Risky Business

A Business Insider series exploring the world’s most dangerous jobs — from volcano miners to cliffside honey hunters. I contributed motion design across multiple episodes and led the visual direction in 2023, helping bring clarity to high-risk stories like bullfighting in Spain, mica mining, Sri Lanka gem diving, and Nepal’s wild honey trade.

For the episode How People in Nepal Risk Their Lives to Find “Mad Honey”, this animation features the Apis laboriosa bee native to the Himalayas. The bees’ wings were created using cutouts from various angles, assembled in a stop-motion style, and layered over the bee cutouts to bring them to life.

For the episode Why People Risk Their Lives Hunting for Sapphire, Rubies, and Topaz in Sri Lanka, this animation explores the country’s centuries-old gem mining industry, tracing its roots back to Sri Lankan royalty. Several archival paintings were brought to life through animation using Photoshop and After Effects.

For the episode Why People Risk Their Lives to Kill Bulls That Don’t Want to Fight, this animation explores the ancient origins of bullfighting through archival images of statues, frescoes, and paintings. The concept was designed to guide the viewers through an art museum exhibit, connecting the tradition’s history through visual storytelling.

For the episode Mica Is in Expensive Phones and Cars—but Why Do Miners Make Next to Nothing?, this animation illustrates the many uses of the mineral mica across different industries. The animation employs an isometric design style, allowing for seamless transitions between each application within the same scene.

Risky Business

World Wide Waste

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