We believe crafting diligently researched, strongly conceptual design is the best way to capture the authentic essence of a film.

about us—

subtractor is a creative partnership formed by designers, Steve Baker & Phil Seddon. Between us, we have over 50 years’ experience working in the graphic design industry – specialising in brand identities, typography and environmental design.

In recent years we've developed a reputation bringing these skills to film & TV titles and in-film graphics – helping directors add a graphic cohesion and finesse to a film or TV project's visual identity.

We‘ve created work for Palme d’Or and Oscar-winning directors and producers, taking a collaborative approach to unearth their projects’ themes – finding innovative graphic outcomes that add further depth to their creative vision. Our role is to help the viewer make sense of the stories, subjects and structure whilst remaining sensitive to the context and film's tone.

Alongside titles and in-film graphics, we offer a full range of graphic design services for the the film and TV industry, including graphic identities, pitch documents and bibles, and graphic props—working with leading and emerging production companies, filmmakers and distributors.

Portrait photograph of graphic designer and Subtractor co-founder, Steve Baker.
Portrait photograph of graphic designer and Subtractor co-founder, Phil Seddon.

selected clients—

Broadcasters—

BBC TV

Channel 4

Netflix

Amazon

Sky

Apple TV

ESPN

PBS

HBO

Studio 99

Producers & execs—

Asif Kapadia

Chuck D

Danielle Peck

James Gay-Rees

John Battsek

Daniel Radcliffe

David Beckham

Alicia Keys

Ian Bonhôte

Moby

Eminem

Red Production Company

Junction Films

Rankin Film

On The Corner

Sandpaper Films

Fable

Expectation TV

Minnow Films

Raw TV

Lorton Entertainment

Misfits Entertainment

Sky Studios

Pitch International

Box to Box

BBC Current Affairs

BBC Studios

Production companies—

Passion Pictures

testimonials—

  • Portrait photograph of award-winning writer and director, Mike Leigh.

    Mike Leigh

    PALME D’OR & BAFTA WINNING DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER

    “I worked with Subtractor on a visually-arresting concept brochure to raise the budget for my feature film ‘Mr Turner’. The booklet needed to communicate the ‘work in progress’ stage of the project, whilst highlighting the film’s potential success with the necessary funding. But for Subtractor’s visually arresting and imaginative design, the movie might never have been made.”

  • Portrait photograph of award-winning producer and founder of Fable, Faye Ward.

    Faye Ward

    BIFA & BAFTA WINNING PRODUCER OF MR LOVERMAN, STAN & OLLIE, WILD ROSE, & ROCKS

    “Fable Pictures was formed around a unique and experienced production team who wanted to tell strong, sophisticated stories across film & TV. Our visual identity needed to capture this spirit, and enable us to grow in line with our ambitions. Subtractor delivered this perfectly, and we’ve collaborated on many show bibles since, that bring our ideas to life to help backers see our vision more clearly.”

  • Portrait photograph of award-winning producer and director, Henry Singer.

    Henry Singer

    BAFTA-NOMINATED, GRIERSON AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY MAKER & PRODUCER

    “Subtractor designed the title sequence, cards and overall graphic look for our feature documentary 'The Trial of Ratko Mladic’. They didn’t just grasp the cultural context, they added to it, giving the typography and the textures of the backgrounds hidden meanings that reinforced the layers that we hoped our film communicated. It was an incredibly productive and happy collaboration.”

  • Portrait photograph of critically acclaimed Ronnie O'Sullivan documentary director, Sam Blair.

    Sam Blair

    DIRECTOR OF RONNIE O’SULLIVAN BIOPIC, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING

    “I consider Subtractor to be trusted collaborators on my films. Their work exhibits a sensitivity to storytelling and a rigorous approach to research and development, working closely with me to determine the essence of the film and making sure the graphics and typography are fully integrated into its mood and aesthetic. Through the subtlety and coherence of their work, they ultimately help to define the film's look.”