Hotline Miami – April 2025

This photo set is based on the 2012 game Hotline Miami, known for its striking 1980s-inspired aesthetic, heavily influenced by the pop culture of the time. The game itself draws direct inspiration from the 2011 film Drive, which shaped much of its mood and visual language. While visiting Estonia for an event, I took the opportunity to study the work of Newton Thomas Sigel, the director of photography for Drive. His use of colour, contrast, and composition to build narrative tension without dialogue was a key influence on this project. I wanted to apply that same principle — telling a story entirely through visuals. Which I communicate with the model and helped to create, the aesthetic of the shoot. To achieve this, I created a unique aesthetic using LEDs and artificial light sources, leaning into the neon-noir atmosphere that defines both the game and the film. Interestingly, the locations we shot in have a cinematic history of their own, featuring in both Tenet (2020) and Stalker (1979). There was something creatively energising about working in a space tied to films that are not only visually iconic but also rich in theme and philosophy. The result is a series that pays homage to Hotline Miami's bold, chaotic energy — while also reflecting the quiet, deliberate visual storytelling that inspired it.