Digbeth studio delivers rebrand for sister company of US cable giant

Digbeth-based animation company, Second Home Studios, was commissioned to rebrand the identities of AMC Networks International in the UK and Poland, a sister company of US cable giant CBS.

Through the UK rebrand, CBS Reality became True Crime and True Crime Xtra, a decision that reflected the channels’ heavy reliance on increasingly popular crime related content.

HorrorXtra became Legend and Legend Xtra, absorbing the HorrorXtra channel and its content whilst leaning more towards the action/adventure back-catalogue so loved by audiences.

Internationally, CBS Europa transformed into Film Cafe, highlighting the main channel content which is 90 per cent films, mainly from the 2000's.

AMC were won over by a unique pitch which connected each channel through the strength of shadows and silhouettes to create an original, powerful backdrop for a stylish branding kit.

Legend threw a spotlight onto the ‘tools of the trade’ used in film-making whilst True Crime examined the minutiae of crime detection and process. Film Cafe reflected a ‘feel good cinema at home’ experience for audiences.

Second Home has recently set up a brand new facility in the heart of Digbeth’s creative quarter to facilitate animation, live-action, puppetry and visual effects production.

For the AMC rebrand, concepts large and small were brought to life and scaled in size from a minuscule DNA helix for True Crime to an atmospheric showdown on a wet road at night for Legend.

The Film Café shoot saw a bucket of popcorn erupt in slow-motion, and then use the space to create a dreamy street festival scene featuring the choreographic talents of Linden Dance Company to appeal to the ‘rom-com’ genre of film.

Matthew Stott, executive producer of AMCNI–UK said: “Working with Second Home Studios on these rebrands was a total joy.

“Thanks to their innovative shadow play concept, we successfully reinforced our unique offerings in a clever, eye-catching, and innovative way. Our loyal viewers have been very responsive to the fresh and creative branding, as they elegantly celebrate the variety of our exciting and engaging content.

“Working with the team at Second Home was collaborative, rewarding and most of all, fun. The whole process was a genuine pleasure and we've continued to work with them closely on several high-profile campaigns in 2024.”