A series of documentary shorts in partnership with CNN to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and celebrate the lives of 3 seminal gay activists: Marsha P Johnson, Harvey Milk and Ru Paul. Archival footage was mixed with typography, graphics, and sound design tailored to each story.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected public official in California. He served on the board of Supervisors for the City of San Francisco in 1978 where he fought for unions, small businesses, and gay rights. Milk was assassinated along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone eleven months after his election. The colors and graphics of our documentary short were inspired by Harvey Milk’s campaign posters and buttons, as well as queer activist protest signs of the 60s and 70s.
Marsha P. Johnson was a central figure in the Gay Liberation Movement. She variably identified as gay, a transvestite, and a drag queen. A proponent of trans rights, she was rumored to be one of the first people to begin rioting at Stonewall in 1969. Marsha died in 1992 under suspicious circumstances, however, her legacy lives on and urges us to actively protect trans women of color. The documentary's graphics were inspired by queer protest signs of the 60s and 70s, as well as ephemera from S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) an activist organization founded by Marsha and Sylvia Rivera.
RuPaul is considered the world's most famous drag queen, and is largely responsible for bringing drag into mainstream culture. His career started in the 80s, when he began performing on a public access television program in Atlanta, Georgia—and later became a staple at the underground drag clubs in New York. In 1994, he starred in MAC's first Viva Glam campaign fundraising for AIDS/HIV research, education and prevention. Today, Rupaul is best known for his extremely successful TV show, RuPaul's Drag Race—which has introduced the world to over 100 drag queens in search of America's Next Drag Superstar. The graphics and colors of the documentary are inspired by Ru's dazzling world, from his TV show logos to the kitsch cool he has made so glamorous.
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