Vienna Tourism’s final destination

Director Sam Gainsborough and BLINKINK have teamed up with the Vienna Tourist Board and Jung von Matt to produce this charming short film, marking the 150th anniversary of the Vienna Central Cemetery.

The creative explores the city’s relationship with death, as well as its many highlights from a bug’s-eye view. In its short 24-hour lifespan, the curious critter delves into Vienna’s arts, music, cuisine and culture before meeting its fatal end.  

When designing the mayfly, the director aimed for a quirky and distinctive style. The team took inspiration from wax sculptures to find the slightly translucent and bizarre texture, and the incredible CG team at Saurus helped to bring the creature to life. 

The director added: “I hope you can see from the finished film, how much fun it was to make! It was incredible seeing all the amazing places Vienna has to offer, all the while thinking about how to tell this funny little story of the Mayfly. We had an incredible time in Vienna, visiting the key locations and coming up with little silly ideas to feed into the film.

It was fun to think what life would look like for a creature that only lives a day, cramming in everything the world has to offer in such a short space of time. Cakes, spritz, schnitzel, Klimt, the orchestra - it was so much fun cramming all of the Viennese delights into a relentlessly speedy little story.”