This site is best viewed in portrait mode.
Please rotate your device.

Troppo

Season 2 - creative development & key art

ClientPerpetual Entertainment ProjectKey Art
case study
Key Art Poster
Carnival Studio was engaged by Perpetual Entertainment to develop concepts
for the hotly anticipated second season of TROPPO, airing in 2024 on ABC. Whilst season one had a distinct focus on the river and crocodiles, this season is set in the sprawling and snake-infested sugarcane fields of Far North Queensland. The key art would again feature the two leads, Amanda (Nicole Chamoun) and Ted (Thomas Jane), and would build tension and drama by using the oppressive and dangerous Far North Queensland environment as a metaphor for the intense story.

THE PROCESS

At its heart, TROPPO is a noir crime drama, and as such, we wanted to present our heroes in a state of anxiety and expectation – they exude an air of ‘trust no one, expect the worst and stick together’. We developed four concept directions, including written treatments and layout sketches, which sought to evoke a sense of heat and sweat, the suffocating tropics with danger lurking. The final concept taken to shoot exuded a sense that they are close to being enveloped by the environment and disappearing forever.

Creative concept sketches (Illustrated by Heather Lenefsky)
Approved concept taken through to photoshoot
Tonal / lighting references

Working with the phenomenal photographer Jasin Boland, we art-directed Nicole and Thomas in a studio shoot to capture intense performances, which aligned closely with the concepts. Hair and makeup created a visibly hot and sweaty appearance for Ted and Nicole, particularly with slicked-back hair. The production team collected sugar cane stalks from the actual location, which were kept in water for the studio shoot, where they were layered over talent. This proved extremely helpful when working up the finished art.

An ever-present issue we have with producing key art is a lack of clean plate environmental photos, which are often missed due to tight shooting schedules, so it should be hugely applauded that both the producers and Jasin understood the importance of plate shots that not only matched the quality of studio portraits but to shoot them at the right time of day which required extensive recces and planning.

Back in the studio, we pieced the imagery together, where lighting and grading played a key role in building the tropical mood. The brown snake was created as a CG element in post and is closely aligned with the concept sketch.

 

THE PAYOFF

This is a great example of perfect client and creative collaboration – where everyone involved in the process, from the creative agency and the producers, photographer, production, props and publicity – were clear on the concept direction, and worked together to execute the plan which resulted in beautiful assets and a painless and enjoyable creative process to finished art delivery.

We were extremely grateful to have the support of producers (Lisa Duff at Perpetual Entertainment and David Ogilvy at Beyond) and the wonderful Catherine Lavelle at CLPR, who understands the importance of asset capture and moved mountains to make it happen during the tight shooting schedule.

 

“Carnival did their homework to present a key art concept that captured the Troppo world, the characters and their relationships with one another. The key art was developed in consultation with the publicist, producers and stills photographer to produce a concept that met the broader creative aspirations of the show. Carnival’s attention to detail during the development process and at the key art photography shoot ensured the outcome: an exceptional piece of key art that nails the creative aspirations of the show and is loved by all of the creative team. ”
Lisa Duff, producer

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Art Direction / Design: Demi Hopkins, Carnival Studio
Photography: Jasin Boland
3D creation & Retouching / Finishing: Mike James, Carnival Studio
Concept Sketch Artist: Heather Lenefsky

Carnival is always happy to provide advice to producers to make sure marketing assets are scheduled and captured while filming, and if desired, to develop concepts for key art development. Get in touch if you’d like to know more about our process.

All design, concepts and content © Carnival Studio Pty Ltd 2025