The Anchor & the Kite

Written and performed by Canadian singer and songwriter Forest Blakk and directed and animated by Jeff Myers, “The Anchor and The Kite” is a sweeping epic about finding love and acceptance in the most unlikely places.

A reimagining of the “opposites attract” narrative, the song explores a sense of deep yearning and the subsequent bond that forms between two individuals from vastly different worlds.

Beautiful and elemental, the story weaves in and out of light and shadow, water and air, eventually landing in the liminal space where the anchor and the kite can seamlessly coexist.

Music has been a lifelong refuge for Blakk, who experienced a chaotic childhood (his mother struggled with addiction and his stepfather was a notorious drug dealer), and he often explores the complex duality of life in his work, with lyrics and compositions that lean into both the sorrow and the joy. The collaboration with Myers, a renowned director, artist, animator, musician, and advertising creative, was a unique opportunity for Blakk to extend the expression of this story beyond the music and onto the screen.

Jeff O'Brien Myers | Director

Jeff Myers is a director, artist, animator, musician, and advertising creative who has elevated brands & films for over 20 years. As a director and animator, his work is vibrant, textural, and atmospheric, and his films feel simultaneously universal and personal.

He is the founder of the global creative & story agency THIS IS RED, which is housed in a century-old Art Nouveau masterpiece cathedral that has been repurposed & customized for film & animation production, immersive content creation, and brand and marketing services. THIS IS RED's client base covers a vast range of industries from tech to TV—from the stage of Saturday Night Live to presidential inaugurations, to global brand rollouts from icons like Coca-Cola, the Four Seasons, & design overlord Philippe Starck to campaigns for the BBC, Apple Music, Atlantic Records and more. Collaborations with Dolby run the gamut and have even influenced Myers' approach to the architectural reimagining of THIS IS RED's unique space, which includes a fully equipped Dolby Atmos & Dolby Vision cinema.

When Cocoa-Cola celebrated 100 years of the iconic contour bottle, Myers was one of 100 creatives from around the world chosen by Coca-Cola to reimagine the contour bottle's heritage and shape the brand's future. His piece–a study in optimism, the kind of stubborn positivity possessed by the most resilient among us–appeared in the centennial retrospective "Kiss the Past Hello" by high-end art publisher Assouline, and has appeared in several other art exhibits and on Coca-Cola's social media channels.

In addition to his work with Coca-Cola, Myers has expanded his cross-disciplinary foray into the world of fine arts through album artwork. He's painted countless album covers for musical legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Nancy Wilson, five of which became Grammy-winning albums.

A true Renaissance creative, Myers' repertoire also includes writing, recording, and producing original music, which allows him to communicate fluidly with musicians and artists across disciplines. His resume in the music world is impressive, including Nuno Bettencourt, Herbie Hancock, Ghost Hounds, Rabea Massaad, Tony Levin, Forest Blakk, Katy Perry, Kesha, Ne-Yo, Paquito D'Rivera, Herbie Mann, and Tom Scott, as well as music brands like Gibson guitars, Paul Reed Smith guitars and Neural DSP.

Project Scope

• Story outline & Storyboards
• Character Design
• Animation
• Compositing
• Sound Design
• Dolby Atmos Mix