AMSTERDAM IDENT
A collaboration between Adult Swim and Shed Thirty Six
In Amsterdam, 9,000 biked are retrieved out of the canal every year... how does this happen?
HM: In 2025, I was approached by Adult Swim to create an Ident as part of the socials channel. The initial phase of the project involved conceiving storylines that could be translated into a 30 second animation. I pitched 10 storylines based on my solo travels and we eventually settled on one based in Amsterdam.
According to my guide I met in 2024, it is a common occurrence for bikes to be thrown in the canal whenever someone discovers their spouse is having an affair, rather engaging in a brutal quarrel. When I pitched this anecdote to Adult Swim, they felt it was very suited to their type of humor.
Pre- production & early character designs...
HM: As the ident revolves around an affair gone wrong, I used the opening monolog from Notting Hill as the basis for the three main characters. In the film, Hugh Grant describes how his wife had left him for a man who resembled Harrison Ford. I felt Hugh Grants appearance and his description of his wife's lover felt like the perfect fit for the boyfriend and his rival respectively. As Julia Roberts is a brunette in Notting Hill, I reverse the hair colour and decided that the girlfriend could be blonde.
Following feedback from the Adult Swim team, we agreed that the look the ident should have a European quality for their socials. In this instance, I proposed that the backgrounds should be reminiscent of the Hergé comics, while applying a quality similar to Judith Kerr for the character designs.
While animation and clean - up was achieved through Toon Boom Harmony©, the backgrounds were drawn and painted in Photoshop. Having watched previous interpretations of Judith Kerr through Lupus Films, I wanted the animation to resemble the aesthetic from my characters designs. Therefore, I applied multiple textures to the animation through Adobe© After Effects to achieve the tangible quality.
I worked with Harry on a project for Adult Swim where he created an animated ident for our social channels. This project was in partnership with the Oska Bright Film Festival, where Harry won the prize in the best animation category. On the project he proved himself to be enthusiastic, hardworking, highly receptive to feedback, and always had an optimistic and collaborative attitude.
Harry consistently delivered high‑quality work, communicated clearly, and showed a strong commitment to improving his craft. He was a pleasure to work with and incredibly dedicated.
- Rosie Kinsella, Senior Content Coordinator at Adult Swim Europe