Recent years have been tough for clowns – as changing public tastes have led many to reconsider their devotion to the classic red nose. On top of that, research showed that searches for clown erotica rose by 230% in 2017 – forcing many clowns to consider the lengths they’ll have to go to in order to keep entertaining.

Red Nose District is a lighthearted and surprisingly innocent faux documentary short film, which tells the story of Bingo: a classically trained clown dealing with his change in circumstances. I created the story with director and writer Chris Leben, and was art director and motion designer for the production.

The look I developed balances a stark documentary style with a softer, custom-created neon font – hinting at the seedy underbelly of the modern clown’s working life.

The film was selected in the top 32 for Tropfest this year.