Integrated creative studio Mixtape Club recently collaborated with HBO to create an insightful animated promo for 'Confirmation', which debuted exclusively on the pay cable network this month.
Geared toward a younger generation who might not be aware of Anita Hill and her explosive ’91 testimony against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, the clip serves as an historical primer for the HBO film. As the promo outlines, the events depicted in 'Confirmation' mark a pivotal moment in America that forever changed the way we think about sexual harassment, victims’ rights, and modern-day race relations; moreover, the film is a vital reminder of the impact one person can make by standing up and speaking out.
Marking its first collaboration with HBO, Mixtape Club was heavily involved in the production of the promo, from concept development to animation to music and sound. Visually led by creative director Dennis Go, Mixtape Club chose to unfold the story with a mixed-media collage animation comprised mostly of elements designed and illustrated from scratch and historical photographs.
“We love when clients want to create out-of-the-box promos like this one,” remarks Chris Lenox Smith, executive creative director and partner, Mixtape Club. “The creative challenge was taking the wealth of information in the script, and visualizing it in a crafty, engaging way.”
According to Katherine Scipioni, a finance and operations manager at Mixtape Club, and Mary Varn, who storyboarded, edited and helped animate the video, the entire team was invested in the project from the get-go. They pored over the script, researched the subject matter and watched the hearings online. While many of the artists involved were merely kids when the hearings first made headlines, the experience led to healthy conversations with family and friends about Anita Hill’s story and, ultimately, inspired them to go above and beyond.