Produced for Netflix
My Role: Design Director then Creative Director
The year and a half I spent on Patriot Act was one of the most fascinating and rewarding projects I’ve ever taken on. The series broke new ground in the use of live, immersive motion design for a weekly comedy show, and I was lucky enough to play an integral part in building that aspect of the show from the ground up, first as Design Director (7 episodes) and then as Creative Director (25 episodes).
“ … an ever-moving kaleidoscope of multimedia that seems designed specifically for a generation that, whenever the mood strikes them, is quite comfortable with accessing multiple screens at once.”
What made the show unique was that it allowed us to use motion design to effectively redesign the entire set from moment to moment. For me, this meant finding a design architecture that accounts for the various camera angles and stage blockings, echoes Hasan’s performance style and body language, and allows the audience to feel immersed in the stories. It also meant being able to quickly break down topics, iterate through narrative concepts and give each episode a vibrant and distinct look without having to reinvent the wheel every week.
My team's greatest challenge was dealing with an unprecedented pace and volume of 8K graphics production. With often as little as 3-4 days to complete an episode, hundreds of graphic elements per week, and scripts being rewritten on a daily, if not hourly basis, the show is quite a handful to say the least. Overseeing 9+ designer/animators and two art directors, my task was to orchestrate a design system and workflow that emphasized extreme modularity and flexibility, so that large sections of the show could be restructured and rebuilt in just a matter of hours and individual elements could be revised in minutes.
Patriot Act felt like the perfect place to apply my experiences crafting large-scale brand systems and motion-based stories, etc., etc. But by far the best part about being there was the incredible people I got to work along side of. Every day I was surrounded by a fun, talented, and diverse group of people, and it really felt like we were building something greater than ourselves, something that I hope continues to move audiences for many years to come.