Tyler Greco
Joe Victorine
Olivier Wicki
Alex Schiff
Emile Mosseri
Dress Code
Joyce N. Ho
Tara Rose Stromberg
My Heroes Were Cowboys
Film Titles & Graphics
2021My Heroes Were Cowboys is a Netflix documentary about famous horse trainer, Robin Wiltshire. The film tells his story: how he became who he is, and how he came to love the old Westerns that would ultimately change his life.
I created the title sequence and graphic sequences for the film, based on the edit by Olivier Wicki. Collaborating closely with film director, Tyler Greco, I developed a design direction that was a modern-take of the Westerns of the past.
I worked on this graphics sequence showcasing Robin's work. Editor Olivier Wicki provided the backbone for me to build my design and animation around.
My pitch centered on the idea of the sun as an unspoken character in Westerns. The desert landscape, so closely tied to the genre, is always bathed in the sun's intense light.
The title sequence had two parts that bookend the film. The first, set during a sunrise, begins with scenes bathed in warm light. As the sun rises, it slowly spreads across the arid landscape, marking the start of Robin’s day on his ranch.
The second part transitions to a sunset in Dubois, with deep, saturated light. As twilight falls, the titles appear against the setting sun.
Archival images were key to telling Robin's story. These initial styleframes show how they could be treated—designed like an old scrapbook or photo album, with handwritten notes to ground the moments in a personal, human way, as if Robin were sharing his treasured memories.