Summary: In this collaboration with fellow Georgia graphic designer Olivia, we set out to set the tone for the 1965 French New Wave science fiction noir film directed by Jean-Luc Godard.

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Alphaville combines the genres of dystopian and film noir. There are no special props or futuristic sets; instead, the film was shot in real locations in Paris, the night-time streets of the capital becoming the streets of Alphaville, while modernist glass and concrete buildings (that in 1965 were new and strange architectural designs) represent the city's interiors.

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We set out to display all of these qualities by using harsh light/dark contrast and intense angles  depicted in noir film, strange synth music reminiscent of science fiction soundtracks, and focus on the building forms through lighting fixtures to draw attention to the modernist architecture featured throughout. Before receiving the perfect lighting fixture focused assets from Olivia we began developing the style of animation with slow, dramatic panning and drawn out scene discovery. I also began working on the score for the project, using Ne Me Quitte Pas - Nina Simone —another nod to the French influence of the film. After receiving the assets I began working on animating and lighting through the assets, which were created as cutouts on a full screen shape layer so as to be able to light them from behind.

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This undertaking was meant to introduce the theme without being overly direct and obvious.