I’m always trying to debunk how certain looks and effects are achieved, and this is a fascinating BTS watch to understand how Directors Ben Smith and Bryce Wymer at The Mill+ tackled this award winning title sequence while trying to stay true to the ancient decorative art form of Chinese painting. The heavy lifting was done in camera after experimenting with ink reactions and different liquids and magnets, it was then composited and sweetened in 2d, and significant thought was given to the typography of the credits, to ensure they played nicely within the era, and theme. This is the not the first time certainly ink has been used as a motion medium, (I’m thinking specifically of the Gnarles Barkley “Crazy” music video directed by Robert Hales with Blind, Inc. and even Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit was dabbling at this with “The Aroma of Tea” short film, but utilizing well.. tea. Instead of ink…) but I’ve never seen this done so elegantly and seamlessly with the live action.