The team started the creative process by referencing noir films, VHS tape covers and pulp magazines. Using these aesthetics and techniques as a springboard, the design and animation process began, emphasizing the darkly comedic, swampy and mysterious world of pulp paper and fiction.

Avoiding any character likeness throughout the sequence was a challenge, but as the team embraced the narrative, alluding to specific plot points turned into a fun exploration. From concept art through to production, edit and final grade, The Mill absorbed the twisted love, washed-up, lost loot world of Hap and Leonard, and developed a seductive, twangy, neon-lit animated title sequence.