Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America is a two-hour documentary film from acclaimed historian Dr. Gretchen Sorin and Emmy–winning director Ric Burns. As Creative Director, my role was to establish the film's visual design, creative direction, and oversee the production of all animation and graphics.
The film is a ground-breaking historical work that examines the effort to restrict and shame Black mobility in America. Described in reviews as "truthful and urgent," the documentary aired on PBS and is distributed across major streaming platforms, with the power to inspire empathy and necessary social change.
Animation & Graphics
The animation approach blended infographics, archival footage, and animation to stitch together chapter transitions and storytelling.
Style: Character designs were directly inspired by Jacob Lawrence's Great Migration series for the film's early acts.
Key Concept: A key innovative idea was using a car radio dial as a dynamic timeline to guide the viewer through the history presented in the film.
Deliverables: Animation, graphics, title cards, an animation overage, and final key art.
