John Carpenter’s The Ward

2007 • Echo Lake Productions
Main Title sequence
Directed by John Carpenter

For John Carpenter’s The Ward, we were asked to visualize the disturbing legacy of psychiatric treatment throughout history. The result is a dark, fractured sequence in which historical imagery appears embedded within shards of breaking glass—captured in close-up, slow-motion detail to evoke unease and disorientation.

We combined research with original production: sourcing historical woodcuts, engravings, and photographs, while also staging our own eerie recreations of mid-20th century psychiatric “treatments.” We scoured thrift stores for wardrobe, rented period-appropriate props, and photographed the scenes ourselves to create imagery that feels both archival and disturbingly intimate.

Still Photographer: Terence Heuston
CG Artists: Ari Sachter-Zeltzer, David Glicksman, Sean Starkweather
Producer: Tina Starkweather
Special Thanks: Damon Seeley