Independent film producer Melissa Sorrell approached me to design a series of three poster prints and accompanying materials for her upcoming short film, Sobriety.
The film explores the turbulent journey of Bradley, a struggling alcoholic who seeks refuge with his younger brother, Callum, after a devastating tragedy involving Jess - Bradley’s lover and Callum’s ex. Given my own exposure to addiction, I felt a certain affinity to the project and wanted the visuals to reflect the complex, deeply personal nature of each character’s relationship with the disease.
Each poster focuses on one of the three key characters, translating their struggles into a stark, evocative visual language. Addiction, to me, isn’t just entrapment - it’s a kind of ‘soul-death,’ akin to derealization and depression. To capture this, I depicted each character as a fragile, white silhouette, endlessly falling into the void.
The background textures reinforce their individual fates within the film: Bradley is drowned by his addiction, swallowed by relentless ocean waves. Callum, though grounded, is left to suffer the collateral damage of his brother’s choices, reflected in a barren, desolate landscape. Jess’ addiction, rooted in self-destruction, ultimately leads to her demise - her poster consumed by embers and ash.
The result is a haunting, symbolic triptych that distills the film’s core themes into striking, visceral imagery.