Channel: Netflix
Client: RAW / Netflix Original
Date: Fall 2025
Holey & Moley partnered with Raw TV to craft the motion graphics language for the Netflix documentary series Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia. Building on the visual world established in Fear City: New York vs The Mafia and Get Gotti, the series explores the violent internal power struggle that reshaped Philadelphia’s mafia in the early 1990s. With minimal reenactments and a heavy reliance on archival material, the storytelling demanded a design approach that could clarify complex relationships, elevate historic media and maintain the gritty authenticity expected of modern true-crime documentary.
Our role centred on translating the investigation into compelling visual storytelling. A key challenge was illustrating the intricate web of relationships between mob figures and undercover FBI agents – information that could not be filmed but were critical to understanding the narrative. We developed a dynamic family-tree structure that evolved across the series, revealing names, roles, photographs and connections within the layered, parallax-driven graphic environment. Designed to feel like a living investigative dossier, the system allowed the audience to track shifting allegiances while maintaining the gritty atmosphere of covert surveillance and organised crime.
Archival storytelling sat at the heart of our creative approach. Original newspapers, photographs and documents were carefully restored, retouched and reformatted before being rebuilt through 2.5D layering and subtle camera movement. This allowed us to guide the viewer’s attention through complex historical information without overwhelming the screen. Alongside this, we designed a bespoke dialogue visualisation system to support crucial covert recordings — often the only evidence available. These adaptable graphics could display multiple speakers, emphasise key phrases and integrate seamlessly over both B-roll and genuine archive.
We were also tasked with enhancing reconstructed scenes featuring gunfire. Using detailed compositing, environmental lighting and realistic light interaction, we integrated muzzle flash elements seamlessly into the footage, ensuring the moments felt authentic while preserving the series’ grounded documentary aesthetic.
Across titles, lower thirds, timestamps and information graphics, Holey & Moley delivered a cohesive motion design package that balanced investigative clarity with a gritty, era-authentic aesthetic. Combining 2D animation, VFX compositing, creative subtitling and archival enhancement, the work helped shape the visual identity of the series, which went on to reach the No.1 position on Netflix shortly after release. For us, the project demonstrates how thoughtful motion graphics can transform historical evidence into gripping narrative — and we look forward to collaborating on more ambitious factual storytelling in the future.
Looking for a creative partner who can shape bold, story-led visual identities? Discover how we work as a leading motion graphics company, crafting distinctive branding, explainers, titles and visual worlds for broadcast, streaming and beyond.
![Mob War - Subtitle - Surrounding Visuals [recut]](https://holeyandmoley.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Mob-War-Subtitle-Surrounding-Visuals-recut.jpg){kind=link}
