Explained, Netflix
Explained is Vox’s first Netflix show based on the acclaimed Vox Youtube channel. I designed the look of the logo & title sequence, as well as served as the art director of the “Female Orgasm” episode in season 1.
Exploration
The “Female Orgasm” episode covered the deep mysteries and misconceptions about the sexual climax in women. This was a tough brief since we couldn’t actually show anything explicit. For the initial color and movement research, I played with paint, milk, and oil to quickly produce the visualization of what it feels like to “orgasm.” These were used throughout as texture under chapter cards.
Design
With the initial design exploration involving paint — I was inspired by brushwork, bright colors, and especially Henri Matisse’s cut-outs. We brought in the incredible director/animator Caitlin McCarthy to work on the sequence of women describing their orgasms. Her team brought the wow factor to the “climax” of the show. In order to connect her animation and the rest of the data viz, we added elements of hand-drawn texts and diagrams, as well as limiting the color palette. The final outcome has an expressive and colorful visual language but stays cohesive throughout.
Trailer
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Credits
Art Direction: Dion Lee
Design, Animation: Dion Lee
Series Art Director: Rubab Shakir
Producer: Christine Laskowski
Executive Producers: Claire Gordon, Joe Posner, Ezra Klein, Chad Mumm, Jason Spingarn-Koff, Kate Townsend, Lisa Nishimura
Line Producer: Marina Stadler
Associate Producer: Marie Casione
Editor: Jan Kobal
Strange Beast
Animation Direction, Design: Caitlin McCarthy
Animation: Sacha Beeley, Sofia Pashaei, Matt Lloyd
Producers: Kitty Turley, Zoe Muslim