ABOUT

The Inner Drive is an analog, animated video, powered by light, that tells the story of Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the MINI. The film reveals how his imagination and design enlightened the world to reconsider what it means to drive—the story begins and ends at a historically accurate press conference Surrey, England, in 1957, where MINI was debuted.

This story also gives a cinematic view into the creative process and how passion is essential to take great ideas to the next level. In Alec’s story, his drive to change the way cars were designed motivated him when others doubted him. To represent this event in a visually dynamic way, the video was brought to life using a silhouette technique with a flashlight, creating motion by passing light rays through laser cut stencils while highlighting hand-rendered illustrations. The entire story, and film, takes place in one special book.

Custom music and sound effects round out the film, ultimately creating a magical narrative about the birth of the MINI brand, all from a man who approached his design as art as opposed to engineering.