Opihr Gin x Helen Musselwhite
Animating the Spice Route
Opihr Gin x Helen Musselwhite
Animating the Spice Route
Embedded Files
Animating the Spice Route
We are so very excited to share this intricate handcrafted piece of animation, a collaboration with paper artist Helen Musselwhite & Handsome Frank for Opihr Gin. Based on the extraordinary artistry of Hellen, and thanks to the trust of our friends at Handsome Frank and Opihr's creative team, we brought to life the ancient spice route that captures the spirit of this botanical gin.
A London Dry Gin made using hand-picked botanicals, including spicy cubeb berries from Indonesia, cardamom and Tellicherry black pepper from India and coriander from Morocco - this project was, right from the start, an ode to fine details. All of which Helen created out of paper, and we got to animate with care.
Meant as a window transporting the viewer to the origins of Opihr's botanicals, the static visual, as well as the animation created, through layers and depths, a sense of immersion.
Client: OPIHR
Agent: HANDSOME FRANK
Illustrator: HELEN MUSSELWHITE
Hellen’s Unique Style
Hellen’s illustrations are unlike anything we usually animate. She works by hand, cutting and assembling colored papers into layered compositions that feel neither fully 2D nor 3D. Her creative process is mesmerizing and was fascinating to follow throughout this project.
ANIMATION PROCESS
Bringing It to Life
In animation, we reassembled everything to match the approved KV as closely as possible. Using a 3D camera in After Effects, we added depth after the doors open and emphasized the zoom effect.
Each element was animated subtly — just enough to create atmosphere without pulling attention away from the main composition. To preserve the handmade, stop-motion feel, everything was animated on 3s, adding a hint of imperfection that balanced the smooth elegance of the video.
Compositing Challenges
The hardest part was compositing. We built hundreds of masks and layered effects to replicate the exact look of the KV. Highlights and shadows were added manually on each element. We used a cocktail of effects — Curves, Levels, Vibrance, Exposure, Overlay, Multiply — to nail the final feel.
Final Touches
To keep the analog charm, we created an animated texture from the original paper photographs. This gave the animation an authentic, tactile quality and tied it back to Hellen’s handcrafted process.
DESIGN PROCESS
Preparation & Shooting with Paul Zak
For this job, Hellen prepared every element twice: one complete version for the Key Visual (KV), and one broken-down version for animation.
She spent a full day shooting the KV with the talented photographer Paul Zak, and another full day capturing every single element separately. Each part had to be photographed individually — even the coconut tree was split into trunk, leaves, and the tiny top piece that hides the connections. All the intricate details, put into perfect lighting.
FINAL DESIGN BY HELEN MUSSELWHITE
Grab a glass and call us.
CREDITS
CREDITS
CLIENT
QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS
Brand: OPIHR
Illustrator (paper-craft): HELEN MUSSELWHITE
Illustrator agent: HANDSOME FRANK
Photography: PAUL ZAK
Photography Agent: KATY NIKER
DIRECTED BY VÂNǍ ANIMATION STUDIO
Direction: Adèle Coulloudon
Production: Anca Manolache
Animation: Adèle Coulloudon, Horia Manolache
Compositing: Horia Manolache
Sound mix: Victor Mihăilescu
Discover more of our work
Report abuse