The film is named for the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery with the exception of punishment for crime. 13th is comprised of interview subjects speaking about readily available facts, thus nothing is revelatory or “new” information. Rather it takes existing facts and re-frames and contextualizes them in a new and insightful manner and connects the dots to the larger issue of racial inequality and the industrial prison complex. We embraced the conceit for the film and brought it into our creative approach. In order to reflect this reorganization of existing knowledge we chose to work in a collage-like manner where we were able to rip, tear and piece together bits and pieces from history and present day to reveal a critical and penetrative glance at our criminal justice system.

We chose a black and white color palette and the typeface family Druk for it’s bold utilitarian look. We repainted the entire typeface family to harken back to the handpainted posters of the Civil Rights era. We wanted all elements to feel touched and worn in to reflect the human element at the heart of the subject matter we were exposing.

A crucial part of the process was working with 13th’s director and editor to figure out the purpose for every element. Each filled a different role in the film and our design and animation style needed to as well. Some elements were meant to be informative, others needed to evoke emotion, and many were tasked to do both.

By combining digital with practical techniques like photography, stop-motion, cell animation and hand painted elements, we developed a production process that embraced the work's handmade quality, revealed in a unique context.

13th has garnered acclaim from film critics and worldwide audiences. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Oscars and won the 2017 BAFTA for Best Documentary. It also was chosen as the opening night film of the 2016 New York Film Festival, becoming the first documentary to do so in the festival’s 54 year history.

Other notable awards and nominations:

Winner - 2016 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

Winner - 2016 International Documentary Association VideoSource Award

Winner -2016 NAACP Image Awards Best Documentary Feature

Winner - 2016 Satellite Awards Best Documentary

Nominee - 2017 Independent Spirit Awards Best Documentary

Nominee - 2016 International Documentary Association Best Feature