“Play It Safe”

“Play it Safe, written and directed by Mitch Kalisa is a parable on race, focusing on the microaggressions experienced by Jonathan, a student attending an affluent London drama school.”

Animal illustrations by Hannah Brandes.

During my time working at COMPULSORY as their Junior Creative, I designed the official poster for the award-winning short film “Play It Safe” which premiered at SXSW 2021 and has gone on to collect many accolades from reputable festivals and awards.

I wanted to create an abstract style poster, which alluded to the film’s theme without giving too much away. I incorporated the animal card illustrations featured in the drama class exercise in the film’s final scene, and used a red velvet texture to signify the inside of the hat.

I also worked on the social media campaign for this film, part of which included creating alternative poster designs for significant events, such as when the film was selected to screen on MUBI (see below.)