Mill+ Animates Brazilian Bull Riding Culture for Netflix’s 'Fearless'

Mill+ has collaborated with 25/7 Productions and director Michael John Warren on the striking opening titles for Fearless. The new Netflix series documents Brazilian bull riding culture, and the grueling journey of riders from Sao Paulo to championships in Las Vegas. 

The Mill+ team crafted opening titles that play a pivotal role in introducing viewers to the characters. Each scene works as a vignette, introducing a unique character’s personality and story using a distinctive, hand-painted look.

Mill+ Art Director Helen Hsu explains, “We used oil paintings as an initial influence to create a tactile effect. The concept started with looser brush strokes but gradually got more refined to add realism and purpose.  We wanted the titles to look and feel like a painting, while using 3D software to achieve the look. To avoid them looking too ‘3D’ we had to repaint the frames multiple times.”

Mill+ Creative Director Clarice Chin adds, “The quality of the style was very important. The titles had to evoke meaning because of the very emotional, intense stories that are being told. Fearless is a documentary series with a lot of heart in it and it was crucial that we visualize that.”