Dateline NBC — New Season Launch (Concept Promo)

Client: NBC News Marketing & Dateline NBC
Role: Creative Director, Motion Designer
Tools Used: Midjourney, Runway, Unreal Engine, Cinema 4D, After Effects, Premiere Pro

Overview

To kick off the new season of Dateline NBC, I was invited by the NBC News Marketing Teams Creative Director and Writer/Producer to pitch a concept for a 30-second promo. This was a unique opportunity to show what the series’ promotional creative could be pushing tone, technique, and tension in new ways.

Creative Approach

Using the provided script, music, and voiceover from the client, I developed a cinematic concept that leaned into Dateline’s signature atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. I crafted a visual narrative using a hybrid workflow that blended generative AI (Midjourney, Runway) with real-time environments (Unreal Engine) and traditional motion design tools (C4D, After Effects, Premiere Pro).

The result was a moody, immersive trailer that positioned Dateline not just as journalism, but as gripping, edge-of-your-seat storytelling.

Outcome

While the promo was ultimately not selected for air, its tone deemed "too dark" for the season’s campaign, the piece was recognized internally as a standout concept. It was called "thrilling" by producers and teammates, not simply for its suspenseful tone, but for the fresh energy it brought to the long running series' brand.

Reflection

This project was a chance to explore how emerging tools like AI and real-time rendering can reshape the language of broadcast promotion. Even though the final piece wasn’t released, it served as a creative proof of concept and opened the door for deeper collaboration with NBC News Marketing on future campaigns.