Blood Road
Documentary Titles & Information Graphics
Role: Design / Animation
Blood Road follows the journey of ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch and her Vietnamese riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, as they pedal 1,200 miles along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail through the dense jungles of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Their goal: to reach the crash site and final resting place of Rebecca’s father, a U.S. Air Force pilot shot down over Laos some 40 years earlier.
During this poignant voyage of self discovery, the women push their bodies to the limit while learning more about the historic ‘Blood Road’ they’re pedaling and how the Vietnam War shaped their lives in different ways.
My primary contribution involved visualizing key elements of the story, including bringing to life the letters that Rebecca’s father had written home during the Vietnam War. These letters were woven into the narrative of the film, and I worked to present them in a way that conveyed their emotional weight and the context in which they were written.
Additionally, I created detailed maps that visualized the route of the Ho Chi Minh trail, as well as key statistics related to bombings and casualties during the war. The graphics provided context and depth to the story, and this combination of design and storytelling helped to elevate Blood Road into a powerful and Emmy award winning film.
Production: Red Bull Media House
Director: Nicholas Schrunk
Producer: Sandra Kuhn
Art Director: John Likens
Design & Animation: John Likens, Wesley Ebelhar