Kalik is an interdisciplinary arts collective with a unique sense of identity and purpose. In creating the motion graphics & vfx for their impressive debut sci-fi short, I enjoyed working closely with the filmmakers to acknowledge the diverse range of influences guiding their vision – from Armenian mythology to queer expression to low-tech hacker culture.
The film's storyworld features some interesting ambiguity in time period – it's set in a dystopian future, for instance, but the characters' technology and aspects of the production design are inspired by 90s aesthetics. To lean into this, I pitched a retro-looking font with some more contemporary techniques applied.
I simulated these organic root-like elements to emerge from and gradually overtake the text – a nod to the themes of nature that crisscross the film.
For an extra layer of meaning, we snuck in the Armenian translation of "Transmission" in a ghostly, handwritten style. The subliminal placement of these characters represents the protagonists' heritage as something hidden, something lost that they are working to preserve. I had this handwritten guide the filmmakers took the time to create for me.
Finish it off with a light color treatment ...
