Samuel Jerome Mason – Hornet | Mac Miller – Balloonerism
Award-winning creative studio Hornet has created a 22-minute animated film to celebrate the release of Mac Miller’s second posthumous album, ‘Balloonerism’. Directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, the CG odyssey spans five tracks and follows a group of children confronting their fears of adulthood. Building on the haunting and introspective style of Hornet’s previous collaboration with Miller’s estate on the 2021 music video ‘Colors and Shapes’, the film explores themes of innocence, self-sabotage, and the uncertainty of growing up. The project premiered theatrically and began streaming on Amazon Prime on January 17, 2025.
The film’s narrative was inspired by the album lyric, “But do you feel as big as your shadow?”, which became the story’s central thesis. Director Mason explains how the song ‘Excelsior’ introduced five distinct characters that he wove into the narrative: “‘On Fourth Street, the orphan children play on the jungle gym… Little Timmy broke his arm again on the monkey bars…’ These lines became the foundation for exploring childhood roles and the messy journey of growing into adulthood.” Mason sought to reflect not only the growing pains of youth but also the ways time shapes who we become.
Visually, the film combines fantastical metaphors with elements from Mac Miller’s life, including nods to Pittsburgh’s iconic Blue Slide Park. Its tone alternates between dark and whimsical, capturing the emotional complexity of Miller’s music. “In trying to fly, the children fall,” Mason shares, “but that messiness is life itself.” The interplay of gravity and light within the animation mirrors the balance of humor, humility, and honesty in Miller’s work.
The project is a heartfelt tribute to Mac Miller’s legacy, aiming to immortalize his spirit through art. Mason reflects, “He captured how we all feel at times—lost, small, and uncertain—with such grace. This film is our way of honoring that magic.” Hornet’s team feels immense gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to Miller’s legacy, creating a work that reflects the beauty, chaos, and humanity that defined his music.
Production Co.: Hornet Director: Samuel Jerome Mason Executive Producers: Greg Bedard, Michael Feder, Hana Shimizu, Miller McCormick Producer: Heather Hardin Animation: Director Daniel Callaby Editor: Minseok Kim CG: Supervisor Richard Kim Story: Sam Mason, Roland Kennedy Designers: Alejandro Diaz, Amalia Lage, JP Rooney, Kelechukwu Nwakudu, Laurie Herman, Margherita Premuroso, Matthew Corsillo, Mike Altman, Natalie Labarre, Sami Healy, Simone Noronha Costume Designer: Karina Ochoa De Baker Design Intern: Paris Powell, Patrick Sholar Graphic Designers: Intern Esther Yeseul Lee Storyboards: Soren Bendt Storyboard: Editor Joseph Comar, CG Technical Artist / Render TD: Joseph Chen Pipeline: Natalie O’Leary, Rui Zhu, Joseph Chen Pipeline Development: Nikita Shtarkman Character Lead: Frank Lee Modelers: David Vardanian, Giovani Kososki CG Generalist: Angeline Rivera
– Titles Animators: Jay Asava, Jin Jindawitchu Lighters: Christina Ku, Jonathan Lee, Joseph Ibrahim, Laney Lai, Natalia Perez Melendez, Nicole Noel, Rui Zhu, Saad Moosajee, Sam Mason, Weichieh Yu FX Artist: Joseph Chen, Stephen Hallquist, Sam Mason, Rui Zhu CFX: Natalie O’Leary Groom: Lead Jesus Fernandez Talent Coordinator: Jon Chun Director of Production: Karen Lawler Head of Creative Development: Kristin Labriola Head of Production: Dez Stavracos
– Wobbly Way – Animation & Modeling Producer: Stephanie Demeautis Previs Editors: Daniel Callaby, Milo Hustache-Mathieu Previs Supervisor: Alex Gredzinski Previs Artists: Hugues Daumail, Simon Diebold, Chloé Fabre, Milo Hustache-Mathieu Animators: Alexandre Daumail, Alexandre Dumez, Simon Diebold, Nico Debon, Benoît de Geyer d’Orth, Kevin Ducrot, Chloé Fabre, Mikolaj Janiw, Steeve Manangou, Clément Pierre Animation Intern: Andrea Resera, Mariia Taranova Rigging Supervisor: Luca Amorosi Rigger: Marguax Huve Visual Development and Texturing Artist: Eloi Morlet–Decarnin Character Modeling: Antoine Fromager, Julien Paris, David Vardanian Set Modeling Supervisor: Aymeric Rondol Set Modelers: Alex Gredzinski, Elliot Lequertier, Luc Belliard Groom: Boris Watrin
– Stim – Look & Development Lighting Supervisor: Michael Larue Lighters: Thomas Boileau, Andrea Laffont, Margo Lopez, Lucas Payet Look Development / Surfacing: Max Soreau Groom: Melissa Armangau
– Warner Brothers / 4 Strikes Executive Producers: Remember Music, Warner Records, 4 Strikes Warner Team: Tom Corson, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Jeff Sosnow, Akila Gray, TJ Landig
Award-winning creative studio Hornet has created a 22-minute animated film to celebrate the release of Mac Miller’s second posthumous album, ‘Balloonerism’. Directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, the CG odyssey spans five tracks and follows a group of children confronting their fears of adulthood. Building on the haunting and introspective style of Hornet’s previous collaboration with Miller’s estate on the 2021 music video ‘Colors and Shapes’, the film explores themes of innocence, self-sabotage, and the uncertainty of growing up. The project premiered theatrically and began streaming on Amazon Prime on January 17, 2025.
The film’s narrative was inspired by the album lyric, “But do you feel as big as your shadow?”, which became the story’s central thesis. Director Mason explains how the song ‘Excelsior’ introduced five distinct characters that he wove into the narrative: “‘On Fourth Street, the orphan children play on the jungle gym… Little Timmy broke his arm again on the monkey bars…’ These lines became the foundation for exploring childhood roles and the messy journey of growing into adulthood.” Mason sought to reflect not only the growing pains of youth but also the ways time shapes who we become.
Visually, the film combines fantastical metaphors with elements from Mac Miller’s life, including nods to Pittsburgh’s iconic Blue Slide Park. Its tone alternates between dark and whimsical, capturing the emotional complexity of Miller’s music. “In trying to fly, the children fall,” Mason shares, “but that messiness is life itself.” The interplay of gravity and light within the animation mirrors the balance of humor, humility, and honesty in Miller’s work.
The project is a heartfelt tribute to Mac Miller’s legacy, aiming to immortalize his spirit through art. Mason reflects, “He captured how we all feel at times—lost, small, and uncertain—with such grace. This film is our way of honoring that magic.” Hornet’s team feels immense gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to Miller’s legacy, creating a work that reflects the beauty, chaos, and humanity that defined his music.
Production Co.: Hornet
Director: Samuel Jerome Mason
Executive Producers: Greg Bedard, Michael Feder, Hana Shimizu, Miller McCormick
Producer: Heather Hardin
Animation: Director Daniel Callaby
Editor: Minseok Kim
CG: Supervisor Richard Kim
Story: Sam Mason, Roland Kennedy
Designers: Alejandro Diaz, Amalia Lage, JP Rooney, Kelechukwu Nwakudu, Laurie Herman, Margherita Premuroso, Matthew Corsillo, Mike Altman, Natalie Labarre, Sami Healy, Simone Noronha
Costume Designer: Karina Ochoa De Baker
Design Intern: Paris Powell, Patrick Sholar
Graphic Designers: Intern Esther Yeseul Lee
Storyboards: Soren Bendt
Storyboard: Editor Joseph Comar,
CG Technical Artist / Render TD: Joseph Chen
Pipeline: Natalie O’Leary, Rui Zhu, Joseph Chen
Pipeline Development: Nikita Shtarkman
Character Lead: Frank Lee
Modelers: David Vardanian, Giovani Kososki
CG Generalist: Angeline Rivera
–
Titles
Animators: Jay Asava, Jin Jindawitchu
Lighters: Christina Ku, Jonathan Lee, Joseph Ibrahim, Laney Lai, Natalia Perez Melendez, Nicole Noel, Rui Zhu, Saad Moosajee, Sam Mason, Weichieh Yu
FX Artist: Joseph Chen, Stephen Hallquist, Sam Mason, Rui Zhu
CFX: Natalie O’Leary
Groom: Lead Jesus Fernandez
Talent Coordinator: Jon Chun
Director of Production: Karen Lawler
Head of Creative Development: Kristin Labriola
Head of Production: Dez Stavracos
–
Wobbly Way – Animation & Modeling
Producer: Stephanie Demeautis
Previs Editors: Daniel Callaby, Milo Hustache-Mathieu
Previs Supervisor: Alex Gredzinski
Previs Artists: Hugues Daumail, Simon Diebold, Chloé Fabre, Milo Hustache-Mathieu
Animators: Alexandre Daumail, Alexandre Dumez, Simon Diebold, Nico Debon, Benoît de Geyer d’Orth, Kevin Ducrot, Chloé Fabre, Mikolaj Janiw, Steeve Manangou, Clément Pierre
Animation Intern: Andrea Resera, Mariia Taranova
Rigging Supervisor: Luca Amorosi
Rigger: Marguax Huve
Visual Development and Texturing Artist: Eloi Morlet–Decarnin
Character Modeling: Antoine Fromager, Julien Paris, David Vardanian
Set Modeling Supervisor: Aymeric Rondol
Set Modelers: Alex Gredzinski, Elliot Lequertier, Luc Belliard
Groom: Boris Watrin
–
Stim – Look & Development
Lighting Supervisor: Michael Larue
Lighters: Thomas Boileau, Andrea Laffont, Margo Lopez, Lucas Payet
Look Development / Surfacing: Max Soreau
Groom: Melissa Armangau
–
Warner Brothers / 4 Strikes
Executive Producers: Remember Music, Warner Records, 4 Strikes
Warner Team: Tom Corson, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Jeff Sosnow, Akila Gray, TJ Landig
Thank you to Brunch Studio!