving through the space behind the speakers, existing as sculptural forms within a vast three-dimensional environment giving the illusion of depth beyond the speakers. Our vessel toolkit was adapted for ESPN, Hulu, and Disney enabling each team to produce content that felt cohesive while retaining its own identity.

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Alongside the vessels, an echo trail was a key motif, adding to the illusion of depth behind the talent and showcasing the breadth of Disney content. In the logo animation, I leaned into this echo mechanic, using repeating strobe outlines to introduce our hero lockup.

The New York Javits Center itself was completely transformed with Disney interior décor and Upfront branding throughout. We spent the final week here collaborating closely with the teams across Disney to deliver the final show.

Development

We went through thorough experimentation to realise a consistent flow between each moment of the show and how this could adapt across Disney’s family of brands.

 

During the early stages of development, I explored a broad range of visual directions made to honour Disney’s brands’ aesthetics and help us find our way to establish the visual language of the show.

 
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