For my people

The life of Indigenous basketball player Patty Mills is being documented in the short film ‘For My People’. The trailer developed by the talented James Rush (Rush Photography) previews his inspiring vision for the film to follow.

Rush Photography

Challenge

Rush is a photographer and videographer known for his black and white celebrity portraits, gritty street culture images and music videos. Patty Mills is an Indigenous Australian Olympian basketballer and point guard for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. “For My People” seeks to document Patty’s professional and private life from traditional dancing on a tiny island in the Torres Strait to playing against the best basketball players in the world. It was important to maintain Patty’s humble image and strong heritage while celebrating his success in the spotlight of his own film.

Solution

Photographic and cinematic portraits captured of Patty, his relatives, fans and friends from his hometown in Canberra formed the basis of the visual strategy for film. This approach informed the decision to utilise powerful imagery in combination with a minimal graphic application for the direction of the marketing. We designed a brand with a loose textured brush (a nod to tribal and indigenous markings) and a gritty website with an aesthetic that matched the film. The trailer was released on YouTube and Vimeo, with promotion via social media channels, news and blog sites.