Highwire
Highwire is an explainer video series which I produced for the architecture firm Johnson Favaro. It was published in Interior Design Magazine in 2022.
My roles: Director • Producer • DP • Editor • Animator
In 2019, a former classmate reached out with an exciting opportunity: her employer, the architecture firm Johnson Favaro, was about to break ground on Riverside’s new main library, and the principals wanted to commission a video series about the process. Would I like to submit a bid?
I had been unsuccessfully applying to jobs at Vox for two years by then, so I saw this project as an opportunity to build my explainer portfolio and expand my motion graphics skills. After submitting an initial pitch and consulting with the client, we divided the series into four chronological episodes.
01. 
02.
03.01. One of my favorite animations in the series, this sequence uses a single PNG.02. The old main library's foyer, c. 1964. 03. The Riverside Library Archive provided a strong foundation of historical images for the series.With long projects like this, I often experience some internal tension, because I’m usually much more competent at the end of the project than when it started. In 2019, I had no idea how to do sound design. By the time this series was finished in late 2021, I was designing and mixing films for broadcast. I hadn’t budgeted for any sound editing in Highwire beyond the dialogue, and it took some discipline not to add SFX for free.
Filming unfolded gradually over the course of two years, and as the library took shape, so did the series. To give everything a unified look, I developed a brand and a basic style guide, drawing inspiration from the architect’s renderings. The first two episodes, which explore the ideas behind the building, rely heavily on motion graphics; the others, which explore the building as a physical object, use more footage.
04. 
05.
06.04. Patrons enjoy views from the reading room during the grand opening. 05. JF principal Jim Favaro gives an interview in unfinished library. 06. The series title treatment.Sound notwithstanding, I still like this project a lot because it reminds me how much you can do with a simple brand and some creative graphics. I grew leaps and bounds while making this series, and I think it turned out well, even though Vox still hasn’t called me back.
-
David Hutchinson
Director • Producer
-
Alexa Springer
Associate Producer
-
Angela Cardenas
Associate Producer
-
Moises Barba
Additional Camera
-
Andy Laub
Additional Camera
After 14 years of planning, Riverside breaks ground on its new main library. What did it take to get this project off the ground?