Filmmaker/director Pat Murphy wanted a design that referenced the feeling of psychedelic experience without defaulting to the maximal approach commonly associated with the subject. The design is informed by mystical and spiritual aspects of psychedelic experience, an experiential vocabulary borne out through the research featured in his documentary. The title motion design provides the basis for the trailer graphics as well.
As originally conceived, the animation starts with the title already resolved: the individual letters gradually drifting, definition dissolving, blooming into awareness as it were.
In a bit of pre-pandemic indulgence, we took a crack at translating the feeling of the title animation into a single image, designing a marquee poster for the film even as theaters were shutting down. We’re looking forward to when we can all once again enjoy the communal theater experience in person.
