Mezcal - Experimental film

Direction, Animation & Design: Friction
Music & Sound Design: Sanctus

Is mezcal extracted from cacti that contain mescaline? If so, does that make it a psychedelic substance? Why is it almost only produced in Oaxaca? And where does the smoky flavour come from? Also - what’s with the worm at the bottom of the bottle!? 

I set out to investigate all these questions in this short film.

Concept

Derived from the ponderings that initiated this story, the conceptual DNA is built around the notion of a crawling, creeping, waving worm. Peppering in psychedelic colors, smoke, and hints to Mexican death rituals. Animated to Mexican music that could potentially make your body move in waveforms, too.

This bespoke, wormy typeface was created in Cavalry. It has parameters the amount of wavy-ness and random movement. It can be directed along a path for full control, too.

Some alternative directions and ideas from the testing phase in Cinema 4D

3D animated in After Effects

Inspired by Mexican death rituals, this skull was twisted in 3D, then warped and treated in After Effects.