Gus Dapperton
“Unofficial” is a passion project by Petrick Animation Studio that celebrates music and animation. The project founders invite directors to create a short music video for a musician whose music they love, allowing each director to showcase their unique style and vision. Each episode is a reflection of the director’s creative vision, from the story and script to the design of the animated character.
This 32 second loop is an endless reflection on his own image. It researches Gus’s sensuality through his posture and clothing, as well as how sensuality can go in hand with sharp design lines.
Character of Gus Dapperton
Ruslana Mirzaalieva, art director:
My vision was that Gus’s character should be neat and distinctive. I was looking for specific details that would tell a story about femininity and masculinity, recklessness, and the special traits of the musician.
3D sculpting and textures
Robert Kubus, 3d sculptor:
What was especially interesting and satisfying about developing modeled Gus was looking for unusual visual forms for the 3D character.
Clothes & Jewelry
We pulled this look-and-feel together with Ruslana Mirzaalieva and Stanis Che. Sensuality was the key, so we turned to the 70s: golden makeup, heels, casual fit pants, shoes, and an open shirt.
Ruslana Mirzaalieva, art director:
I’m extremely proud of the hearts in the ears — a small detail that unveils the sensuality of the character while simply being an ear.
Animation
Anna Pozdeeva, 3d animator:
I aimed to use more facial expressions that are inherent to Gus, that we can see in his videos. I truly enjoy, for example, when he shifts his gaze from the guitar to the camera, fully concentrating on the music, yet still maintaining contact with his listeners.
Lighting and rendering
Shades are tricky: they can both highlight the face and make it less natural. We see the character from all angles, so we added two light sources that are moving together with the camera.
