Post Production : Motion Graphics
MOONCHILD: The Life and Music of Yusuf Salim
Summary
Cowboy and The GrooveProductions joined creative forces for the final stage of their production adding style and motion to their documentary’s archival elements and titling. The GrooveProductions spent over ten years creating this film and had organized an impressive collection of archived historical documents to help tell their story. They extensively uncovered documents ranging from photos and album art to newspaper articles and handwritten letters. Each artifact time-stamps a moment in history as well as documenting each milestone along Yusuf’s life and esteemed career.
Titling
A similar approach was applied to the lower thirds and main titles. It was important to keep the design minimal so it wouldn't distract from the film's uplifting and impactful tone. Together, we created something that elevated the overall look of the film and applied a cohesive style and motion to the typology of the film. The main title we crafted a dramatic reveal to compliment the opening score. The sound of a swelling symphony performed by NCCU’s Jazz Ensemble, conducted by the late Brian Horton.
Style frames from the film
Motion
The project began with a first pass of retouching clean up over every document featured in the film. The production team’s first goal was to restore each image to its original quality and maximize legibility for the viewers. The team knew they wanted an understated theme that added subtle flare and interest to the documents. To ensure the design integrated well with the film’s final edit, we worked closely with the film’s editor and director, refining and delivering a visual treatment that was applied across variety of scenes.
Motion highlights from the film
Durham Film Premiere at the Hayti Heritage Center April 2026
Pictured are filmmakers and contributors of Moonchild.
The Artist
As a Studio Artist & Designer with Cowboy, Kelly is involved in many steps of the production rodeo. Not only is she an adept retoucher and digitech. Her primary background and foundation is in design. She is passionate about storytelling and holds a BFA in Visual Effects from Savannah College of Art and Design. The work she enjoys creating most is 2D and 3D design.
CREDITS
Client: The Groove Productions, Learn more about the film.
Post Production: Cowboy Collective,
Post Production Management: Carey Kirk, Virginia Dees-Boyd
Post Production Designer: Kelly Toth