Death Is Conflicted in Humble Francis' Animated Video 'Resurrection'

Benjamin Windsor, a designer and animator at creative and production studio TigerLily, recently directed a captivating animated music video for 'Resurrection' by indie rock band Humble Francis. The evocative video reimagines the classic personification of Death (aka the Grim Reaper) as a young Millennial who questions his role in the universe. 

“It was incredible to have Ben create this animated world for the song,” says Ryan Hughes, lead singer of Humble Francis. “His vision for the style of these characters envelops the viewer, and the narrative arc brings the message of the song to life.”  

“There’s an old movie called Death Takes a Holiday that inspired this idea of Death as a lonely character,” explains Benjamin. “For me, the narrative arc in ‘Resurrection’ was, ‘What if Death becomes attached, begins to like people, and maybe even longs to be ‘among’ them – hanging out, riding the train, and eating chips – and subsequently, starts feeling regret over his occupation?’”

Drawing on a range of influences from Genndy Tartakovsky (creator of Samurai Jack and Primal) to Æon Flux and Akira, 'Resurrection' showcases Windsor's range of skills in storytelling, rigging, frame-by-frame animation, illustration, and character design. 

In a departure from archetypical visualisations of Death, Windsor consulted modern fashion trends to design the young Reaper’s outfit, which includes a dark green hoodie instead of a robe, high-top Chucks, and shorts patterned with Myosotis flowers, also known as forget-me-nots, which are commonly a symbol of hope, love, and remembrance for those who have passed away.

“When we meet Death in this story, he’s already become overwhelmed by all these feelings, and I wanted the character design to reflect that desire to belong,” Benjamin. “The hoodie itself was a choice to harken back to the classic Grim Reaper silhouette but also as subtext for his vulnerability, as hoodies are often said to make you feel more secure and comforted. He’s more interested in what’s happening around them than doing his job, so we included scenes of Death leaning on a rooftop, literally ‘doomscrolling’ through his phone.” 

According to Benjamin, the phone also serves as a big throughline, connecting everything. It replaces the scythe but is also Death’s only way to interact with people who are normally blind to the entity and aren’t always happy to see him.

'Resurrection' is just one of many creative collaborations between Windsor and Hughes, who composed music for Windsor’s 2018 short film The Long and Short. 

“It’s always a treat to collaborate with Ryan,” concludes Benjamin. “I think our approaches to creativity work really well together because we like to make room for the audience and let them interpret the story on their terms. We had a lot of fun making this one, and I really hope it connects with people.”

'Resurrection' was created with Procreate, Moho for character animation, Adobe Suite, and Cinema 4D.