Beyond The Gates

Question

How can we showcase new Jurassic World toys in an engaging way that promotes the product and excites fans?

Solution

Invisible Element pitched a cinematic concept combining sequential toy photography and 2D animation to deliver a narrative-driven feature that resonated with fans and elevated the product beyond standard promotion.

Client: NBC Universal / Jurassic World

Partners: Mattel / Target

Services: Motion Design, Editing, Toy Photography

Creative Approach & Collaboration

Commissioned by NBC Universal for the Jurassic World: Beyond the Gates – Creator Edition video series on the official Jurassic World YouTube channel, this project reimagined toy photography as a narrative motion comic.

What originally started as a static photo series featuring Mattel’s Legacy Reimagined Velociraptor Trilogy Pack evolved into a dynamic animation bringing the Jurassic universe to life in a fresh way.

Script

I developed the concept and wrote the script, centering the story on a surprising twist: raptors from different breeds working together to escape their enclosure. Since this particular Mattel set included all three key raptors from the original Jurassic Park trilogy, it was a unique opportunity to tell a fresh story—one that fits within the universe but has never played out on screen. The goal was to shift the focus from instinct to intelligence and teamwork, while staying grounded in the franchise’s tone.

Storyboards

I sketched each panel by hand to map out the framing, composition, and pacing of the story. The storyboards served as a visual blueprint—not only helping me plan the shots, but also making it easier to communicate the vision and align with the team during the approval process.

Collaboration played an important role in refining the narrative, ensuring it hit key marketing objectives while staying focused, visually driven, and true to the spirit of the franchise.

Toy Photography & Animation

Using the script and storyboard as a foundation, I staged each shot within the custom-built raptor enclosure diorama. Every panel required a unique in-camera composition to support the pacing and narrative.

Capturing a mix of still photos and video elements, I wanted to create a sense of depth and motion through parallax effects and subtle camera movement. While all scenes were built within a single diorama, capturing each angle was a meticulous, labor-intensive process—but well worth the effort to bring the story to life.

Comic Layout

The image above shows the full comic spread layout where all the scenes, product photos, and graphic elements come together. It’s designed to be read like a traditional comic, moving from top to bottom and left to right. The final composition presents the project as a cohesive double-page spread, which was the goal from the beginning.

I’m incredibly proud of the outcome and excited to have pushed the project beyond the original request. It became something that blends toy photography, narrative, and design into a unique storytelling format that goes beyond the expected.