East Compton based rapper Sir Jon Lee reached out to me to create an animated music video for the release of his song Footprints. He celebrates the role of powerful women in his own life, and in the society he grew up in, through the lens of hip hop music.
For the design and illustration I closely referenced real locations in and around Compton, places of importance to Sir Jon Lee and his fan base. I wanted it to be recognizable, routed in reality, yet to feel a little bit supernatural or otherworldly to keep up with the song lyrics.
Initial storyboard
Final artwork
The green and blue tones throughout are mixed together into a range of slightly varying cyans. This helps to tie the scenes together with a common design element, although with the flexibility of using different tints and shades to match the colours to the time of day and lighting conditions of each individual scene.
The female character is the central protagonist of the song, and of the animation. In certain moments she becomes a giant of biblical proportions, but maintaining an otherwise normal appearance so she continues to represent the real women in Sir Jon Lee's life who provided much of the inspiration.
"As a musician, I have these images attached to the music I make. Sam is always patient and more than able to bring over the top ideas to life. Even when I'm hands off, I am confident that he will come up with something awesome"
Sir Jon Lee