Introduction: Cultural Awareness in Creative Work
In today’s globalised creative landscape, there’s a fine line between being inspired by different cultures and oversimplifying them. Artistic expression, tradition, and identity are all deeply connected, and as creatives, we have to approach them with care, cooperation, and a willingness to dispute our own assumptions.
We were given complete creative freedom to produce the title sequence for OFFF Sevilla, a regional edition of the global post-digital culture festival, commissioning animation studio Device for a same-day unveiling. When the OFFF Sevilla board gently told us that our title sequence missed the mark during the event, we didn’t expect it – but we understood. At that moment, we realised our vision, shaped by admiration but limited by perspective, had unintentionally reduced Andalusian and Sevillan culture to clichés. While Flamenco is one of Seville’s most iconic artistic expressions, the region’s cultural landscape is far more expansive – shaped by centuries of history that continue to influence its evolving identity and the lived experiences of its people.
The Reflection: What BOL and Device Learned
“That moment sparked an important and ongoing conversation within our team at BOL. We questioned our perspectives, gaps in cultural knowledge, and how we could be more thoughtful and collaborative in our creative process moving forward. Looking back, we recognise that despite being geographically close, we didn’t fully capture the interpersonal depth of Sevillan culture,” said Ibran Trassierra, executive producer.
“The goal was never to define Flamenco or Seville, but to celebrate their presence and history, sharing them with a global audience in a way that felt fresh and respectful,” said Guille Comin, creative director (Device, Animation Studio).
“As a key takeaway, we recognise the complexity and sensitivity of representing cultural elements from an external perspective. While our focus was to admire and connect with other cultures through modern audiovisual language, we have reflected on aspects of the narrative where we relied on surface-level representations, overlooking the diversity of Sevillian and Andalusian cultures,” said Guille Comin, creative director (Device, Animation Studio).
From Vision to Insight: A Revealing Creative Journey
“The story began with a wide-angle perspective, exploring how Seville has been traditionally represented with postcards and iconic city scenes.
While developing the visual aesthetics, we, Device, were particularly interested in artwork that captured symbolic elements of the city through simplified forms and flat perspectives. Inspired by Mudéjar tiles, we incorporated geometric patterns into the composition. For the color palette, we drew directly from the city itself: the rich orange of its fruit, the deep green of its leaves, the vast blue of its sky, and the warm yellow of the sun, complemented by soft pinks for skin tones and earthy browns for hair – creating a visual language both authentic and vibrant.
As we moved into Seville’s streets, we arrived at a Flamenco party, where music filled the space, merging both ideas. From this climax, the scene shifts to a more intimate setting as the party moves from tablaos to private gatherings, and the Bulería gives way to a Soleá. This marks the end of our personal journey as outsiders eager to learn more about a culture and a place so rich in history and tradition,” said Guille Comin, creative director (Device, Animation Studio).
“At the festival, we openly shared our challenges with the attendees – and, more importantly, what we learned from them. We were able to identify our limitations as outsiders, reflecting on the situation and promising to enrich our creative process – consulting local experts, considering sociopolitical factors, and acknowledging our previous mistakes,” said Ibran Trassierra, executive producer.
“Despite the project’s oversimplified approach, the final result still showcased the incredible talent and dedication of everyone involved. As a non-commercial project, it was driven entirely by passion – bringing together creatives united by their love for the work. Each person played an essential role, contributing their time, energy, and expertise to the best of their abilities – an effort that extended far beyond our core team,” said Guille Comin, creative director (Device, Animation Studio).
The Takeaway: Future Commitments and Values
“OFFF Sevilla trusted us with complete creative freedom, and we embraced the challenge of presenting fresh visual storytelling – expressive and evocative, capturing emotions through movement and design. Despite the Board’s feedback after the sequence’s unveiling, they were equally willing to give us the opportunity to present our work. Moving forward, we’re committed to deepening our understanding of the cultures we engage with – ensuring that our creative process is shaped by research and dialogue. At the heart of it all, collaboration remains one of our core values, alongside our belief that we are always a work in progress – constantly learning, evolving, and refining how we represent traditions in our work,” said Ibran Trassierra, executive producer.
An Open Invitation to the Creative Community
We invite our creative friends to join this evolving dialogue. Share your insights, challenge our perspectives, and let’s continue refining our approach together. After all, creativity isn’t just about what we create – it’s about how we engage with the world around us.
