BBC STUDIOS & APPLE TV+

Trying / Season 2

Assisting graphics to Lead Graphic Designer - Alexa Galea (Aug 2020 - Sep 2020).
Then taking over duties from Alexa as Graphic Designer, until the end of shoot (Sep 2020 - 18 Dec 2020).

The second season of Trying premiered on 21 May 2021, spanning 8 episodes.

All Nikki and Jason want is a baby - the one thing they can't have - so they decide to adopt; with their dysfunctional friends, screwball families and chaotic lives, the adoption panel may not agree they're ready to be parents.

I worked across a variety of graphics on the second season - this is just a small selection from each episode to show variety and volume.

Spoiler alert!

Created & written by: Andy Wolton
Directors: Jim O'Hanlon & Elliot Hegarty
Production Design: John Stevenson

Property of BBC Studios & Apple TV+

EPISODE 1

The episode opens with Nikki and Jason attend the Christening of Freddy & Erica’s baby

Later that day, Nikki and Jason realise they have different expectations when it comes to the gender of their potential child. They have take out while deciding how to decide which child to choose (the series, as with any series, involved a lot of graphics for bottles of wine, beer, and various food cover ups!)

Episode one ends with Nikki and Jason "expressing interest" in adopting seven year old James. (screen) while Jason sneaks an olive out the jar he's stashed secretly. I worked very closely with the Design Compliance team at Apple to ensure all designs we did for any Apple screens shown in the show were 100% on brand. This included any laptop graphics, as well as phone graphics.

EPISODE 2

In Episode 2, Karen goes shopping for her wedding gown. Nikki had prepared a very organised wedding folder for her, but following Karen's mood, she decides to keep it to herself.

They find out the owner of the store is off sick, and her husband (a mechanic) is standing in for 'sales support'... while they pick out a wedding dress, he reads out the descriptions of each dress, relying heavily on the sales manual...

Later that day they find out they were not successful in Jamese's adoption, even though they had gotten their hopes up and even got a mug made espeically. They find out about the ‘Adoption Activity Day’ which they decide to attend (in fancy dress). 

They end up having to catch a bus from one park to another as they initially go to the wrong park...

Later that day, their application is taken out of the expression of interest box by an Adoption agency employee.  

EPISODE 3

Memorial programme - Cornwall

Bridal planning & headshots sequence

Junk Mail - Cornwall (about 20x repeats of all the post and junk mail pamphlets)

I also designed and animated the sequences where Deven and Karen both run a search for each other online.

EPISODE 4

Nikki is worried about Jason's new bicycle obsession, and hatches a plot...

Meanwhile Nikki & Jason go to the school to meet with the teacher & the Adoption Agency. I created all the school livery, name badges/lanyards, school books and folders for Princess, and enlisted my Nieces to help me with some children's drawings (thank you Emilia & Imogen!). 

In this Season, Jason invents a pen-pal for Nikki, who lives in Honduras, and he does a lot of research to keep this 'relationship' going - even going to the effort of creating fake letters - which Nikki collects and cherishes. For this story line - I designed web-searches, postage stamps, a backdrop (for when "Maria" gives a speech on telly), wrote letters and designed prop envelopes. 

They're walking past a Froyo shop when Jason notices a woman with his previous bike go past. Nikki tries to distract him by making him look at the Froyo, but it doesn't work...

Nikki leaves a little gift for Jason for his bicycle

And back at the adoption agency, Disha receives some news...

EPISODE 5

Metro Newspaper (I designed the cover pages, the inside pages were designed by Weykman Rangel Gomez / Graphics Assistant)

For Nikki & Jason's property search, I created all digital assets for the sequence, the flat listing page, as well as the notification emails with information about viewing.

Drawing review with Davina’s Dad

Deven and Karen "don't meet" in a pub for a date - and I created lots of cover up graphics for the existing pub (including posters, cover up panels and beer-roundels for the beer on tap - which you can see in a close up further down in Episode 7, which was also shot at the same location).

Little handles for little hands...

This involved creating the prop, as well as the design. The Buyers sourced three different sizes, and once the design was chosen by the Writer & Director, I created the packaging, and applied the printed ceramic transfers onto the handles to make the finished product. We made two copies of each (in case of breakage).

EPISODE 6

Jason eats some horrible crisps, and continues to eat them, even though they're horrible - and discovers Nikki's anxious pom-pom making...

They go to the party where Nikki discovers the adoption papers, with another family...

The next day, Jason follows the couple into a hardware store and tries to not be too suspicious in his beanie.

Gina (Assistant Graphic Designer on S2) and I designed all the tool packaging (and repackaged all the existing tools into it) for the shelf which can be seen next to Jason, when he selects the 'non suspicious' items to make it look like he's actually shopping at the store.

I've also shown a test where we checked if the hero-prop (knife) could be grabbed easily (for the Production Designers & Directors approval) - before the plastic form was cut out to apply to the packaging, which can be seen in the final shot. 

Meanwhile, some deceptive text messages go back and forth between the couples... and an unexpected gift from Scott awaits Karen her on her return home (a Treasure Island book).

Wanting to believe the worst about the new adoptive family, only to find out they look after their stunning home.

Later that evening, Nikki and Jason contact Scott to be 'rescued' from a breaking-and-entering treehouse adventure. Scott finds out Karen is lying about her whereabouts.

Meanwhie, Karen is at Deven's house, having decided to visit after the dissapointing gift. But after spotting a drawing on his fridge, begins to feel guilty about her decision.

EPISODE 7

Karen comes across Scott's desk with his journal, and the 'template' vows

While the ladies go Go-Karting, the men meet up in a pub.

The Graffiti Experience took a lot of organising and I helped comp the 'desired' graffiti effects from the script to provide to the Graffiti artists on set for reference. You can see some of the comps below:

Towards the end of the evening, Karen notices a man at the bar (reading Ulysses) who reminds her of Scott.

EPISODE 8

The day of Karen & Scott's wedding...

Nikki & Jason leave early as they get some good news about the adoption of Princess

At the Adoption Services, they collect Princess. But unbeknownst to them all, her little brother sneaks into the car trunk...

Later that evening, the family feels complete.

But the question of Princesses brother and his adoption is still unresolved, a cliffhanger for Season 3.