Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story
Contributed to the design and animation for Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story, a documentary series offering an investigative look into the life and career of Joe Francis, exploring the rise of the Girls Gone Wild empire and the darker stories of exploitation, coercion, and lasting impact surrounding its cultural phenomenon.
Created at BGSTR.
The Interview
The docuseries features Joe Francis’ first in-person interview with a journalist in nearly a decade. Francis made himself available for a nine-hour interview, but with a catch: no cameras were allowed. This presented a unique creative challenge: how could we bring an audio-only interview to life visually while keeping the audience engaged and remaining within the visual world of the series?
I helped develop a visual language using Joe’s voice and story as the foundation for graphic expression, staying “in world” while transforming his words into an active part of the storytelling. Typography played a central role in bringing the interview to life and letting his words land, emphasizing key moments and giving his voice a visual presence. Design and animation worked alongside the audio to create a compelling visual experience without ever showing him on camera.
Bold black-and-white layouts reflect the stark and soulless interiors of Joe’s Mexico villa, Casa Aramara. A utilitarian typeface, displayed at varying sizes, reflects the tone of Joe’s voice. Cropped and repeated imagery, along with shifting compositions that reveal and obscure image and type, create an unsettling sense of disorientation, reflecting the violence and discombobulation of Joe’s world.
Creative & Design Direction by Ross Henderson. Contributed to the development of his established visual language through design and animation.
Cold Open, Interview & Photo Treatment Animation
Development of the internal graphics and visual modes delivered across the series. As the lead artist, I led the design development and execution in collaboration with the Creative Director and Producer, while also creating the presentation for the final visual system and deliverables.
Type Design used in the documentary.
Additional Concepts
Some of the documents I designed/treated & animated.
Additional design exploration with a more editorial look that weren't used.
