The Making of Western Sunrise by Art Decade

Some music videos are memorable for the song. Others stand out because of how they were made.

Art Decade’s “Western Sunrise” falls into the latter category. Directed by Whitney Alexander, the animated video was created in part using Procreate on an iPad, demonstrating how mobile creative tools can play a role in professional animation. Rather than relying solely on a traditional production workflow, the project combines digital illustration with hand-crafted animation to create a distinctive visual style.

In the accompanying behind-the-scenes interview, director Whitney Alexander and animator Kipp Jarden discuss the production process, offering a look at how the animation came together and the techniques used throughout the project. It’s an interesting glimpse into the creative decisions behind the video and the growing role of digital tools in independent animation.

For anyone interested in animation, music videos, or digital illustration, the interview provides additional insight into the making of Western Sunrise while highlighting the creative possibilities of Procreate beyond sketching and illustration.

Credits

Director: Whitney Alexander

Producer: Ricky Gonzalez

Lead Animation: Whitney Alexander

Character Animation: Ryan Johnson, James Sauter, Whitney Alexander

Effects Animation: Kipp Jarden, Ryan Johnson, Whitney Alexander

Clean Up Artists: Kipp Jarden, Whitney Alexander

Backgrounds: Whitney Alexander

Learn More

Western Sunrise on Bandcamp

Art Decade

Images and video courtesy of Art Decade.