design-for-motion-fundamentals-and-techniques-of-motion-design

DESIGN FOR MOTION Fundamentals and Techniques of Motion Design AUSTIN SHAW Foreword by JUSTIN CONE of Motionographer Design for Motion Design for Motion Motion Design Techniques & Fundamentals Written by: Austin Shaw Edited by: Danielle Shaw ~ Focal Press . . Taylor & Francis Group NEW YORK AND LONDON First published 2016 by Focal Press 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Focal Press 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Taylor & Francis The right of Austin Shaw to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Shaw, Austin. Design for Motion: Motion Design Techniques & Fundamentals / written by Austin Shaw. pages cm 1. Computer animation--Study and teaching (Higher) 2. Computer graphics--Study and teaching (Higher) 3. Animation (Cinematography--Study and teaching (Higher) 4. Television graphics--Study and teaching (Higher) I. Title. TR897.7.S3885 2015 006.6’96—dc23 2014045698 ISBN: 978-1-138-81209-3 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-74900-6 (ebk) Typeset in DIN by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire Cover Images Courtesy of Yeojin Shin, Gentleman Scholar, Audrey Yeo, Hyungsoon Joo, Junki Seoung, Daniel Uribe, and Sekani Solomon Dedication This book is dedicated to my daughters Athena Blue and Chloe Shaw, who remind me to be curious. And, to my father Larry Shaw, who always believed in my words. Contents List of Contributors........................................................................ xiii Foreword by Justin Cone ................................................................ xv Preface ........................................................................................... xix Acknowledgements ....................................................................... xxi Introduction: Motion Design ........................................................ 1 Motion and Graphic......................................................................1 Art and Design .............................................................................1 Graphic to Motion ........................................................................2 Contrast Creates Tension ............................................................2 Varying Compositions ..................................................................3 Design-Driven Production ...........................................................3 Types of Projects .........................................................................3 What is Design for Motion?..........................................................4 The Purpose of This Book............................................................4 Chapter 1: Design for Motion ....................................................... 7 Beautiful Motion Begins with Beautiful Design ..........................7 Building on Traditions ............................................................7 A Brief History of Style Frames ...................................................8 Other Disciplines ..................................................................10 Chapter 2: Style Frames ............................................................ 15 What is a Style Frame? ..............................................................15 Visual Patterns .....................................................................15 Stylistic Guides .....................................................................16 Concept is King .....................................................................17 Design Like a Champ ............................................................18 Enjoy the Process ......................................................................19 Author’s Reflection ....................................................................20 A Moment in Time ......................................................................20 Chapter 3: Design Boards .......................................................... 23 What is a Design Board?............................................................23 The Importance of Style Frames and Design Boards ..........23 Promise to the Client ............................................................24 Insurance Policy ...................................................................24 Using Design Boards .................................................................24 Guiding Productions .............................................................27 Author’s Reflection ....................................................................27 Unified Visual Aesthetic .............................................................28 Storytelling ...........................................................................29 Finishing Touches .................................................................29 Professional Perspectives—Erin Sarofsky ...............................31 Chapter 4: Presentations and Pitches........................................ 39 Process Books and Pitch Books................................................39 Process Books ......................................................................39 Pitch Books ...........................................................................40 How to Make Process and Pitch Books.....................................40 Professional Perspectives—Lauren Hartstone ........................43 Chapter 5: Developing Concepts ................................................ 51 Creative Briefs ...........................................................................51 What is a Creative Brief? ......................................................51 Types of Creative Briefs .......................................................51 The Form of a Creative Brief ................................................51 The Needs of a Creative Brief ..............................................52 How to Use a Creative Brief .................................................52 Professional Perspectives—Carlo Vega....................................53 Good Ideas are Hard Work ...................................................58 Concept Development ...............................................................58 What is Concept Development?............................................59 Questions and Answers ........................................................60 Development .........................................................................60 Professional Perspectives—Karin Fong ...................................61 Chapter 6: Process-to-Outcome ................................................ 69 Process-to-Outcome Spectrum ................................................69 Author’s Reflection ....................................................................70 Process .................................................................................71 Outcome ................................................................................71 Value of Process-to-Outcome ..............................................72 Be Comfortable with Ambiguity ...........................................72 Know Where You Are ............................................................72 Professional Perspectives—Lindsay Daniels ...........................73 viii Contents Chapter 7: The Inner-Eye........................................................... 79 The Internal Editor.....................................................................79 Free Writing ...............................................................................79 What is Free Writing? ...........................................................79 Looking Inward .....................................................................80 Stream of Consciousness .....................................................80 Free Writing and the Internal Editor ....................................81 How to Free Write .................................................................81 Be Brave ...............................................................................81 Making Discoveries...............................................................82 Free Writing is Personal and Private ...................................82 Word Lists ..................................................................................82 What are Word Lists? ...........................................................83 Words are Powerful ..............................................................83 Spectrums of Meaning .........................................................83 How to Make a Word List ......................................................84 Mind Maps ..................................................................................84 What are Mind Maps? ...........................................................84 Internal to External...............................................................86 Making Connections .............................................................87 Using Contrast and Tension .................................................88 How to Make a Mind Map .....................................................88 DOs & DON’Ts List .....................................................................88 What is a DOs & DON’Ts List? ..............................................88 Creative Borders...................................................................89 In Relation to Process-to-Outcome .....................................89 The Initial Shape of a Concept ...................................................89 Initial Shape of a Concept .....................................................89 Be Engaged in the Process ..................................................90 Tipping Points .......................................................................90 Chapter 8: The Outer-Eye .......................................................... 93 Mood Boards ..............................................................................93 What are Mood Boards? .......................................................93 Internal and External ............................................................93 Efficiency ...............................................................................93 How to Make a Mood Board..................................................95 Author’s Reflection ....................................................................96 Professional Perspectives—Alan Williams ...............................97 Written Treatments .................................................................101 What are Written Treatments? ...........................................101 Writing for Development ....................................................101 Narrative Structure ............................................................101 The Shape of Stories...........................................................102 Scripts .................................................................................102 Using Written Treatments and Scripts ..............................105 Professional Perspectives—Patrick Clair ...............................107 Chapter 9: Image-Making ........................................................ 112 Image-Making and Design for Motion .....................................112 Composition .............................................................................112 Hierarchy of Visual Importance..........................................112 Positive Space and Negative Space....................................113 Symmetry and Asymmetry .................................................115 Motion .................................................................................115 Methods and Formulas.......................................................116 Sea Glass ............................................................................117 Professional Perspectives—Kylie Matulick ............................119 Value ........................................................................................127 The Range of Intensity from Light to Dark .........................127 Value and Color ..................................................................127 Why Value Matters ..............................................................127 Mastering Value ..................................................................128 Value and Line ....................................................................128 Value in Nature ...................................................................128 Contrast for Image-Making .....................................................128 Color.........................................................................................130 Depth ........................................................................................130 Spatial Planes .....................................................................131 Depth of Field......................................................................131 Perspective ..............................................................................131 Atmospheric Perspective ...................................................132 Color Perspective ...............................................................133 Professional Perspectives—Danny Yount ...............................135 Chapter 10: Cinematic Conventions, Thumbnail Sketches, and Hand-Drawn Storyboards .............................. 141 Cinematic Conventions ............................................................141 Basic Shots and Camera Angles for Cinematography.......141 Cinematic Elements of Design Boards ...................................145 Thumbnail Sketches ................................................................148 Approach and Practice .......................................................149 Thumbnails for Style Frames .............................................149 Practicing Cinematic Conventions .....................................150 Hand-Drawn Storyboards ........................................................150 Working with Storyboards ..................................................151 Storytelling and Continuity .................................................152 Storyboard Usage ...............................................................152 Professional Perspectives—Robert Rugan .............................155 Chapter 11: Concept Development Exercises .......................... 160 Part 1........................................................................................160 Description/Creative Needs ...............................................160 Creative Brief ......................................................................161 Part 2........................................................................................163 Deliverables ........................................................................163 Professional Perspectives—Chace Hartman ..........................165 Contents ix Chapter 12: Design Essentials ................................................. 171 Designer’s Toolkit ....................................................................171 Finding and Making Assets ................................................171 Prepping Assets..................................................................171 Mark-Making Tools.............................................................172 Sketchbooks .......................................................................173 Computers ..........................................................................174 Digital Backups ...................................................................174 Cameras..............................................................................174 Wacoms and Cintiqs ...........................................................174 Scanners .............................................................................174 Digital Library .....................................................................175 Alternative Tools .................................................................175 Professional Perspectives—Will Hyde .........................................177 Chapter 13: The Art of Compositing ......................................... 183 Compositing .............................................................................183 Concrete Compositing ........................................................183 Abstract Compositing .........................................................183 Core Principles and Skills of Compositing ........................185 Mattes .................................................................................185 Feathering...........................................................................185 Duplication ..........................................................................186 Basic Transformations .......................................................188 Retouching ..........................................................................188 Color Correction and Color Grading ..................................188 Hue, Saturation, and Value .................................................188 Blending ..............................................................................190 Creative Brief—Compositing Exercises ..................................191 Concrete and Abstract Composites ...................................191 x Contents Chapter 14: 3D Software for Design ........................................ 195 Using 3D Software for Design .................................................195 Modeling .............................................................................195 Materials .............................................................................195 Lighting ...............................................................................197 3-Point Light Setup .............................................................197 Cameras in 3D ....................................................................197 Rendering ...........................................................................198 Multi-Pass Rendering.........................................................199 Compositing 3D ..................................................................201 Chapter 15: Matte Painting ...................................................... 205 Analog to Digital .................................................................205 Matte Painting for Motion Design.......................................205 Sketching ............................................................................206 Under Painting ....................................................................207 Asset Creation and Modification ........................................208 Compositing Assets ............................................................209 Perspective .........................................................................210 Lighting ...............................................................................210 Color Correction for Matte Painting ...................................210 Texture ................................................................................210 Working with 3D..................................................................210 Creative Brief—Matte Painting................................................211 Process ...............................................................................211 Professional Perspectives—Greg Herman ..................................213 Chapter 16: Stylistic Creative Briefs for Portfolio Development ............................................................................. 217 Style .........................................................................................217 What is Style? .....................................................................217 Clearly Defined ...................................................................217 Range of Visual Styles ........................................................218 Using the Exercises .................................................................218 Aspect Ratio and Size .........................................................218 Alternative Aspect Ratios ...................................................219 Number of Style Frames for Design Boards......................220 Schedule and Deadlines .....................................................220 Practice Process-to-Outcome............................................220 Keywords to Kick-Off Creative Briefs ................................221 Chapter 17: Type-Driven Design Boards.................................. 225 History and Culture ............................................................225 The Basics...........................................................................226 Anatomy of Type .................................................................226 Casting Type .......................................................................228 Integrating Typography ......................................................229 Type Treatments .................................................................231 Creative Brief ......................................................................231 Professional Perspectives—Beat Baudenbacher ...................233 Chapter 18: Tactile Design Boards .......................................... 241 Analog and Digital...............................................................241 Texture ................................................................................241 Materials .............................................................................243 Tactile Design in Motion .....................................................246 Creative Brief ......................................................................246 Professional Perspectives—Lucas Zanotto ............................249 Chapter 19: Modern Design Boards ......................................... 255 Simplicity and Reduction ....................................................255 Naïve Sensibilities ..............................................................257 Vector Artwork ....................................................................257 Creative Brief ......................................................................257 Professional Perspectives—Bran Dougherty-Johnson ..........259 Chapter 20: Character-Driven Design Boards ......................... 265 Exaggeration of Essential Qualities ...................................265 The Process of Character Design ......................................265 Translating Character Design into Motion .........................266 Creative Brief ......................................................................266 Professional Perspectives—Daniel Oeffinger .........................273 Chapter 21: Information-Graphics/Data Visualization Design Boards ...................................................... 279 Information-Graphics and Visual Hierarchy ......................279 Visual Language .................................................................279 Visual Metaphors ................................................................279 Cinema-Graphic..................................................................280 Aesthetic .............................................................................280 Usage ..................................................................................280 Creative Brief ......................................................................282 Professional Perspectives—Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK)..285 Chapter 22: Illustrative Design Boards.................................... 293 Analog and Digital...............................................................293 Various Styles .....................................................................294 Creative Brief ......................................................................296 Professional Perspectives—Matt Smithson ...........................299 Chapter 23: Finding Inspiration ............................................... 304 Life Mood Board—Creative Brief.............................................304 Author’s Reflection ..................................................................304 Creative Brief ......................................................................305 Professional Perspectives—Gentleman Scholar ....................306 Chapter 24: Looking Forward .................................................. 313 Project Credits ..............................................................................314 Index ..............................................................................................327 Contents xi Contributors Professional Perspectives— Industry Contributors Beat Baudenbacher William Campbell Patrick Clair Lindsay Daniels Bran Dougherty-Johnson Karin Fong Chace Hartman Lauren Hartstone Greg Herman Will Hyde Will Johnson Kylie Matulick Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) Daniel Oeffinger Robert Rugan Erin Sarofsky Matt Smithson Carlo Vega Alan Williams Danny Yount Lucas Zanotto Additional Professional Contributors Evan Goodell Nath Milburn Paige Striebig Student Contributors Joe Ball Nathan Boyd Vanessa Brown Daniel Chang Peter Clark CJ Cook David Conklin Casey Crisenbury Jason M. Diaz Eric Dies Jackie Khanh Doan Gautam Dutta Taylor English Kalin Fields Chris Finn Rainy Fu Ben Gabelman Preston Gibson Caresse Haaser Chase Hochstatter John Hughes Sarah Beth Hulver Dominica Jane Jordan Rick Kuan Hyemin Hailey Lee Scott Cheng Yi Lim Ana Cristina Lossada Jordan Lyle Nick Lyons Stasia Luo Madeline Miller Alonna Morrison Robert Morrison Jr. Eddy Nieto Sara Odze Lauren Peterson Raffael Pindell Patrick Pohl Lexie Redd Graham Reid Ryan Brady Rish Chris Salvador Keliang Shan Yeojin Shin Sekani Solomon Jordan Taylor Daniel Uribe Audrey Yeo Faculty Contributors Michael Betancourt John Colette Dominique Mertens Elliot James Gladman Minho Shin Woon (Duff) Yong Contributors xiii Foreword Justin Cone Something subtle but revolutionary happened over the last decade. No one noticed, but it happened in plain sight, on blogs and social media and on stages at conferences around the world. An accepted term used by thousands of designers and filmmakers quietly shed its skin and did something marvelous: it matured. The term was “motion graphics,” an awkward, always plural construction in heavy use by filmmakers and broadcasters with roots that snake back to at least the 1960s. While the term is still in use today, it’s rapidly giving way to its wiser and more relevant successor, “motion design.” That simple change is a silent earthquake, the shock waves of which will quietly upend communication practices across industries for decades to come. How can a one-word change possibly matter so much? First, it helps to define motion design, which turns out to be a complicated feat. Both “motion design” and “motion graphics” are derived from the same longer term: “motion graphic design,” a frustratingly vague concept. Looked at one way, motion graphic design is about the design of “graphics” used in the context of moving images. A helpful example: designing a map that appears over the shoulder of a newscaster during the nightly news. In the parlance of broadcast television, the map is a “graphic,” a composite of elements superimposed onto a stream of live-action footage. There’s nothing wrong with this definition of motion graphic design. It’s accurate. But it’s also limiting. It runs dry long before describing everything motion design has become over the last 50 years or so. There’s another interpretation of motion design that turns out to be a fount of possibility. It requires a slight rearrangement of the words and the addition of a preposition so that you get “graphic design in motion.” This seemingly superficial change is the key to understanding the true power of the field— and why the book you’re reading is a doorway to the future. Graphic design rose to power in the twentieth century, when mass media and advertising combined to wallpaper the world with messaging of all kinds. While radio and television increasingly dominated the airwaves, graphic design dominated everything else, enjoying a kind of ubiquity previously unseen in the world. From packaging to billboards to periodicals, graphic design not only forced its way into everyone’s field of vision, it also earned respect as a vocation. Graphic designers shared symposium panels and respected professorships with even the most revered practitioners of design: architects. While the latter specialized in the built world, graphic designers crafted worlds of Foreword xv symbols, which became increasingly important as we spent more and more of our days staring at surfaces and screens, effectively oblivious to the constructed spaces around us. Why did graphic design become so important? The thoughtful combination of images and words can be incredibly powerful. Well-designed communications stand out from the noise of modern life and demand our attention. Wielded by nations and corporations, graphic design can sway millions of people to change their behavior and adopt new beliefs, to go to war or to fight for peace. The parallel development of broadcast television throughout the twentieth century laid the groundwork for a revolutionary new form of media. On one side, the communicative powers of graphic design had been honed to a fine craft. On the other side, television sets beamed entertainment and news into virtually every living room in the developed world. So when technology made it possible to merge these two forces—to put graphic design in motion and transmit it around the globe—the hitherto marginalized field of motion design accelerated rapidly toward the mainstream. Adding the dimension of time to graphic design turned it into something new. Under the influence of a timeline, the old, static techniques of designers morphed into strange new fields ripe for exploration. Photography bloomed at 24 frames a second and became cinematography. Illustration danced under the spell of animation. Typography became a visual stream of consciousness seemingly capable of tapping into a viewer’s mind. To understand these new forms of communication, practitioners could lean on motion design’s mixed history of film, animation and visual effects. Often, though, they were like biologists in a jungle on an alien planet, labeling discoveries as they went, looking for commonalities to the world back home. All of this newness and confusion has made teaching and mastering the field extremely difficult. Difficult, but not xvi Foreword impossible. This book distills what we know so far. But it’s more than a shortcut through the wilderness. It’s a reminder of the richness of motion design. There is perhaps no other field that draws so heavily on such a wide variety of creative disciplines, including (but not limited to) painting, illustration, writing, graphic design, animation, filmmaking, visual effects, sound design, music composition, computer science, and, on occasion, choreography. The master motion designer has a deep, enduring appreciation for all of these disciplines and more. * * * I adore Milton Glaser. Famous for his iconic “I © NY” visual slogan, he is one of the most prolific graphic designers of the last 100 years. His creations have adorned museum walls, filled textbooks, and papered city streets since the 1940s. But he really messed up back in 2012. In an interview with Brendan Dawes, Mr. Glaser said: “Someone asked me the other day what I do all day, and I said, ‘I move things around until they look right. And I suspect that that’s as good a definition of graphic design as I could come up with.’”1 Taken out of context, this idea can save you tens of thousands of dollars. Why go to school when all you need to learn is how to move things around? There must be a tutorial online somewhere for learning to move things around! But at the time of the interview, Milton Glaser wasn’t a student of graphic design. He was a master. With more than six decades of experience under his belt, he had internalized the principles of design, nurturing a kind of intuition that affords him the luxury of simply “moving things around until it feels right.” Make no mistake, though. When Milton Glaser moves things around, it’s a very different process than when a newcomer to the field starts moving things around. Mr. Glaser’s feeling of “rightness” reverberates with the wisdom that thousands of successful projects—and even more failures—have instilled in him. Learning to design for motion on your own, without the aid of a teacher or a textbook, is a twisted path through the fog. It’s daunting and confusing and deeply frustrating. I should know. It’s how I learned. At first, the thrill of crafting a beautiful image and seeing it come to life on a timeline seems like a reward that will never end. But then reality sets in. Deadlines loom. Budgets shrink. Expectations rise. You realize that your early attempts were born from a clumsy combination of blind luck and endless time spent noodling over an idea. As you try out your skills in the real world, those luxuries evaporate. Quickly. In short, you find that you need help. This book lifts the fog and shows the ways forward. Yes, there are many ways forward. There is no set path through motion design—that’s one of its many joys—and this book embraces that complexity. Instead of carving a narrow path to success, this text shares a rich landscape of knowledge, inspiration and best practices, encouraging you to find your own way. It also serves as a lifelong companion, reminding readers of all skill levels that there’s always another way to see a problem, always another tool that could be dusted off and put to good use. Speaking personally, I am elated to see this book come to life. It’s long been needed by the industry, and I cannot think of an author more suited to write it than Austin. As an immensely talented artist, designer and educator, he is uniquely qualified to act as a guide into the wonderful wilderness of motion design. The rest is up to you. Note 1 “Process.” brendandawes.com. Accessed August 21, 2014. <ttp://brendandawes.com/blog/Glaser>. Foreword xvii Preface Austin Shaw When I began my career in the field of motion design in the early 2000s, the people who were designers of motion came from a variety of creative backgrounds. Many were like me, having trained as fine artists, illustrators, or graphic designers. Some were film majors in school, while some had studied animation. Still others had no formal training, but they were quick to learn software and had innate artistic ability. During this time, it was common for designers to be hired as freelance talent by production companies and animation studios. These companies had staffs of animators, compositors, and directors. Then a shift occurred where a number of small design studios opened. The designers were the core staff of the companies, and the animators and compositors were the freelancers. Today, you can find all kinds of opportunities to work fulltime or as a freelancer in the field of motion design. Although it is still defining itself as a discipline, the need for motion designers is growing. As digital media generalists, creative problem-solvers, and storytellers, we are employed across a wide range of creative industries. Motion designers work at design boutiques, advertising agencies, media networks, and major corporations. In the academic world, motion design is becoming a recognized major and course of study. The principles and exercises detailed in this book are designed to teach you how to come up with ideas and create design for motion. Design for Motion originated as a class that I created at the Savannah College of Art and Design. As a Professor of Motion Media Design, I wanted to teach a course that focused primarily on the design side of motion design. I reflected on my years spent as a designer in the industry. My goal was to create a curriculum that emulated real world studio demands and standards. After a period of trial and error, through early iterations of the course, a syllabus emerged. This textbook reflects the syllabus and can be adapted for usage by educators. Many of the visual examples presented in this text were created in my Design for Motion course. The students range from undergraduate to postgraduate. Their creative work serves to demonstrate the validity of the principles, theories, techniques, and exercises outlined in this book. Additionally, I have reached out to a number of industry leaders to share their personal perspectives and experiences as designers for motion. Preface xix How to Use This Book Chapters 1–4 define the primary terms and outcomes of Design for Motion, including Motion Design, Style Frames, Design Boards, Process Books, and Pitch Books. Chapters 5–8 introduce the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, concept development exercises, and storytelling essentials in relation to Motion Design. The anatomy of a project is discussed beginning with a creative brief, through ideation and execution. Chapters 9–10 focus on image-making principles and cinematic conventions. Chapter 9 examines core visual principles as they relate to Design for Motion. Chapter 10 covers basic visual narrative tools such as cinematic vocabulary, thumbnail sketches, and hand-drawn storyboards. xx Preface Chapter 11 introduces a practical creative brief that utilizes concept development exercises and visual storytelling tools. The principles and tools outlined in the previous chapters are combined to create strong concepts and narratives prior to establishing a unique visual style. Chapters 12–15 cover the core tools and skills of Design for Motion, including the designer’s toolkit, compositing, 3D software for design, and matte painting. These core tools and principles are fundamental to being able to confidently create a range of visual styles. Chapters 16–23 are comprised of creative briefs for exercises across a range of visual aesthetics. These exercises are great for portfolio development and to refine your design skills in relation to motion. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my wife Danielle Shaw for editing this book. You have provided moral, emotional, and grammatical support throughout this process, and I could not have written this book without you. Thank you to Justin Cone for writing the foreword to this book. Your passion and dedication to the industry and its evolution is truly inspiring. I would like to thank my art and design mentors Vincent Capraro, Steve Demas, and Beat Baudenbacher. Thank you for sharing your time and being patient enough to teach me invaluable lessons. Thank you to my Design for Motion students! My students have pushed me to make this book, to explain myself more clearly, and they continue to both inspire and challenge me. Thank you for contributing your talent and hard work to many of the visual examples presented in this book. Thank you to my fellow Motion Media Design faculty at the Savannah College of Art and Design for your support and for creating a wonderful community for teaching and learning. I would like to especially thank my department Chair, John Colette, for believing in the Design for Motion course and for his persistent support throughout the writing of this book. I would like to thank David Conklin, Peter Clark, Sekani Solomon, Amanda Quist, and Devon Hosford for providing additional editing, feedback, and comments. Thank you to my industry friends for both believing in and supporting this project. Thank you Erin Sarofsky, Chace Hartman, Rob Rugan, Carlo Vega, Greg Herman, Adam Schlossberg, Bill Hewes, and Jaiman Yun. I have a very special thanks to Geraint Owen—for all of your support. I want to thank all of the industry contributors for sharing your time, insights, and examples of your work and process. Thank you William Campbell, Patrick Clair, Lindsay Daniels, Bran Dougherty-Johnson, Karin Fong, Lauren Hartstone, Will Hyde, Will Johnson, Kylie Matulick, Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK), Daniel Oeffinger, Matt Smithson, Alan Williams, Danny Yount, and Lucas Zanotto. I would also like to thank my publishing team at Focal Press. Thank you Dennis McGonagle for championing this project. Thank you Peter Linsley for guiding me through this process. Thank you to the interior design team for creating a beautiful book. Acknowledgements xxi Figure 0.1: THIS INFORMATION GRAPHIC REPRESENTS TWO ESSENTIAL SPECTRUMS THAT COMPOSE MOTION DESIGN. THE HORIZONTAL AXIS DEPICTS THE CONTINUUM BETWEEN MOTION AND GRAPHIC, WHILE THE VERTICAL AXIS DEPICTS THE CONTINUUM BETWEEN ART AND DESIGN. xxii Introduction Introduction: Motion Design Motion and Graphic Motion design is an emerging field that combines both motion media and graphic media. Motion media includes disciplines such as animation, film, and sound. The defining quality of motion media is change that happens over time. Graphic media includes disciplines such as graphic design, illustration, photography, and painting. Graphic forms of media do not change over time. They appear static through a defined viewport. Because change happens over time, motion design is often called a time-based media. Change can happen over the course of a few frames, seconds, minutes, hours, or even days. Interactive motion, installation art, and new media art may not even have a fixed duration, or may possess a shifting timeline. Motion offers the opportunity to play with qualities of rhythm and tension. Regardless of the actual duration, an understanding of how to create interesting contrasts over time is essential for strong motion design. Art and Design There are two different extremes of motion design: motion that is more like fine art and motion that is more like design or commercial art. Motion in the realm of fine art evokes qualities of mystery or ambiguity. Motion in the realm of commercial art aims at communicating certainty. Of course, there is motion design that has aspects of both fine and commercial art. For instance, a commercial may start with art and mystery, but will finish with design and certainty. The first twenty-five seconds of a thirty second commercial takes the viewer on a journey that inspires emotions and ideas. The final five seconds invariably ends with a logo animation that leaves the viewer with no uncertainty about who has delivered the message. This transition and journey between art and design through motion is just one aspect of what makes motion design appealing for both the creators and the audience. Introduction 1 Figure 0.2: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY SEKANI SOLOMON, SCAD BFA. Graphic to Motion The relationship between motion and graphic is vital to motion design. Beautiful motion begins with a beautiful graphic image. A still image defines space, depth, and a focal point. This single frame shows a moment in time for a motion design project. It also illustrates the visual style. By starting with a single frame, a designer can imagine and plan for animation. Effective compositions are more easily created in graphic form, which can then be translated into motion. Regardless of the style of a graphic image, a strong composition is required to generate interest in a viewer. The principle of contrast and tension as a method for creating interest is shared between motion and graphic. 2 Introduction Contrast Creates Tension An overarching theme of this book is the use of contrast to create tension. Tension draws a viewer into a piece. It can be expressed through concept, story, and image composition. Typically, when we go to the movies, watch a show, or read a novel, we hope to be told a story that grips us in some way. We want to be transported and moved emotionally and intellectually. As designers of motion, we need to create tension in order to successfully produce this experience. Contrast is the key to delivering tension in a piece: disparity in composition between positive and negative space, dark and light values, large and small scale, etc. is what helps to create visual interest. Figure 0.3: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY PRESTON GIBSON, SCAD MFA. THIS SEQUENCE OF STYLE FRAMES REPRESENTS THE PRINCIPLE OF VARYING COMPOSITIONS. THEY ILLUSTRATE HOW A MOTION DESIGN PIECE WILL CHANGE OVER TIME. Varying Compositions Motion design creates varying compositions over time. These changing compositions allow for rising and falling tension, unexpected surprises, and impactful communication. In order to be effective with motion, one must first be effective with composition. This precept is one of the primary principles that links motion and graphics. In addition, a motion designer must learn how to change composition with intention. Compositions can change with subtle grace or with shocking abruptness. This description is the essence of how motion transitions over time. As motion slows down, it begins to become more graphic or static. The tipping point between motion and graphic is the exact point where change can be perceived through a viewport. This combination of motion and graphic media mirrors the overlap of studio business models that work in the motion design industry. Design-Driven Production Design-driven production is a relatively new term used to describe a business model that has arisen from motion design. Designdriven production is a hybrid of traditional film production companies and design firms. Some also include qualities of traditional advertising agencies. The entire range of preproduction, production, and post-production can be found in design-driven studios. Some of the creative roles in design-driven production are designers, animators, editors, art directors, writers, creative directors, and live-action directors. On the production side, there are talent coordinators, producers, and executive producers. There may also be sales representatives, recruiters, or other types of production roles, like production assistants or runners. The combination of creative and production roles at a company or studio comprises a production team. Although this text focuses primarily on the design side of motion, anyone working in designdriven production can benefit by learning more about the design process. Types of Projects Design-driven production companies service a range of creative industries like advertising, entertainment, film, and digital or interactive. Types of motion design projects include commercials, film titles, network branding, broadcast show packages, digital signage, projection mapping, video game cinematics, web Introduction 3 banners, user experience design, and interactive motion design. There is also an emerging market for digital platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Motion design projects of a less commercial nature include expository animations, visual essays, poetic motion, and fine art installations. What is Design for Motion? Design for motion is the marriage of image-making and storytelling. It is the first creative stage of a project in a designdriven production. Before we begin to make things move, either in camera or through animation, a certain amount of planning is required. A project needs a strong concept, a visual style, a story or narrative, and specifications for output and delivery. As the project moves from the design stage into motion, the creative boundaries are mapped out for the production team. We begin this process by developing a concept through techniques—such as free writing, word lists, mind maps, DOs & DON’Ts lists, and mood boards, which will all be covered in-depth in a later chapter. As our concept emerges, we create a distinctive look and feel. After this visual pattern or aesthetic is defined, we give our narrative sequence its shape. We depict every scene and key shot in a design-driven production so that both the visual style and the story are easily understood. This process produces the primary outcomes, or deliverables, of design for motion. An outcome, or deliverable, is a finished product that is either given to a professor in an academic setting, or delivered to a client in a professional setting. The Purpose of This Book The purpose of this book is to teach you about these outcomes and how to make them. They are called style frames and design boards. Style frames exemplify the image-making aspects of design for motion by conveying the mood or feeling of a piece, whereas design boards represent storytelling by demonstrating a sequence 4 Introduction of events in chronological order. Another design for motion deliverable is the “container” that holds style frames and design boards for presentations. In an academic setting, this document is called a process book. In a professional or commercial setting, this document is called a pitch book or design deck. Process books and design decks are delivered to a professor or client. These “books” contain the finished outcomes of a design for motion project, as well as various degrees of process work that helped in developing the concept. Style frames, design boards, and process and pitch books embody the principle of pre-visualization, or the plan for the visual style and narrative prior to production. The need to arrive at a defined style prior to motion is very important, as motion design can be very tedious and labor intensive. Commercial productions are particularly sensitive to having a defined visual style that a client agrees to before creating motion. For more artistic productions, it is still a great benefit to flesh out the visual style in the graphic stages of a project. In addition to defining the primary outcomes of design for motion, this book contains chapters focused on concept development, image-making in relation to design for motion, and principles and techniques for visual storytelling. There are creative briefs embedded within a few chapters for practicing fundamental skills and ideas, as well as an entire chapter of creative briefs dedicated to exercises for portfolio development. Finally, there is an array of professional perspectives throughout the book showcasing visual examples and personal insights from industry pioneers. Figure 1.1: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY YEOJIN SHIN, SCAD BFA. 6 Design for Motion Chapter 1: Design for Motion Beautiful Motion Begins with Beautiful Design Motion design is a container for visual compositions that change over time. A graphic designer understands how to create harmony in a single image, whereas a motion designer creates harmony across a sequence of images. This sequence of images is translated into motion by an animator or team of animators when a project moves into production. The designer’s job is to create a unified visual style for a project. They also establish visual hierarchies that direct the viewers’ focus. A motion design piece without a strong designer will at best have elegant movements. More than likely, it will fail to connect with viewers and fail to communicate effectively. Figure 1.1 is an excellent example of design for motion. Stylistically, every frame feels like it belongs in the design board. The unified visual aesthetic is created by clear and consistent design choices such as the color palette and illustrative line quality. The sequential layout of frames communicates a visual narrative and a plan for how the story changes over time. Contrast is used throughout the design board both visually and conceptually. There is a strong contrast between light and dark elements, positive and negative space, and emotional tones of sadness and happiness. Building on Traditions As a creative discipline, motion design is relatively young. It is also very eclectic, as it builds on the traditions of many other creative fields. Ultimately, motion design and specifically design-driven production build upon the tradition of the atelier, or classical workshop. Motion design can trace its roots back to artists like Saul Bass, who translated his poster designs into film title sequences beginning in the 1950s. Other artists like Pablo Ferro and Maurice Binder also paved the way with similar work in title sequences. Experimental filmmakers like Oskar Fischinger, Len Lye, and Norman McLaren also laid the foundation for what motion design would become. Kyle Cooper reinvigorated the art of title design with his work on the film “Se7en” in 1995. During the late ’80s and into the ’90s, creative industries experienced a digital desktop revolution that allowed motion design to become the discipline that it is today. The price of hardware, including computers, cameras, and storage devices, continues to go down, while the processing power and capabilities of these devices increases. This technological revolution made the field of motion design accessible to a wide range of creative types. Design for Motion 7 A Brief History Of Style Frames An Interview with John Colette, Chair of Motion Media Design—Savannah College of Art & Design My first encounter with style frames was working with desktop technology. At the time, around 1988–89, desktop technology was pretty unknown in the post-production world. Everyone that pitched for commercials and pitched for broadcast work was working on million dollar machines. They hadn’t integrated any desktop technology into their workflow. They used to do photographs from designs they produced. They would have a little board on a piece of foam core. It was a 7” ¥ 5” photographic print that was quite low resolution. They would try to pitch that to an agency. Then, they started using desktop technology and dye sublimation photo printers. They went in with physical 8” ¥ 10” glossy prints, and it just enhanced their ability to pitch. At that point, there was a legacy of having a physical artifact of the style frame of what you were intending to do with the work. The culture was always to produce physical storyboards, so people would cartoon a storyboard when they were pitching a commercial. In lots of senses, that still happens for filmed imagery. But, with digitally produced imagery, you can prototype a little bit better. Of course, that prototyping has become much more prevalent. These 8 Professional Perspectives A Brief History Of Style Frames days, it’s all screen-based. You have to think of this as before people had projectors in every boardroom, and before people had the Internet in any meaningful way. Those kinds of technologies were incredibly new. The idea of presenting a high quality physical artifact to someone in the late ’80s was a big advantage. It increased their sense of professionalism and allowed them to charge a lot for a job. They got a lot of work from being able to pitch in a compelling way. If you were doing a shot on a Quantel Henry (“the Effects Editor that became the mainstay of the post production industry across the world in the mid-nineties”),1 you would have a shot buffer of about 90 seconds. So you would ingest a piece of the tape into the hard disks. You would build up assets, which took up frames. You had to be much more judicious about what you worked with and how you worked with it. The design at those stages was pretty fast. The cost was very high to work on things. Ideas were usually pretty easily realized in those conditions. People didn’t have crazy ideas, they were just happy to get something done. Design was sort of an add-on feature. Around 1993, you got the ability to work with video on desktop computers. What that did was similar to what Photoshop did. I started teaching Photoshop with version 2.0, and, at that time, there were probably about 100,000 people around the world who were working with that tool. There are hundreds of millions now. There has been this explosion of digital capability. Over 6–7 years, the later part of the ’90s, there was an opening up to these tools. It gave this wide pool of people access to tools that did the same things that the expensive high-end tools did. So you had these different kinds of opportunities, different kinds of experimentation, and different kinds of languages being developed. You could see people starting up small designbased studios and producing things that started to define the culture. Previously, the culture had been defined by the access to the means of production, which was very limited. When it’s owned by capital, it’s a million dollars to play, and it’s $700 an hour to experiment, you don’t get a lot of experimentation. Suddenly you have several million people hanging out at art school, experimenting. A scanner was $3,500 in the early ’90s. In a few years, that was a $90 product. When more and more people started accessing those tools, the creativity that was applied to design was applied from so many directions and from so many voices. That’s when it became really prolific. There was an interesting period in the early 2000s when RES Magazine used to have a festival called RESfest, and would produce DVDs. All of the early work coming out of Psyop and Tronic and those studios was visible from those DVDs. You could see what was going on and the experiments that people were doing. So, there was an exponential increase in access and participation, but also communication. The early post-production model saw the integration of digital elements into the workflow as being a functional process. So if you have a staff compositor, it’s to do a photo-realistic composite. Or, if you have a colorist, it is to be sure the director of photography is happy that everything looks as it did when they shot it, as it goes in through Telecine (“the equipment used in the process of transferring a motion picture to videotape or converting it into television images”).2 It’s a manufacturing pipeline largely informed by the fact that cinema itself is a manufacturing pipeline. People have deadlines. It’s very expensive to have cost overruns. Film production is extremely tightly managed. Once you had this desktop explosion, you had different voices being heard. Ultimately, it’s exciting because if you look at the culture we have now, the playing field is incredibly level. People can participate in ways that they were shut out from before. There is no excuse any more. Will it be good? We don’t know. But, the opportunity is there. The scale of post-production was really aggregated around very few opportunities, in terms of the number of people that it touched, but it usually had big budgets. Now, the budgets are much more distributed, but they support many, many more people. That is a positive for people who are studying post-production, or who want to move into the industry. Professional Perspectives A Brief History Of Style Frames 9 Other Disciplines This book is for students and aspiring professionals who want to work in design-driven production. Motion design offers tremendous opportunities to those interested in creative careers. Until the early 2000s, screens to display motion design primarily consisted of SD (Standard Definition) televisions, movie theater screens, and computer monitors. Then HD (High Definition) resolution became prevalent, and motion designers could create content for SD and HD aspect ratios. Apple’s introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010 started a whole new revolution for screen content. Since then, other companies have created variations of smart phones and tablet devices. Today, it seems screens are never further than our pockets, and all of these screens need beautifully designed motion. Original motion content is being created solely for digital platforms. Additionally, the modern incarnation of projection mapping—the projection of digital images onto a real, 3D surface—is expanding our definition of screens by transforming environments and architecture into displays for motion design. As technology makes screens more adaptable, we can expect to use them in more areas of our lives. An emerging field of interactive motion design has already begun to take shape. Motion design needs strong designers to concept ideas, create unique visual styles, and tell interesting stories. Above all else, motion design needs people who understand how to effectively communicate. Students or professionals working in graphic design, illustration, sequential art, photography, advertising, creative writing, animation, visual effects, editing, film, and interactive design can find professional opportunities in motion design. Graphic Design Graphic designers are trained to create effective visual layouts, work with typography, and communicate messages clearly. All of 10 Design for Motion these skills apply to motion design, and design for motion is an excellent introduction to the industry. I encourage my students to refine their skills with typography, as motion design often requires precise and elegant usage of type. Graphic designers, who are interested in making their work move, can translate their skills directly into motion. Illustration Illustrators do very well in motion design. They are trained to create strong compositions across a range of visual aesthetics. They are the quintessential image-makers of the creative world. Illustrators that learn about the language of design for motion, or how to think sequentially, can play a very creative role in designdriven productions. Sequential Art As creators of comic books, graphic novels, and handdrawn storyboards, sequential artists already think about images changing over time. They understand storytelling and cinematic changes that make a visual narrative interesting. These skills are essential to design for motion and can be combined with digital illustration to create style frames and design boards. Photography Image-making is rooted in frame composition. Photographers are trained to see and capture strong compositions through the lens of a camera. They understand how to frame a scene through a viewport. They also have a strong foundation in lighting and value, which is essential for any kind of image-making. Compositing live-action or photography with design elements is a common aesthetic direction for many motion design projects. Photographers who are interested in exploring motion will find many opportunities to work with their images. Advertising The advertising industry is one of the primary employers of design-driven production studios. Advertisers work directly with clients to formulate strategies and big picture ideas for marketing campaigns. Advertising uses motion design for everything from prototyping to executing commercial projects. Design for motion and advertising are similar as they both serve the purpose of giving form to creative ideas. An advertising student or professional who wishes to become more hands-on can utilize design for motion in design-driven productions. Creative Writing Writing is an extremely important part of motion design. Conceptual development and narrative development rely on writing to record ideas. As a time-based media, motion design tells a narrative or story. This process requires the ability to write a script or treatment. For communication purposes, it is essential that a designer is able to write descriptions about his or her work. Many design-driven studios employ writers to help brainstorm projects, prepare presentations, and develop scripts for larger productions. Animation Motion design is a form of animation. However, traditional animation tends to focus on character development and literary narrative. Motion design focuses on art direction and uses a wide range of design assets. Also, traditional animation is typically long format, whereas motion design projects are relatively short. Despite these differences, animators and motion designers work side-by-side in many design-driven production studios. Animators who want to work in a fast-paced environment, and on a variety of projects, do very well in motion design. Visual Effects Like animation, visual effects has similarities to motion design. Many of the same tools and principles are applied to both disciplines. The key differences exist in how they fit in the production workflow. Visual effects artists bring an incredible attention to detail and mastery of technical skills. In the film industry, they tend to work on specific shots for a project over a long period of time. Motion designers tend to work on a lot of projects, and in many different capacities. They may concept and design for one project, then work as an animator or compositor on another. Like animators, visual effects artists and motion designers often work side-by-side in design-driven production studios. Visual effects artists are very valuable in motion design because of their highly specialized skill sets. Editing Strong film editing skills are essential to motion design. Motion design must be arranged in a manner that takes the viewer on a journey. Editors understand the rhythm of storytelling and how to create dramatic tension through a viewport. All motion designers can benefit from education and training in editing. Some editors add motion design to their arsenal of skills to be more versatile and valuable in the workforce. Film Directing and cinematography are also essential to motion design. Although motion designers may rarely direct talent, they are always directing the movement and expression of visual elements. Some motion designers are quite comfortable directing live-action, and they can move fluidly between live talent and digital media. Cinematographers paint with light and record beautiful compositions through a camera lens. These Design for Motion 11 skills translate directly into motion design as an understanding of light and dark help a designer to direct the focal point of a scene. Design for motion draws heavily from the art and language of cinematic storytelling.3 Students and professionals of film find motion design to be an accessible and alternative approach to film making. Interactive Design and User Experience Students and professionals of interactive design and user experience can also utilize motion design. Both disciplines rely on the principle of change. In motion design, change is something witnessed by the viewer. With interactive and user experience 12 Design for Motion design, change is something that is initiated by the user. Although there are different considerations in terms of passive and active change, motion design can be used to enhance the experience of interactivity. Notes 1 “Quantel Henry.” En.wikipedia.org. Accessed August 22, 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantel>. 2 “Telecine.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 19, 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telecine>. 3 Van Sijll, Jennifer. Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2005. Figure 2.1: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY KALIN FIELDS, SCAD MFA. 14 Style Frames Chapter 2: Style Frames What is a Style Frame? A style frame is a single frame or image that depicts the look and feel of a motion design project. Style frames are the visual representation of what a motion piece will look like prior to any animation. They are one of the primary outcomes and deliverables of design for motion. Style frames are important for a number of reasons. Most importantly, style frames help to win pitches for commercial projects. A single image can be the difference between a studio or designer winning a project, or losing out to another studio/designer. Because style frames help to win jobs, the designers who create them play an extremely important role in design-driven productions. Aside from their financial importance, style frames guide a production team’s efforts. They provide a visual solution to the needs of a creative brief, thus establishing the boundaries of a project. Ideally, a style frame is both beautiful and functional. Style frames also contain conceptual ideas and glimpses of broader narratives. The art of composing style frames allows a designer to communicate a message with clarity, potency, and purpose. Style frames are the medium a designer uses to present the look of a project before the motion phase begins. Each style frame you make is a design piece. Always strive to make dynamic compositions. You may struggle to make strong style frames at first. You may even struggle for a while. Grit, Figure 2.2: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY CHRIS FINN, SCAD BFA. determination, and practice will make you a better designer. Be engaged in the process, look at good design, and make a lot of style frames. Although style frames are singular moments of a motion piece, each frame can tell a story. Every frame can have a life of its own, as a uniquely beautiful design. Visual Patterns A style frame defines the visual pattern of a motion design project. Style includes choices such as color palette, materials or mediums, textures, typography, and cinematic conventions. Style Frames 15 Figure 2.3: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY RICK KUAN, SCAD BFA. THESE STYLE FRAMES SHOW A DEFINED AND CONSISTENT VISUAL PATTERN. THE USE OF TEXTURE, CONTRAST BETWEEN DARK AND LIGHT VALUES, A LIMITED COLOR PALETTE, VARIATIONS IN OPACITY, AND THE HANDLING OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACE ALL ESTABLISH THE VISUAL PATTERN. These choices help to form creative borders around a project. These borders specify what stylistically belongs in a motion design project and what does not, which is beneficial to the production team of animators, compositors, cinematographers, editors, and producers, as well as the client. Young designers will often rush through this phase of a project, or skip it altogether. That is a bad idea. It is very easy to tell when a designer has not spent time on concept or style frame development. Concepts are not fleshed out; compositions are boring; stories are uninteresting; transitions are not considered; and the motion is weak. Conversely, when designers invest time and effort into style frames, they create beautiful projects. The function of a style frame is to establish a unique visual pattern that provides a foundation for a motion design project. A style emerges when this visual pattern becomes recognizable,1 thus creating the feeling or sense that every element in the frame or viewport belongs together. Style frames also represent the 16 Style Frames stage where a project goes from the potential of being anything to definitively becoming something. Stylistic Guides In addition to winning projects, style frames also serve as a guide for the production team for the final look of the project. A style guide is extremely important for a commercial production. Style guides provide clear parameters about the specified usage of visual elements such as color, typography, texture, etc. They are especially important when working with large teams of animators, compositors, and 3D artists. Everyone on the project needs to be working toward creating the established design aesthetic. For a large-scale production, there will ideally be a style frame for every scene or setup within a project. For smaller productions, or even solo projects, style frames are just as important. Rather than designing while you animate, take the time to define the aesthetic with style frames. Style frames are an integral part of the process, representing the graphic side of motion design. Figure 2.4: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY RAINY FU, SCAD BFA. Concept is King Style frames should be beautiful, but, more importantly, they should always express a concept. Style frames give form and shape to ideas. But weak ideas will be eye-candy at best, even if the style is beautiful. This kind of design falls into the category of form over function—an error that occurs when a designer focuses only on making something look great. The main idea or concept becomes a secondary consideration to establishing a visual aesthetic. The design may be eye-catching, but it lacks an impactful message or purpose. However, a beautiful design Figure 2.5: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY DAVID CONKLIN, SCAD BFA. THESE STYLE FRAMES DEMONSTRATE A COMPELLING CONCEPT COUPLED WITH A DISTINCT ILLUSTRATIVE STYLE. THE ILLUSTRATIONS SUGGEST INTERESTING IDEAS AND NARRATIVES THAT ARE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION. Style Frames 17 coupled with a strong concept is powerful. This concept illustrates the classical idea of form expressing function. Design Like a Champ For the purpose of learning, it is suggested that you do not worry about animating or producing the style frames and design boards that you make using the exercises and assignments in this textbook. Of course, you can animate them if you wish. However, I find students will often limit themselves when making style frames based on what they think they can produce in motion. In design-driven productions, it is common for large teams to work together to bring an original aesthetic to life. This means that, in addition to designers, a production can include live-action directors, cinematographers, animators, compositors, 3D artists, editors, and producers. All of these creative people work together to bring a project to life with motion. Young designers can become discouraged if they cannot create motion of the same caliber as they can make style frames and design boards. But it is not realistic to expect that a single person can create in motion what a large team can create in a design-driven production company that is working with a budget. If you are interested in pursuing design for motion as a career, then you will need to build a portfolio of your style frames and design boards. In order to create the best portfolio possible, do not limit yourself or dumb-down your design work. For school projects, students can reduce, or modify, the scope of their animations rather than diminishing their design. Chances are, you will be better at animating your design frames than you thought you could be. More importantly, you will be able to use strong style frames and design boards in your portfolio. Figure 2.6: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY JACKIE KHANH DOAN, SCAD BFA. THIS STYLE FRAME IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN AESTHETIC DIRECTION THAT IS VERY INTRICATE. IN PRODUCTION, IT WOULD BE VERY TIME-CONSUMING OR TECHNICALLY CHALLENGING. HOWEVER, WITH ACCESS TO A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED ANIMATORS AND COMPOSITORS, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AN INTERESTING MOTION DESIGN PIECE. 18 Style Frames Enjoy the Process Above all else, remember to have fun! Motion design is a serious business and requires a professional attitude, especially in the realm of commercial art where design-driven production is powered by financial budgets, teams of creative artists, and producers. However, this professionalism does not mean that we cannot enjoy the process. We will probably create better work if we are having fun. We should always do our best and strive for the strongest outcomes. We need to produce interesting concepts, beautiful style frames, surprising transitions, and successful design boards. However, we should not sacrifice our wellbeing to achieve these outcomes. Our goal should be to feel good through every stage of a project. If we are not enjoying the process, then we are probably too worried about the outcome. Figure 2.7: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY YEOJIN SHIN, SCAD BFA. Style Frames 19 Author’s Reflection I have always felt excited about the freedom, exploration, and discovery of making art. There is a magic sense of adventure and the ability to open doors into worlds of the imagination. Image-making is a common practice of artists and designers prior to becoming motion designers. Often from very young ages, motion designers have expressed creative interests through drawing and painting. Those of us who enter creative professions have managed to preserve and develop our curiosity about art and design. It is important to remember that style frames are fun to make. Often, they are the most open and creative part of a project. Style frames offer the designer opportunities to be creative and expressive. Once a project moves into production, the amount of freedom and flexibility decreases more and more as it moves toward completion. Style frames offer an opportunity to dream big and push the boundaries of your creativity. A Moment in Time Style frames are containers for moments of time within a scene or project. A style frame should feel like a still that was pulled from a finished motion design piece. That level of refinement creates the design certainty that is needed to sell a concept and keep the production team on task. Style frames are also the starting point of a narrative, and, in practical terms, the bridge to design boards. A sequence of individual style frames laid out in a linear fashion is a design board. Design boards utilize the “language of cinematic storytelling” to pre-visualize an entire motion design piece prior to production.2 Our concepts must be strong and meet the needs of the client, and our designs must also be beautiful. Even then, we will not always win competitive pitches. However, strong design always makes a good impression. Regardless if we win or lose, we should not be satisfied until we have created a unique and beautiful style that expresses a strong concept. “Design boards are among the first steps in the motion design process and what I have spent most of my career creating. When I design a board, I’m doing more than designing frames—I’m figuring out the best way to tell a story or communicate an idea. I am visualizing the spot and using the boards and a written treatment as a tool to share and sell my idea. Essentially, the boards visually articulate the concept and story so that the client, animation team, and creative director are on the same page before beginning the production process. Each frame in a design board needs to represent a moment in time in the piece, but together the frames need to tell a story. To me, it’s important that the story is grounded in a smart concept because that is what will ground the work and make it memorable.”—Lindsay Daniels, Designer/ Director 20 Style Frames Figure 2.8: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY KELIANG SHAN, SCAD MA. THIS STYLE FRAME REPRESENTS THE IDEA OF A SINGLE MOMENT OF TIME PULLED FROM A MOTION DESIGN PIECE. VISUAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS COMPOSITION, COLOR, DEPTH, CAMERA POSITION, AND LOW-POLYGON 3D GEOMETRY BRING THIS FRAME TO LIFE. Notes 1 Paglierani, Steven. Finding Personal Truth Book 1: Solving the Mind Body Mystery. New York: The Emergence Alliance Inc, 2010. 2 Van Sijll, Jennifer. Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2005. Style Frames 21 Figure 3.1: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY NICK LYONS, SCAD MFA. THIS DESIGN BOARD IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF CLEARLY ILLUSTRATING A VISUAL STYLE, THE CINEMATIC POSITIONS AND MOVEMENTS OF A CAMERA, AND THE NARRATIVE PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING UNTIL THE END OF THE PIECE. 22 Design Boards Chapter 3: Design Boards “Motion design is all about focus and flow. So much of our work, and the development of our work, is based around design boards. When you are working with clients, they are going to pour over those boards and pick them apart. It’s part of the process. Ultimately, you want to engage an audience and draw people in. When people look at a moving image, they don’t see the whole thing. They don’t see the whole frame. They are always looking at something within that. If you can chart where your audience’s eye is moving through your images, where they are going to leave one image and pick up with another image, and really make the journey interesting and engaging, and understand the pace and rhythm, then you will be able to do a piece of work that really engages people.”—Patrick Clair, Designer/Director What is a Design Board? A design board contains a sequence of style frames that tell a narrative or a story. In many ways, they resemble hand-drawn storyboards. Each frame represents the viewport or the camera eye. Design boards typically read from left to right and from top to bottom. They contain the visual narrative for a motion design project as well as the direction of cinematic changes. These changes include information such as camera angles, camera distance from the focal point, camera movement, and overall composition throughout the piece. Every frame shows a key moment in a scene that communicates a significant quality or turning point in a project’s storyline. The difference between a design board and hand-drawn storyboard is the depiction of the visual aesthetic or style. Each frame in a design board is a fullyrealized style frame. As previously stated, style frames should feel like stills pulled from a completed motion design project. In a design board, the aesthetic is firmly established, the narrative is clearly illustrated, and how scenes transition should at least be suggested if not fully boarded out. The design board represents clear answers to the questions posed in the creative brief—the summary of the questions or problems posed by the needs of a project. It is the result of a journey that begins with design mystery and needs to finish with design certainty. In this way, the design board is the language of design for motion. They are the designer’s medium to communicate the concept, story, and visual style of a motion design project. Like style frames, design boards are one of the primary deliverables of design for motion. The Importance of Style Frames and Design Boards The importance of style frames and design boards in the world of commercial art cannot be stressed enough. Clients award projects based on the strength of a concept and its visual presentation. Design Boards 23 When a client awards a project, they are essentially buying that style, story, and/or concept. Style frames and design boards are the method of pitching concepts and visual solutions to creative briefs. As the primary deliverables of design for motion, style frames and design boards are the first impression a client sees of a motion design piece. Additionally, clients will typically want to see and approve of a project’s design style prior to investing money in a production. The bigger the budget, and more high profile the project, the fiercer the competition will be for the client’s business. Promise to the Client Style frames and design boards are like a promise, or a visual contract, that a studio makes with a client. There is an expectation that the final outcome of a motion design piece will look like the style frames and design boards that the client signed off on. Of course, client approved changes and adjustments may be made along the way. However, there should not be a major disconnect between the aesthetic established in a set of style frames and the final motion piece, unless it is requested and approved by the client. Also, a studio needs to be able to deliver in motion what they present to a client in the design phase of a production. So it is important to be confident that your design aesthetic is appropriate for the production. In other words, the design needs to be attainable within the budget. Of course, the studio must also be capable of producing the job. That being said, we should not dumb down our ideas or the strength of our design. A creative director and producer will go a long way in helping to rein in ideas and make sure style frames and design boards work for a project. Insurance Policy Another important role of style frames and design boards is they serve as an insurance policy for an artist or a studio. Because design-driven productions can be very time consuming and costly, 24 Design Boards it is vital that the client signs off on the design aesthetic prior to making anything move. The last thing an artist or studio wants to do is to spend weeks building assets, compositing elements, and creating motion only to be told by a client that they want a different look and feel. Now, if the client is willing to pay for these changes and push the deadline for delivery of the project, then there is something to negotiate. However, even under the best circumstances for the artist or studio, it is difficult to switch aesthetics halfway through a project. Style frames and design boards offer the opportunity to be sure that the client and studio are on the same page regarding the visual feel of the project before production gets under way. Be cautious of starting a commercial production before a client signs off on the visual style. Using Design Boards Style frames and design boards win jobs. They are the visual tool of pitching, planning, and guiding productions. Design boards allow a studio or artist to give a client a glimpse of what a motion project could become. In a competitive pitch, a client will view a variety of design boards from different artists or studios. For example: a client needs to produce a motion project and approaches three different studios to pitch for the job. First, the three studios receive the same creative brief from the client. Each motion design studio has a creative director that leads their pitch, and has an initial kick-off meeting or conference call with the client to go over the creative brief. Creative directors will then kick-off the project with their own team of designers. The creative directors are responsible for guiding and refining the overall direction of their own studio’s pitch. They make sure that designers effectively answer the needs of the creative brief. They also prepare a pitch document to present to the client. Now imagine that each studio creates three different design boards to pitch. In total, that makes nine different design boards pitching for the same project. If the creative directors and Figure 3.2: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. designers do their jobs well, any of these nine design boards can win the job. Of course, there could be more or less studios and design boards in any given pitch. Next, the creative lead presents the design boards to the client. The client then evaluates the design boards and presentations from each studio. Finally, the design board that best meets the needs of the client is awarded the project. Winning motion design projects can be very competitive. A fun slang term used by industry designers to describe the process of creating and pitching design boards is “board battle.” Although Design Boards 25 this term is a playful description, with some projects there may be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars at stake. The pressure can be pretty intense to quickly produce high-quality design boards with a strong concept and interesting narrative in a short time. Even with refined art and design skills, the ability to think like a director, and the gift to tell stories, a motion designer also needs to be able to stay cool under pressure. These are skills that take time and effort to develop. Figure 3.3: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY DAVID CONKLIN, SCAD BFA. 26 Design Boards Guiding Productions Like style frames, another vital function of design boards is to plan and guide productions. Design-driven productions are a fusion between traditional design studios and film production companies. This means that some of the needs and structures of both studio models will overlap. The design board is a representation of this overlap, combining image-making and storytelling. Motion design projects can be very expensive and time consuming. It is imperative to have a clear and logical production process. Design boards serve to establish an agreement and common understanding between a client and the motion design studio. They establish the parameters for the visual style and narrative. For the studio, the design board keeps all members of the creative and production team on the same page. The design board is a map that defines key moments in a motion piece, as well as being a design style guide. A team can include any combination of designers, 2D animators, 3D animators, compositors, editors, directors, producers, art directors or creative directors. There are a lot of moving parts in every production, and ideally they all need to move in a unified manner. The design board helps to Author’s Reflection I often advise my students to think about their design boards as a journey from one beautiful composition to another. Each style frame in a design board is a key moment in the journey. Many of the same principles that apply to style frames are applicable to design boards. Contrast and tension are key principles to creating interesting design boards. A variety of camera angles and camera distances will make the overall design board dynamic. The arrangement of style frames is pivotal to how the story unfolds and captivates the viewer’s attention. The visual rhythm and flow of a design board has the same compositional needs as a single style frame. Students often ask how many style frames are needed in a design board. You need enough frames to clearly communicate the concept and narrative. However, you do not want to have so many frames that it either confuses the viewer, or overly constricts your production. The style frames that are included in a design board need to represent key moments in a motion piece. You want to leave some room for growth, change, or simply for the viewer’s imagination to fill in what happens between frames. Ultimately, if every style frame in your design board is strong, then both the viewer and the production team can fill in what happens as you travel from one beautiful composition to another. There is no set number for how many frames to include in a design board. Create as many or as few frames as you need to deliver the best possible presentation and to win the job. Design Boards 27 ensure that each member of the team is clear about what needs to get done. Throughout a design-driven production, all members of the team can refer back to the design board for reference and consistency. Unified Visual Aesthetic The same visual pattern that unifies the look and feel of a style frame needs to translate across an entire design board. Every frame in the design board needs to feel like it belongs— Figure 3.4: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY ERIC DIES, SCAD MFA. 28 Design Boards conceptually, visually, and sequentially—in order to create a cohesive piece. This pattern requires design consistency in areas such as color, texture, typography, material, and cinematic qualities. Be sure that every frame in your design board looks like it is part of the overall aesthetic. This unification is accomplished by defining a distinct visual pattern that repeats in every style frame in the design board. Visual principles such as color and texture contribute to defining a visual pattern. Assets such as photography, illustration, typography, or 3D also add to the design style. A style frame that does not adhere to the defined visual pattern in a design board will feel out of place. This inconsistency can disrupt a viewer’s connection to the piece and fail to communicate. One of the first questions asked during a class critique of design boards is, “Does every frame feel like it belongs in the design board?” For beginners, it is common to be unaware when a frame feels out of place. However, the ability to recognize a visual aesthetic is vital for a designer of motion because it will make it easier to create a distinct visual pattern and maintain a consistent style across an entire design board. In addition to a consistent visual style, design boards need to contain recognizable patterns in terms of concept and story. Ultimately, a design board is a visual and narrative representation of an idea. Each style frame in a design board should express the underlying concept of the piece and tell a story. If the sequence of events is not clear in the design board, then it will fail to deliver certainty to the audience. Design for motion can be described as a combination of image-making and storytelling. Storytelling Design boards contain the visual narrative of a project. The term design board is derived from storyboarding. Storyboarding is a practice that originated in cinematic productions as a way to plan the action of the story, characters, and camera movement. In some ways, design boards resemble sequential art or comic books. A story is told through visual frames. Change is understood to happen as we move from frame to frame. However, design boards are not nearly as long as comic books or graphic novels. They are condensed narratives, usually not more than a single page of frames. The various types of frames or shots in a design board also draw upon the tradition of cinema. A more detailed exploration of visual storytelling will be covered in the cinematic conventions section of this book. Finishing Touches As we prepare to present and deliver a design board, we should apply any finishing touches. Now is the time to pay attention to details and refine our work. We should trim anything extraneous that does not enhance the overall concept. Do all the style frames feel like they belong in the design board? Does the design board need a final pass of color correction or color grading? A few simple adjustments to color, Design Boards 29 Figure 3.5: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY JOE BALL, SCAD BFA. depth of field, or lighting effects can add a cinematic quality to your work. Designers invest a tremendous amount of time and creative energy into making design boards. They are the tangible outcomes of design for motion. Design boards represent concepts, stories, and visual styles in a concise and accessible manner. 30 Design Boards As the complete realization of the visual plan for a motion piece, design boards need to communicate clarity and certainty. An unpolished presentation can detract from the project and come off as amateurish. Be sure that your style frames and design boards are laid out in a clean and professional manner by using a process book or a pitch book. Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky Erin Sarofsky is a multi-talented artist and designer who runs her own studio, Sarofsky, located in Chicago. Erin studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, as well as a Master’s degree in Computer Graphics. Her studies introduced her to motion design in the early 2000s when she started working with Adobe After Effects. She began her career working as a designer at Digital Kitchen in Chicago. After producing award-winning work there, Erin moved to be a Creative Director at Superfad in New York City. In 2009, she decided to return to Chicago and start her own company. Erin leads a design-driven production company that produces original content for entertainment, broadcast, branding, and advertising. Her work has been featured in industry publications including Shoot, Stash, Boards Magazine, Motionographer, Forget the Film; Watch the Titles, Art of the Titles, and ProMaxBDA. Her work has received multiple nominations for prestigious awards such as the Type Directors Club, the SXSW Film Design Awards and a Primetime Emmy nomination.1 An Interview with Erin Sarofsky What drew you toward motion design? I like the linear nature of motion design. It’s as close to storytelling as you can get when it comes to design. I also like that people can’t touch it, can’t do anything to it. They just watch it. I enjoy doing work that you get a captive audience for, like film titles. I think it’s really important that your work really satisfies what you want to do in the world. What do you like most about motion design? I personally love coming up with concepts and the early phases of execution, when we translate that concept into motion. After that, I like seeing what the animators and other artists bring to it. It’s always rewarding to see where a job starts, and then watch how it evolves. If you’re a strong creative director, you can lead the process in a way so that comments are addressed and the work gets elevated. I also love what we do because it is a pretty quick process. We are rarely on a job for more than a few months…and then, it’s on to something new. How do you come up with ideas? I do a lot of writing. I mind map in a journal to see where thoughts lead to other thoughts. It always starts with words on paper. I also create style frames that are completely disposable. A lot of people treat style frames like they are precious commodities. But for me, I can create a full design board and then decide not to show it. It can be something that I spent a lot of time on, but it doesn’t matter if it is not working. I put everything down and start over. Once you Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky 31 Figure 3.6: Shameless title sequence. Created by Sarofsky for John Wells Productions and Showtime. Director: Erin Sarofsky. Co-Director: Lindsay Daniels. 32 Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky Figure 3.7: Girl Rising title sequence. Created by Sarofsky for Richard Robbins. Director: Erin Sarofsky. Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky 33 have done hundreds of design boards and won maybe 10 percent of those pitches, you begin to realize how disposable it all is. Where do you find inspiration and reference? I pull more toward history, architecture and photography. I do believe everything is derivative. There is nothing you can say that is completely unique or original now, especially in the days of Pinterest. We have accessibility to everything, immediately: on your phone, in your hand, any second. So now, it is about how appropriate the reference is for what you are doing and how you evolve it to become own-able, even in this land of everything being unoriginal. Do you have any specific methods or tools? I approach every job very differently. Sometimes I want to get out the crayons and paper; sometimes I might want to do some ink; sometimes I will scan it; sometimes I just want to look for the right images and treat them. Every job is its own thing. I am most happy when what I am doing is most appropriate for the project at hand. Because of my photography background, a lot of my early work had a filmic look. Even my graphic design and typography looked like it was photographed. I used vignettes and 34 Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky color grading and made images feel like there was a natural light source. It was very subtle and simple stuff, but it helped me to stand apart. Do you have any suggestions for young designers? To do great work, it is not about getting the big paycheck right away. It’s about putting yourself in a place where you are going to grow, learn, and absorb. After you spend a few years there, then you can go chase the paycheck. But to start on a career that is really going to be fulfilling, you need to find the right studio for you and somehow get your foot in the door. That’s going to mean a little bit of sacrifice at first, but in the long run, it will get you where you need to be. How do you see the role of designers in design-driven productions? The role of a designer has to be present throughout everything we do. Front end with concept development and design boards and back end with production and delivery. I can always tell when a designer has had a hand in a piece and when one has not. I think there are two different kinds of designers. You need to have someone with the eye, but also someone who is realistic. There is the optimistic designer, who is always pushing to make the design a little bit stronger. Then there also has to be a realistic designer, who knows how far you can push a client. Artists who create design boards tend to be more optimistic, where designers in production need to be more realistic about what is going to work. It’s the balance of these that gets work done that is beautiful, on time, and on budget. Do you have suggestions about building a successful company? In general, when speaking with students, there is a naïvety to it all. Students have no idea what it takes to get access to the work we do. For me, it took the process of making hundreds and hundreds of design boards and producing who knows how many spots just to build a career and a name for myself. Then, once your career is going, you meet like-minded people along the way.…People that complement each other. Those people slowly became my team. Now, that team is this company. And as we grow, we are mindful of keeping that team growing in the right direction. Success for me isn’t only defined by the bottom line (though that is a big part of it). It’s also about creating work that my team and clients can be proud of, growing fulfilling careers, and making sure our company culture is happy and upbeat. Do you have any design heroes or mentors? When I was younger, I was impressed by designers like David Carson. I think this speaks to the exact point in time I was in college and the kinds of books that were coming out then. But now, I really look to the oldies; people like Saul Bass, who had a look and a way about their work that was a little more timeless. So my inspirations have definitely changed over time. What do you think you would do if you weren’t a designer? I would probably do something with my hands, like be a woodworker or a potter.…Maybe someone you would buy stuff from at a Renaissance festival. What is your favorite project that you have produced? The film titles for Captain America. I think it is very special visually, because of the restraints and the color palette. There is thoughtful consideration to every single aspect of it.2 Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky 35 36 Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky Figure 3.8: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Main on End Title Sequence. Created by Sarofsky for Marvel. Main Title Director/Lead Designer: Erin Sarofsky. Professional Perspectives Erin Sarofsky 37 Notes 1 “About.” Sarofsky.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://sarofsky.com/ company/>. 2 Sarofsky, Erin, telephone interview with author, April 28, 2014. 38 Design Boards Chapter 4: Presentations and Pitches “There may be any mix of things you might present. You have to listen to the idea. One idea may just need to be told as a story, perhaps with one photographic frame so that people know what the feeling is. Another design board may need fifteen graphic frames that are showing exactly what the typography is and exactly what we are doing with transitions. Some ideas are 100 percent written with hand-drawn frames. Sometimes you pick a track of music because it’s really about the editorial style. Other times you do an animation sample, because that’s the best way to describe it. You have to listen to what you want to express. There is not a one size fits all approach to how you communicate ideas.”—Karin Fong, Designer/Director. Process Books and Pitch Books Process books and pitch books are used to showcase various aspects of projects, but for different reasons. Students use process books to document and showcase the development of their creative process, whereas professionals use pitch books, or design decks, to present work to clients. Process books are very effective for attracting the interest of potential employers, whereas pitch books are effective for winning new business or moving a commercial production forward. Despite the differences between process books and pitch books, they both serve as containers for creative work. They should always be created with professionalism and as a supportive element for the content within. Many of the design principles that apply to creating beautiful style frames and design boards are applicable to process and pitch books. As an outcome for design for motion, a designer must edit and curate process or pitch books to best showcase their work. Process Books The primary purpose of a process book is to document your creative process. You can showcase all the crucial steps, strategies, methods, and thinking that went into your concept development. Additionally, you can also showcase the polished outcomes of a project, such as style frames and design boards. Process books tell the story about how you developed your concept and design style. For students, process books are extremely valuable for their portfolios. You can give a potential employer insight into how you come up with ideas and develop visual styles. Process books can demonstrate how you handle problem solving and arrive at solutions to creative challenges. The value and importance of process books in relation to career and employment cannot be overstated. Finished outcomes are always important. It is a given that your portfolio should contain the very best of your work. However, showing a potential Presentations and Pitches 39 employer how you think and develop concepts, in addition to your finished design outcomes, will make you a stronger candidate. Employers enjoy delving into students’ process books. Sketches, ideas, and references are interesting and informative. A strong process book shows your ability to consider the needs of a creative brief and craft a purposeful solution. Most importantly, a process book can present your talent for creative problem solving. This skill often determines the difference between a creative lead and a creative technician in a commercial setting. “If you want to be a creative director, learn how to pitch. You get in the first couple of pitches and you’re a nervous wreck and probably not very good at what you’re doing. But just continue to get into those pitches and try to figure out the best possible way to communicate your ideas. Be concise, and take those big ideas and cull them down into simple things people can swallow.”—Robert Rugan, Designer / Director Pitch Books Pitch books serve an extremely important purpose—a means of presenting work to a client. They contain the solution to a creative brief, or challenge, in a commercial setting. A design studio will present a pitch book to a client either to win a project or to gain approval to proceed on a production. Studios need to win jobs to stay in business and pitch books are the key to delivering style frames, design boards, and written treatments (which will be covered in detail in Chapter 8) to clients. Pitches typically involve a creative lead, such as a creative director or an art director, presenting the pitch book to the client. This pitch can be done in person, over the phone, or through “video chat.” If the pitch is conducted in person, the design studio will prepare and print pitch books for the client. Printed pitch books will be distributed to the clients, and the creative lead from 40 Presentations and Pitches the design studio will talk everyone through the solution. There may be a monitor or projector where a PDF version of the pitch book can be displayed. If the pitch is done over the phone, each party can review the pitch book as a digital file while the creative lead presents. The details and logistics of pitches have infinite variations, but the essential pattern of pitching remains the same: the creative lead uses the pitch book to help sell the concept to the client. How to Make Process and Pitch Books Figure 4.1 shows selected pages from a PDF pitch book for the titles of Matador. The design of the pitch book is clean, clear, and consistent. Relevant project and contact information is included as well as the style frames. Although this pitch book was delivered in a digital format, the inclusion of wooden textures, tactile elements, and a hand-written signature creates a unique and personal touch. Process books and pitch books need to be professional. Their design should feel clean, simple, and organized. As containers for creative content, the design of process books and pitch books should never compete with the content. Be very careful not to be heavy-handed with textures or bright background colors. The design style should be supportive of whatever content is placed into the book and consistent throughout the entire document, including choices about typography, layout, and color. Typography Typography should be limited to no more than a couple of typefaces. Ideally, work with a single typeface and vary the weight and point size to create a hierarchy of visual importance. A common mistake for beginners is to make typography too large in their process books. When type is too large in a process book, it appears unprofessional. Look at strong graphic design layouts for reference about how to size your type. Classic graphic design principles also apply to the layout of process books and pitch Figure 4.1: EXAMPLE OF A PITCH BOOK. MATADOR TITLES. CREATED BY SAROFSKY FOR ROBERT RODRIQUEZ AND EL REY NETWORK. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: ERIN SAROFSKY. Presentations and Pitches 41 books. For example, working with a grid will help to keep design elements aligned and proportionately spaced from each other. Most digital art software has the option to toggle visibility of a grid. consistent headers, footers, and text styles. A simple “Thank You” page at the end of a process book or pitch book can be a nice message to send to clients or viewers. Layout Negative space is extremely important in both process books and pitch books. Always leave a healthy amount of visual space on all of the edges. The eye needs room to breathe, and too much clutter will make it hard for a viewer to know where to focus. Do not be afraid to have plenty of negative space throughout the design of a process book or pitch book. Creating Templates Creating a template for your process books or pitch books is a really good idea. This template will make your workflow for creating presentations more efficient. Design studios also use templates to maintain brand consistency. In a studio setting, creative directors or art directors usually create the pitch books. Using a template insures the design of pitch books is uniform, especially if there are multiple creative leads. A blank template for the pitch book will usually be saved on a shared network for easy access. Adobe InDesign is great for creating such a template. The master page option allows you to create a variety of style pages that can be easily duplicated and versioned. Color Palette For color, a neutral palette is a good starting place. Use bright or highly saturated colors sparingly. They should be reserved for highlights or visual accents. Again, the design of process books or pitch books should be supportive of its content. Color can easily distract from the work being presented. Black, white, and shades of grey work very well. Clear Communication Process books and pitch books need to communicate certainty, and the design style should support this idea. The cover page should be simple and clear. For a process book, include information such as the title of the project, the date, and your personal branding on the cover. A pitch book will usually include the logo of the client on the cover, as well. Process books and pitch books can also include a table of contents, depending on the length. Subsequent pages are usually numbered and have 42 Presentations and Pitches Always Be Professional Creating a process book can elevate the professional appearance of your work. It is also great practice for developing presentation skills. The focus should be to create a clean and organized layout that can best showcase your creative work. Be sure to spell check whatever text you include in your presentations as incorrect spelling instantly reads as unprofessional. Do not be overly concerned with your personal branding; it will develop over time. You can always update the layout and design of your process book in the future. Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone Lauren Hartstone is a Creative Director, Designer, and Live Action Director with experience in broadcast, branding, commercials, and film. Lauren joined Gretel as Associate Creative Director in 2012 after spending five years as a Director and Designer at Imaginary Forces. She has led projects for such clients as Google, Spike TV, Coach, United Healthcare, Pepsi, Smirnoff, Reese’s, and Target. Her HBO main title designs for Boardwalk Empire and The Pacific earned Lauren two Emmy nominations, and her work has been featured in SXSW, RESfest, Motionographer, and IdN. Lauren holds a BFA degree in Visual Communication from Washington University in St. Louis where she concentrated in Graphic Design. Her prior experience includes Loyalkaspar, Stardust, and MTV Networks.1 An Interview with Lauren Hartstone What is your art and design background? I went to Washington University in St. Louis where I majored in Visual Communication. The program provided me with a foundation in graphic design, with a strong focus on print and typography. I loved my experience there, and even though I didn’t have the opportunity to study motion, I think in some ways having a more traditional or formal design training has helped to shape my approach and aesthetic. My junior year, I had an internship with VH1’s off-air print department and over the course of the summer, I got to know some of the people in VH1’s on-air department. They were so nice and helpful, walking me through their work and the programs they used. They showed me how, with the addition of time and sound, I could bring my work to life, and in that moment everything changed. When I went back to college for my senior year, I knew that I wanted to work in motion. How do you develop concepts? I write down my first ideas, even the terrible ones. Then I research, pull references, and start to hone-in on what the best ideas are. I try to narrow it down to two or three really good ones. I will work with other designers to pull things together. We will print things out and put them up on a bulletin board—circle things, tear things down, and write additional thoughts. Once we have the main concepts developed, then we will start designing. What do you like about motion design? I love the creative challenge. Whether it’s telling a story, setting a tone or communicating a brand. I love that every job is different. I could be designing something very graphic one day and filmic the next. And I love that I still learn something new on every single project. Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone 43 Figure 4.2: Sudafed “Open Up” commercial. Created by Gretel for JWT. Live-action director/Creative Director: Lauren Hartstone. 44 Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone How do you approach presentations? Presenting is really interesting, because it doesn’t matter how good the idea is, if you don’t sell it right, you probably won’t win the pitch. Literally, half of the work is how you build the presentation— the sequence and layout of the frames, the writing, the tone, how you lead someone through the idea. You can put six frames on a page and just show that. Or, you can build a presentation that really reflects the tone of the idea on every single page and walk them through your process. These days, everyone has access to the best references—it’s all so easy to access online. So your idea, and the way you present it have to play a much bigger role. Do you have any suggestions for young designers? Keep designing, illustrating, experimenting, and diversifying your portfolio. Don’t get caught up with one specific niche. I think that will make you more desirable, particularly if you don’t animate as well. I never try to retrofit a style into a job. It’s not about what style you want to do, it’s about what works best to solve the problem. I do the style that is the best solution to the job, so having the ability to do a little of everything really helps. I would also urge young designers to learn from every single person around you— animators, 3D modelers and lighters, illustrators, DPs, production designers. Ask them questions and soak in what you can whenever you can. And lastly, when you are designing a storyboard, try to think about the whole picture. Usually, you are creating a narrative or sequence, not a poster. Make a ton of frames and look at them collectively. Change them as you go. If you get too caught up in noodle-ing with one frame you will lose sight of the bigger picture. How did you get into directing live-action? I really stumbled into it at Imaginary Forces. I was designing a brand for the Canadian network Dusk, and live-action was the only way to really get my idea across. I co-directed it with Mark Gardner, and I remember that day so well because it was another one of those moments where I knew immediately that this was what I wanted to be doing. I loved everything about it—working with the props and miniatures designer, figuring out the lighting with the DP, the whole experience of being on set and making my frames come to life. It was incredible. Since that shoot I’ve had the opportunity to work on several others—big and small—and each one has taught me something new. If you weren’t a designer what would you be? We work in a field that is completely subjective. There is no real accounting for someone’s opinion. Every once in a while— when I’m really frustrated—I wish I worked in a field that was completely objective. That had finite solutions and answers you couldn’t argue with. So, mathematician? Of course, I’d have to be good at math…which I’m not. Do you have a favorite project? That is a very difficult question. The Pacific is still one of my all-time favorites. It had so many aspects to it—design, illustration, live-action, typography, and most importantly a really compelling narrative. And I worked with an amazing team of people at Imaginary Forces. Another favorite would be the Google Chromebook project I worked on at Gretel. We partnered with Google’s Creative Lab for an experiential takeover of Times Square for three full days. There were nine buildings, all with several screens, and we were tasked with creating 15 minutes of unique content for each building. All of course during Hurricane Sandy—so that in itself was an experience. It was a really fun and very different kind of project for me.2 Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone 45 46 Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone Figure 4.3: The Pacific main title. Created by Imaginary Forces for HBO. Designer: Lauren Hartstone. Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone 47 Figure 4.4: Google Times Square. Created by Gretel for Google Creative Lab. Associate Creative Director and Designer: Lauren Hartstone. 48 Professional Perspectives Lauren Hartstone Notes 1 “About.” lhartstone.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://lhartstone.com/ About-Lauren>. 2 Hartsone, Lauren, telephone interview with author, May 10, 2014. Presentations and Pitches 49 Figure 5.1: DESIGN BOARD FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY GRAHAM REID, SCAD BFA. 50 Developing Concepts Chapter 5: Developing Concepts In the previous chapters, we have covered the primary outcomes of Design for Motion—style frames, design boards, process books, and pitch books. The next section of the book will explore how to create them, beginning with how to approach concept development. Creative projects begin with a need, and in the world of commercial motion design, needs are expressed through creative briefs. Creative Briefs What is a Creative Brief? A creative brief states the needs of a project. These needs include emotional, intellectual, narrative, and technical specifications.1 Additionally, the brief provides the initial spark, or impetus, to begin the creative process. A question, problem, or urge to make something is at the center of the creative brief. The Process-toOutcome theory outlined in this book requires a creative brief as the first step in a project. The word “brief” refers to the idea of something that is concise. Rather than having a document with pages of research and data that would take a lot of time and effort to decipher, a creative brief provides a clear sense of the needs of a project in a relatively short amount of time. Types of Creative Briefs Creative briefs either come from an external source, like a client or a teacher, or they originate internally from a designer’s desire to create something. A designer must be able to interpret a creative brief, especially one that comes from an external source. If the brief is not clear, be prepared to ask questions. Sometimes, a client may not know exactly what they want— they just have an idea, a question, or a product to sell. In these instances, you have to ask the client, “Who are you trying to reach? What are you trying to say? What are the specifications for your project? What do you want to avoid?” Sometimes creative briefs are very detailed, and other times they can be quite sparse. It takes time and practice to become well versed in discerning what is most relevant, but it is vital for a designer to be able to identify the key needs of a project. In the event that you are given a brief with very little detail, it is your responsibility to construct a creative brief that you can work with. For a personal project, where there is no external source such as a client or teacher, the drive or desire to make something serves as the creative brief. The Form of a Creative Brief Sometimes you will be given a brief and sometimes you will not. A client or teacher may provide a detailed text document or a PDF file filled with reference images, a specific list of deliverables, a script, or a brand style guide. It makes a creative challenge a lot easier when you clearly understand the needs of a project. However, you may not always be given a complete creative brief, or any tangible brief at all. Developing Concepts 51 Even if a creative brief is incomplete or intangible, you are still responsible for producing the project. If a client does not provide a creative brief, then write your own. Gather as many relevant facts about the project as you can, and put them down in a form that is organized and accessible to you. In a production, a producer is responsible for many of these things. But, if you are working on your own, it will be up to you to produce for yourself. Always be sure to take note of the specifics of a project, such as the schedule for reviews and final delivery, the correct aspect ratio, and mandatory branding elements such as logos or copy. The purpose of the creative brief is to contain the creative needs of a project. Whatever the form of the brief, it must be something that works for you. The Needs of a Creative Brief Every project has different kinds of needs. The emotional needs of a project describe what the designer wants the viewer to feel. Do you want the viewer to feel happy, sad, hopeful, excited, or serene? Having a clear sense of what emotions you want to produce in your audience will help you to shape the direction of your concept. When working with a client, try to get a clear picture from them about the emotional tone that they want to evoke. Creative briefs also have intellectual needs. These intellectual needs have to do with messaging and ideas. What do you want the viewer to think after seeing your project? Do you want the piece to be reflective, ironic, political, or comedic? The possibilities are endless. So again, talk with your client about the ideas they want to convey. 52 Developing Concepts The narrative needs of a project are related to storytelling and the sequence of events. Motion design is defined by change, and the narrative is the container for how change happens within a piece. Is the story about transformation, discovery, tragedy, or friendship? Be clear with yourself and the client about what kind of story you want to tell. If the project is more abstract, then identify the shape of the narrative and how it changes over time. Specific needs describe the technical specifications of a project. What is the size or aspect ratio? What is the length or duration of the piece? These details have to be outlined so you can create content and artwork at the proper specification. In addition, there may be other mandatory elements like client logos, brand guidelines, or copy that must be included. The creative brief holds all of these requirements, which a designer will then use as a reference for the starting point questions that direct and guide both the concept development and the aesthetic design of a project. How to Use a Creative Brief The creative brief directs and helps the designer to stay focused on the task at hand. It provides a structure for the entire project, from concept development through design, production, and delivery. Every project begins with a starting point—a question. Once you have a creative brief, you can begin concept development. The creative brief will help you to maintain the creative borders of a project. Do not be afraid to ask a client questions about the creative brief. If their needs are not clear to you, it will be difficult to come up with a solution to their problem. By asking the client to clarify their needs, you are asking them to participate in the process. Professional Perspectives Carlo Vega Carlo Vega is an independent creative director, designer, and animator. He works fluidly between art and design, constantly creating work that inspires the creative community. Carlo has built a strong reputation in the motion design industry. But even more impressive is his passion and dedication to creating his own professional path. An Interview with Carlo Vega How did you become a motion designer? I became a designer strictly by luck. I never intended to be one. My plan was to paint. I wanted to be a painter, and I wanted to be an artist. I was in it to create things. I opted to go to a university instead of an art school because I wanted to take a variety of classes. I took classes like Advanced Calculus and Latin American Literature where we would just read books in Spanish. It was fun because I like to do different things. Late in my schooling, I took a class in graphic design. I found it interesting, and it came naturally to me. They were teaching me tools to do print design, but that didn’t do it for me. During my senior year of college, we went on a field trip to a web company. I started asking questions about the tools they were using, and after the tour the creative director offered me an internship. I negotiated it into being a job. I worked full-time until I graduated. After I graduated I moved to New York. I ended up working at a variety of inspiring digital agencies and motion graphics studios. At first, I was doing motion for websites using Flash. But, I remember, after about a year of doing that, opening After Effects for a project. That changed everything for me. I was like, “what’s the point of doing Flash?” From that point on I wanted to focus more on motion. I moved to production companies that gave me that opportunity. Everywhere I went, I found small, talented, young, and naïve teams. We were overworked and underpaid. It’s very different than now. Now you have so many companies doing motion. Back then there was only a handful of decent places that one wanted to be associated with. After bouncing around in a few places, I started to feel like I did not want to work at a company. So I left, and started working on my own. I really felt that if I was going to design, animate, and creative direct to make money, I would like to do it on my own terms. I feel like that was the moment that my career as a creative professional really started. I made a conscious decision to work things my own way. Before that it was all about making money and doing my own experiments and painting. The experiences at different companies and the people I met were very important for me, but I wanted to do things my own way. My approach is to make things enjoyable and realistic while creating relationships with clients that are collaborative and long-lasting. That’s how I started my career as a designer, designing everything from websites to postcards, video work, commercials, rebrands, network rebrands, and shooting liveaction campaigns for companies. Professional Perspectives Carlo Vega 53 Figure 5.2: Castor & Pollux trailer. Designer: Carlo Vega. Illustrator: Stefanie Augustine. Figure 5.3: NIP Kinetic Typography. Created by Carlo Vega. 54 Professional Perspectives Carlo Vega Figure 5.4: Cross Country Show Package. Created For CMT. Designers: Carlo Vega And Adam Gault. Figure 5.5: My Big Redneck Wedding show package. Created for CMT. Designers: Carlo Vega and Adam Gault. Illustrator: Stefanie Augustine. Professional Perspectives Carlo Vega 55 What do you enjoy most about motion design? Ongoing, direct-to-client relationships are very rewarding. My process is to develop a partnership with my clients. I am helping them to accomplish something they want to do. If we are going to do it, we are going to do it together. If we succeed, we succeed together. If we fail, we fail together. I enjoy all aspects of this interaction very much. Do you have any suggestions for young designers looking to develop client relationships? Help the client to organize ideas, and make these ideas come out in a clear way. It’s important to start conversations about what the project will be doing. Then references can be suggested. I had to learn how to read client briefs and to talk to clients. Making 56 Professional Perspectives Carlo Vega sure we were on the same page, showing them references, hearing them out. I try to have conversations to create constant communication. You have to have conversations about a project if you are going to solve their problem in a creative way. You have to collaborate if you want the client to be happy in the end. It is a partnership, and it’s teamwork. That’s what I love about doing projects with clients. I don’t just look for cool projects, but for ongoing creative relationships. If you weren’t a designer, what do you think you would be? I really like what I do; I feel very blessed. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I am content splitting my time between working with my clients and doing my paintings or video art.2 Figure 5.6: Gray Keys video art. Created by Carlo Vega. Figure 5.7: An Expansion video art. Created by Carlo Vega. Professional Perspectives Carlo Vega 57 Good Ideas are Hard Work Coming up with good ideas is hard work. First, we need to be able to sit with the questions posed by a creative brief. This period of contemplation can be uncomfortable, as questions without answers create uncertainty. Many designers feel the urge to rush into designing style frames as soon as they have a creative brief. It can be easy to grab hold of the first idea that comes to mind and start making style frames. However, we may end up spinning our wheels if we go in a direction that does not meet the needs of the client. Also, we may miss an opportunity to develop a truly interesting concept. Allow the creative brief to metaphorically digest before beginning to design style frames. A designer of motion spends a lot of time creating images. It will be a more rewarding experience if the images we create are inspired by powerful concepts. With a lot of practice, our ability to create style frames quickly will increase dramatically. Rather than rushing into a project, put effort into making concept development a regular part of the design process. Time spent researching and 58 Developing Concepts writing in the beginning of a project will most likely produce a solid concept. Build a tolerance to sitting with the unanswered questions of a creative brief. Learn to be comfortable with ambiguity. Hopefully, young designers will learn to love exploring possibilities and making interesting concepts. There are many talented designers, but not all of them are capable of producing great ideas. The ability to think and come up with solutions to creative briefs is a valuable skill. Strong concept development skills combined with great design will open doors to creative leadership roles in design-driven productions. Concept Development “When I first started out, I would just jump right into design. I would try to design my way out of a problem, and sometimes that works. But, more often than not, you end up at a dead end. It definitely helps to know what the concept is first and design from there.”—Lauren Hartstone, Designer / Director Figure 5.8: CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT EXAMPLES FROM THE SKETCHBOOK OF PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. What is Concept Development? Concept development is the process of how we come up with ideas. There are countless theories, methods, and books about how to ideate. However, there is not a single right way to come up with ideas. Designers approach concept development in their own way and must discover what works best for them. Although concept development is an individual endeavor, there are patterns and approaches that have universal benefits. Curiosity, courage, and awareness are traits that will aid you in the process. This section introduces principles and exercises that are designed to help you come up with ideas and develop them into strong concepts. Developing Concepts 59 Questions and Answers A creative brief poses questions about what a project will be. A concept is the answer to those questions. So, an important aspect of design for motion is the ability to create concepts that answer the needs of a creative brief. A designer needs to be able to interpret exactly what the brief is asking. Though it may sound simple, it sometimes takes a while for a designer to learn this skill. It is important to listen during a project kick-off, or initial meeting with a client. Do not be afraid to ask questions, especially if you are uncertain about the needs of a brief. Time is money in the world of commercial art, and a question not asked could waste a lot of time. Do not rush directly into the design phase of a project. Give yourself time to allow your ideas to develop. Concepts contain the essential qualities of a project—such as ideas, emotions, stories or narratives, and the stylistic look and feel. In addition, concepts serve as a focal point for these essential qualities to orbit around. If an idea or a direction gets too abstract or vague, the concept can help you to stay on task. However, before you begin to design a project, you must have an idea about what you want to make. This idea includes a visual aesthetic and a story. A concept is a starting point for what a project can become. Once you have a starting point, it needs to grow. This is where development comes into play. Concepts begin with an initial spark of an idea, but, ultimately, they need space 60 Developing Concepts to grow. A concept rarely emerges fully fleshed out. Even an epiphany needs to be cultivated and sculpted into something that is defined. Development Development has to do with growth and expansion. In the beginning stages of a project, there are unlimited possibilities about what it can be. It is important to explore a range of potentials for a concept. Running with the first idea that pops into your head may result in having a really shallow concept. It may look beautiful, but it may lack a powerful story or potent meaning if not given enough time to grow. A client will pass on a weak message in favor of a concept that connects with their intended audience. As a principle, growth implies stages of development and change. A seed starts out as something small, but has the potential to become a fully formed flower. Along the way to becoming a flower, it goes through stages such as growing roots and emerging from the ground as a seedling. Leaves sprout and buds blossom as part of the process. In addition, the seed needs nourishment in the form of sunlight and water. A concept is like a seed; it needs to be nourished in order to grow and unfold into something that blooms. Time, curiosity, awareness, and courage are nourishment for a concept. Professional Perspectives Karin Fong Karin Fong is an Emmy Award-winning director and designer. Known for her work in television, advertising, and cinema, Karin brings her brand of visual storytelling to everything she creates. Among her projects are the iconic opening titles of Boardwalk Empire, South Park, and Black Sails, as well as the main titles of numerous feature films. Her directing credits include commercials for major brands, including Target, Lexus, Sony PlayStation, and Herman Miller. From cinematics for Sony’s God of War video game series to large-scale video installations in Times Square, Karin’s projects showcase her inventive mix of design and filmmaking expertise. Her work has been shown at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Wexner Center, the Walker Art Center, and in many publications, including Fast Company magazine, which named her one of The100 Most Creative People in Business. Karin has lectured around the world and has taught at Yale, RISD, Art Center, and Cal Arts. She currently oversees the creative vision at Wonderland Sound & Vision, the film and television production company founded by McG (Charlie’s Angels, The O.C.). Prior to Wonderland, Karin was a founding member and partner at Imaginary Forces, where she honed her skills at the intersection of live-action, design, and animation. Karin’s many influences include Magritte, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Sesame Street.3 An Interview with Karin Fong What is your art and design background? I was always the kind of kid who could draw in school. When I was in elementary school, I imagined I’d grow up to make children’s books or greeting cards. I’d always find a way to do art. For instance, in high school, instead of writing a paper for my history class, I did a stop motion animation film with cut paper. I wanted to make things that would be seen and experienced by people, whether they were posters around campus or my own little books. Because I also liked writing, I chose a college that had a very strong English department, as well as an art school. I knew that writing was a big part of what I wanted to do. I ended up going to Yale and majoring in art, with a concentration in graphic design. I fell in love with graphic design because of the way it combines text and image. There’s a real opportunity for narrative and storytelling. Ever since I was a child, I was very influenced by Sesame Street and Electric Company. They showed that you could have any visual style. Nothing was off limits; puppets, live-action, animation, cell animation, claymation—it was all fair game. Consequently, the animated alphabet book I made for my senior project combined my love of children’s books, animation, sound, scanned drawings, and collage. It landed me a job after graduation as an animator for Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, and Professional Perspectives Karin Fong 61 Figure 5.9: Boardwalk Empire title sequence. Created by Imaginary Forces for HBO. Directors: Karin Fong and Michelle Dougherty. Designers: Karin Fong, Lauren Hartstone, and Michelle Dougherty. 62 Professional Perspectives Karin Fong more importantly, with Kyle Cooper, who was then the creative director at R/GA Los Angeles. Imaginary Forces was founded from that studio in 1996, and I worked there, both in LA and later in the NYC offices, until the beginning of 2014. Now I am at Wonderland Sound and Vision, overseeing the creative for the television shows and the film projects here. In the past, Wonderland has produced The O.C., Chuck, and Supernatural, and we are now independently funded to create material. It’s really exciting to have more of a hand in developing content and envisioning bigger projects. It’s a different way of working for me, not as brief-driven or clientdriven, but working more as a traditional design shop. I feel it’s a very exciting time for designers, as we become more involved in authorship and creators from the get-go. How are my design skills now going to inform what we do here? How can I influence the narrative and visual language of the stories earlier in the process? I like boiling ideas down to a metaphor, to take the essence of an idea and turn it into a symbol. Something memorable, a little aha moment is something that inspires me. You want to make something memorable for a viewer … take two things that maybe you didn’t know would go together, and make something new with it—a surprise. I love a lot of the techniques we have in this medium. Something that can go from 2D to 3D, or a simple turn of phrase can change the whole meaning. Simple transitions can be really powerful. How do you approach concept development? I love the opportunity with any new project to dive into the content, in terms of research. I want to listen to the music of the time, see what the clothes of the time looked like, read the real life stories behind the characters, read what the history and politics of the time were, and what people were thinking about. To me, a really good design solution captures the unique qualities of the material, so it is always helpful to be as informed as possible about the subject matter. Do you have suggestions for young designers? The work you do early on often leads to the work you do later. So you want your work to reflect what you are interested in. Your work should reflect who you are. It’s not helpful to get hired to do work that you don’t enjoy. Think about the parts of the job you like to do. Make sure your reel reflects that. You should only put on the pieces that you’re proud of and that represent you. We want to know that you know what your best work is, that you know how to edit, and that you know your strengths. If your reel or portfolio is all over the map, we don’t know if the best pieces exist because you had a good teacher or a great art director for that one time. We want to feel confident that you are consistent. Where do you find inspiration? A lot of the time it’s travel, and getting away from the computer screen. Taking a swim or going for a walk. I love looking at art books, galleries, and talking with collaborators. I always try to keep working on several things at a time, because the idea for one project will come inevitably while I am working on a different project. Professional Perspectives Karin Fong 63 Figure 5.10: God of War: From Ashes commercial. Created by Imaginary Forces for SCEA. Director: Karin Fong. 64 Professional Perspectives Karin Fong Figure 5.11: God of War: From Ashes commercial. Concept art showing the transition from beautiful to burnt Sparta. Do you have suggestions for building a successful company? Always work with people who are better than you. Work with people you admire, and hire people you think are better than you. One of the greatest working joys is when you have a project and someone on your team adds something to the idea, and you know that if you were working by yourself, that wouldn’t have happened. Notes 1 Paglierani, Steven. Finding Personal Truth Book 1: Solving the Mind Body Mystery. New York: The Emergence Alliance Inc, 2010. 2 Vega, Carlo, telephone interview with author, May 12, 2014. 3 Fong, Karin. “Copy for Book.” Message to the author. September 16, 2014. E-mail. 4 Fong, Karin, telephone interview with author, August 5, 2014. How can designers become content creators? As designers, we have all these different formats for content creation available to us. It’s all an extension of filmmaking. Now, people often get their information and consume entertainment in little nuggets. Plugging into little moments really speaks directly to what we do as designers. The idea that a designer can become a director is really powerful. They can have a voice, have a point of view to express; like a musician or a filmmaker. The more you begin to think of yourself in that way, the more you can take part in communicating a vision. Design is so powerful because you can get an emotional response. When you hit it right, it can really open people’s minds.4 Professional Perspectives Karin Fong 65 Figure 5.12: Herman Miller: Get Real. A video that champions the authenticity of classic furniture designs by Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Alvar Aalto and George Nelson. Created by Imaginary Forces for Herman Miller/ Fairly Painless Advertising. Directors: Karin Fong, Grant Lau. Designers: Karin Fong, Grant Lau, Dan Meehan. 66 Professional Perspectives Karin Fong Figure 5.13: Magic Trip Documentary Film. Stills shown are from the main title sequence and the “VA Hospital” sequence. The piece is set to audiotapes of Ken Kesey experiencing an acid trip as part of a government experiment. Created by Imaginary Forces for Jigsaw Productions. Creative Director: Karin Fong. Art Director: Jeremy Cox. Designers: Karin Fong, Jeremy Cox, Daniel Farah, Joey Salim, Theodore Daley, Lindsey Mayer-Beug, Eve Weinberg. Professional Perspectives Karin Fong 67 Figure 6.1: PROCESS-TO-OUTCOME SPECTRUM INFORMATION GRAPHIC 68 Process-to-Outcome Chapter 6: Process-to-Outcome Process-to-Outcome Spectrum Figure 6.1 depicts an information graphic that represents the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. The graphic visualizes an idea of how to approach creative projects. It was developed to help keep the creative process enjoyable, while still delivering the best possible outcome. The Process-to-Outcome Spectrum can help you generate ideas, structure and manage time, and feel less stress over the course of a project. The graphic is made up of an upside down triangle that is widest at the top and narrows to a point at the bottom. The vertical axis represents the timeline of a project, from the beginning until the end. The top of the graphic shows the start of a project and the bottom shows the conclusion. A project begins with some form of a creative brief, which is indicated at the very top of the information graphic. Just below that is the word Process, which encompasses the top half of the graphic. On the bottom is the word Outcome, which is the final destination of a project. In the middle of the information graphic, there is a line that signifies a tipping point from Process-to-Outcome.1 A complete project must move from a place of potential to a place of definition. There are two questions in the middle of the graphic, which influence the direction of the spectrum: 1. “Can the project be anything?” 2. “Is the project becoming something?” These questions help to determine if a project is in the process or outcome stages of production. They also help to determine if you need to transition from Process to Outcome based on your project schedule. The shape of the information graphic represents starting broad and gradually refining toward a specific outcome. Process-to-Outcome 69 Author’s Reflection My experiences as a commercial artist and as a professor have taught me about the importance of concept development. I spent many years working as a freelance designer for motion design boutiques in New York City. It is an extremely fast-paced and high-pressured place. The field of commercial art is also fiercely competitive. I have had success as a designer, winning pitches and leading high-profile projects. However, it was not until I had taught full-time for a few years that I realized how limited my approach to concept development had been. I was always very focused on the outcome of projects. From the moment I received a creative brief, I was determined to arrive at the solution as quickly as possible. Of course, the outcome is extremely important. Projects are awarded based on strong concepts and strong design. Ultimately, productions exist to deliver finished outcomes. But my approach was completely centered upon outcomes. I felt a lot of pressure to find the right idea, the right style, and the right story. I based how I felt about myself as a designer on winning or losing a pitch. Winning a pitch meant I was awesome, and losing a pitch meant I was a failure. Needless to say, it was often stressful and left me feeling burnt out. Returning to the academic world allowed me to reflect upon my experiences in the industry in relation to my goals as an educator. I realized that my hyper-focus on outcomes was not ideal for creating the best designs or enjoying the process of creating motion design. Through working with my students, I discovered new ways to approach the design process. During one class in particular, a student asked me how to come up with ideas for projects. As a discussion ensued, I began to sketch out an information graphic that looked like a triangle. The narrow side of the triangle represented finished outcomes, a concept that had definitely become something. The wider side of the 70 Process-to-Outcome triangle portrayed the beginning stages of a project, where there are infinite possibilities of what the concept can be. This discussion led me to begin really exploring my own personal process of coming up with ideas and creating motion design. I began to give myself more breathing room with projects, especially in the beginning stages. I found that I had a lot of resistance internally toward going slow and not committing to initial ideas. It was really difficult for me to sit with a creative brief without rushing toward the outcome. I realized that an immediate answer to a creative question skips all the possible stages of growth and expansion. However, I still found it challenging to sit with the uncertainty of a creative brief. Upon exploring this experience, I recalled my early education. Years and years of sitting in classrooms, being pressured to come up with an answer as soon as a teacher asked a question. I sat through countless tests with time limits that required a certain amount of “right” answers to pass. Of course, I was generally rewarded in some way when I got an answer correct. Sometimes it was a good grade, other times it was praise. The point is that our culture encourages answering questions quickly and correctly. Making mistakes or simply not knowing an answer is not exactly encouraged. After these reflections, it dawned on me that my creative approach had been to answer a creative brief as quickly as possible by coming up with an idea, plunging right into the design phase of a project, and hoping that the client liked it. Clients come to designers to help them solve creative problems. In general, it is understood that there is a gestation period between the kick-off of a creative brief and the presentation of a concept. Clients do not kick-off a project with a creative artist and then immediately say, “Okay, so what is your answer?” They want the best possible solution to their creative needs. Clients expect designers to engage in concept development and brainstorming. Designers need to give themselves an opportunity to explore, discover, and awaken their curiosity to maximize their design capabilities. This may seem obvious in theory, but in practice it is not as easy as it sounds. I have met many designers, both professionals and students who have felt the same way I do. We have an internal editor in our minds that is driven to deliver the correct response as soon as a question is asked. On the flip side, there are designers who are really comfortable coming up with concepts, but they have difficulty completing projects. They are filled with interesting ideas but never seem to be able to finish a task. Ideally, we can become designers who are comfortable sitting with ambiguity long enough to come up with great ideas, as well as having the grit and determination to follow through on projects. Regardless of a designer’s disposition, there are skills and attributes that will help to make concept development and design both productive and fulfilling. Awareness and time management are invaluable in a project workflow. It is okay to make mistakes, especially in the early stages of a project. Take chances, dream big, and fail hard. It is unreasonable to expect every idea you have to be golden. Above all, stay curious and have fun. A mind driven by a need to explore will make discoveries. What I have learned from being a professional commercial artist and a professor is how to successfully navigate a creative project from process to outcome. Process In this framework, process is defined as the beginning stages of a project, phase, or exercise. The defining qualities of the process stage are infinite possibility and potential. The process stage can also be characterized with ambiguity and mystery, as the project can become anything. A mind-set that is open and curious will be helpful. Sitting with uncertainty at the beginning of a project can be very challenging. You may have many questions: What is the best solution to the creative brief? Will my designs win the job? Will the client like it? We all have an internal editor that asks these kinds of questions when we begin a project. It is suggested that you turn off your internal editor as best you can during the process stages of a project, phase, or exercise. That means whatever voices of worry, concern, or anxiety about the outcome of the project should be silenced. This can be achieved with gentle reminders like, “I will address those questions about how the project will turn out at a later time, while I am making design choices and refining the project.” Or, if your internal editor is very loud and defiant, try reminders like, “I do not care about what the project will end up looking like right now. I care about exploring and discovering interesting ideas and inspiration.” Process is a starting point of a creative journey, and an attitude of curiosity allows for maximum enjoyment and innovation. Process is placed at the widest side of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum information graphic, to illustrate the openness that is suggested during this stage. Outcome On the other side of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum is the idea of outcome. Within the context of this framework, outcome is defined as the tangible result of the project. The realized form, final product, or deliverable are a few terms that describe outcome. Outcome is the end result of a creative journey that starts in a place of “possibly anything” and finishes as “definitely something.” Finite choices have been made, and a sense of clarity rather than mystery needs to be conveyed by the outcome. Simply put, outcome clearly defines a project and communicates certainty. Process-to-Outcome 71 The internal editor needs to be unleashed in full force during the outcome stage, as opposed to the process stage. Openness of possibility and ambiguity are not helpful at this stage. Outcome is not a time to freely explore what a project could be. Rather, it is the time to deliver maximum design certainty. Hence, outcome is placed at the narrowest side of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum information graphic to illustrate the definition and clarity that is needed to successfully deliver a project. Value of Process-to-Outcome Outcomes are the concrete results of projects in the real world. An outcome connects people to the meaning contained within a project. It is also usually required if you want to get paid as a commercial artist. However, in my case, the problem was a matter of too much focus on the outcome combined with a poor sense of timing. I have learned that there is a time to focus on the process and a time to focus on the outcome. It is a vital skill for a designer to become aware of time in relation to the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. The ability to know where you are in a project provides a structure of where to place your energy. Before I was aware of this spectrum, my journey through a project resembled more of a straight line. Rather than beginning wide and gradually refining toward a finished point, I had a very narrow focus from the kick-off straight through to completion. I was constantly thinking about the outcome. What will the design style look like? What will the client think? Would it win the pitch? Again, all of these questions are important, but not to the detriment of the project as a whole. Be Comfortable with Ambiguity One of the qualities of the process stage is uncertainty. The kick-off of any project will exist in the realm of uncertainty to 72 Process-to-Outcome varying degrees. That is the nature of the beginning of a project. It is not formed yet; hence, the need for a creative brief to find and create a solution for this uncertainty. Now, uncertainty can be very exciting—ripe with potential and possibility. Uncertainty can also be extremely uncomfortable and downright terrifying. Uncomfortable feelings that may arise during uncertainty can prematurely drive you straight out of process toward outcome. It is no small task to be presented with a creative brief asking you to come up with a concept and a visual look. Add deadlines, pitching, payment, and client approval and you may want to arrive at that solution as fast as possible. Sitting in the open spaces of process is not easy, especially when you have a client waiting for you to provide a solution. So, how exactly does one navigate this challenge? Know Where You Are The first step is awareness. Just ask yourself where you are in the project. If it is the beginning, then be in the process. Fully engage your concept development with as much openness to ideas and emotions as you can muster. Turn your internal filter off, and be a courageous explorer of the unknown. If, on the other hand you are approaching the completion or deadline of a project, be in the outcome. Focus on creating as much certainty as possible as you refine and polish the project. The trick is to know where you are in the project. Too much stress about outcome in the beginning will narrow your creative options and kill the fun. Too much ambivalence during the outcome and the project will lack clarity and definition. The Process-to-Outcome Spectrum information graphic is a tool to help remind you where you are throughout a project. Professional Perspectives Lindsay Daniels Lindsay Daniels is an Emmy Award-winning designer and storyteller. She works with major corporations, television networks, production companies and design studios to define, design, and creative direct content for broadcast and digital media. Her design studio is located in Seattle but her clients reside all over the United States. Her diverse experience on the branding, agency, and motion design sides of the creative industry enable her to deliver smart, relevant solutions for the current evolving landscape. Her work has been recognized by organizations such as Communication Arts Design Annual, The National Addy’s, The Art Director’s Club and The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.2 CCA was a more traditional design school so I was the only person in my entire class who did a thesis with motion design. I had been dealing with an eye problem, and made a film reflecting how I was seeing the world. I had surgery and something went wrong causing me to have double vision for four months. So I made a film about it. I was able to drive all this frustration into this film. I diligently focused on how to tell a story, visually and emotionally. It was the only motion piece in my portfolio. But, it armed me with a strong enough piece to walk into Digital Kitchen and get hired as a junior designer. That’s how I started my career. An Interview with Lindsay Daniels How do you approach concept development and storytelling? I attribute so much of my storytelling and concept skills to my education. I had professors who really pushed concept. We learned all the important tools you needed to know to design something, but most importantly, we learned to think like designers. Your final product had to be great, but the concept was pushed more. What is your art and design background? I started my design education at the University of Washington. Through high school, I never really took art classes. When I got to college, I started taking art classes and really enjoyed it. I took a Graphic Design class, and my mind was blown. I would spend hours working on the computers at the library completely immersed in my projects. I transferred to the California College of the Arts. I honed in on the ability to think conceptually, understand myself as a designer, and learn my skill and craft. I had seen the opening titles to Six Feet Under, and was like, “That is what I want to do.” It was a defining moment. I also found a lot of inspiration in Kyle Cooper’s work. What is the role of a designer in a design-driven production? Designers are tasked with solving problems, forming ideas and developing stories. In motion, the designer has to consider and inform what the audience sees, hears, feels and understands. That complexity is what makes it interesting to me. Professional Perspectives Lindsay Daniels 73 Figure 6.2: The Killing title sequence. Created by Sarofsky for AMC & Fuse Entertainment. Lead Designer/Co-Director: Lindsay Daniels. Director: Erin Sarofsky. 74 Professional Perspectives Lindsay Daniels Figure 6.3: Valspar: White commercial. Created by the New Blank for Valspar. Designer: Lindsay Daniels. Professional Perspectives Lindsay Daniels 75 Designing boards and coming up with ideas has given me the skill set to work on different levels in the creative industry. After working at Digital Kitchen I took a job at Publicis, an advertising agency. I had been working with brands to come up with concepts and art direction for commercials, so I was always close to the big idea and the brand. Instead of pitching ideas to an agency, I started pitching directly to the heads of marketing at corporations. I like helping them figure out what story they should tell with motion, and then helping them by designing creative solutions. Television network rebrands are also really exciting assignments. It’s a beautiful fusion of identity design, thinking big and conceptually, and honing in on a device and an idea that will carry an entire network. How would you describe the relationship between motion design and branding? Motion designers are starting to have more influence on brands because companies are using more motion to tell their stories. Great motion design is not just reserved for brands who can afford a 30-second broadcast spot, it’s an accessible and relevant medium to everyone. There are simply a lot more opportunities to connect your audience with your brand. The digital world is constantly changing and growing. I think that evolution will continue to influence how motion design is utilized and consumed, which will affect how we approach assignments. It is interesting to see how motion is fitting into the process of digital and branding agencies. It’s not about designing a piece that begins and ends. It’s about an entire ecosystem that embraces a story and leaves the audience feeling something. How do you approach image-making? Part of creating design boards is making sure that things look the way you envision them. Sometimes that can be really difficult 76 Professional Perspectives Lindsay Daniels because what you want is very specific. There are so many layers that need to work together to articulate your story and concept. The trick is finding or making the right image that captures the tone of your idea. There are so many different approaches to a creative brief. You need to whittle it down and get to the end point where the client feels confident that it is right. The way you can get to that point is by showing them different solutions. Starting wide in the beginning is really important. Do you have suggestions for young designers? When I was graduating from college, I was offered a job at a huge branding firm. I was also offered a position at Digital Kitchen. The branding firm was offering a lot more money. I was talking with one of my mentors, and he said, “For your first job, don’t take a position just for money. Your first job can really influence your career path.” I am really thankful I listened to that. I would urge designers to make sure that whatever you’re getting into, you really want to do it. Have patience, learn your industry, and learn your craft. Build a strong foundation. Learn from people around you. When you are involved in a team, all the knowledge that is there is really valuable. If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? I love design. I can’t imagine my life without it. Do you have a favorite project? Being a part of the opening titles for “Dexter” was a huge opportunity and a wild ride. As a designer, to have something you thought of and designed come to life and resonate with so many people is really special. Every motion designer should have the experience of doing something really hands on, where the process unfolds in front of you.3 Figure 6.4: Dexter main title. Created by Digital Kitchen for Showtime. Creative Director: Eric Anderson. Designer: Lindsay Daniels. Professional Perspectives Lindsay Daniels 77 Notes 1 Paglierani, Steven. Finding Personal Truth Book 1: Solving the Mind Body Mystery. New York: The Emergence Alliance Inc, 2010. 2 “About.” Lindsaydaniels.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://www. lindsaydaniels.com/about/>. 3 Daniels, Lindsay, telephone interview with author, June 3, 2014. 78 Process-to-Outcome Chapter 7 The Inner-Eye The Internal Editor We all have an internal editor. It is the voice inside our heads that makes judgments. For most of us, editing ourselves and carefully choosing our words is a regular part of our lives. Social situations would get awkward very fast if everyone ceased to edit their thoughts and spoke everything that came into their minds. So, the internal editor serves a very useful function in polite and civil society. However, in the realm of creativity, an overly active internal editor can easily stifle ideas and kill the joy of the process. Too much doubt, fear, or uncertainty will make anyone selfconscious, and the creative mind even more so. During the early stages of concept development, allow the internal editor to take a break. Explore ideas with freedom and curiosity. Free Writing What is Free Writing? Free writing is an unedited continuous stream of conscious thoughts written down on paper or typed on a computer. Julia Cameron popularized this technique with an exercise called “morning pages” in her book The Artist’s Way.1 The goal of this exercise is to tap into our raw creativity and evoke the unseen areas of our minds. Free writing will often bring up unexpected ideas, thoughts, emotions, or memories. It is these unknown and unconscious realms for which we are searching. By writing freely, Figure 7.1: FREE WRITING EXAMPLE FROM THE SKETCHBOOK OF HYEMIN HAILEY LEE, SCAD BFA. The Inner-Eye 79 you release the more restrained parts of your mind and allow them to come out and play, at least for a short time. Once the pond of creativity is stirred, you never know what will rise up from the bottom. Looking Inward During concept development, it is useful to have a balance between internal and external exercises and references. Free writing is a tool we use to look within ourselves for ideas and inspiration. It is the most internal and unrestrained exercise in the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. With it, we can look inside ourselves to make connections to help form our concepts. As words and ideas resonate within us, they ripple out and create new associations. Free writing can open doors to unique ideas and pathways. We can follow these paths and build bridges to unexpected insights and possibilities. Free writing offers an opportunity to explore and make discoveries within our internal landscapes. Stream of Consciousness Free writing builds on the tradition of surrealist games and psychoanalytic free-association. In the spirit of games, it is important to approach free writing with an attitude of play. Strive to be open and loose with your free writing. When children play, they explore their worlds with curiosity and joy. Curiosity is an essential quality of discovery. Being curious allows us to enjoy the process of searching within ourselves. From a psychological standpoint, free writing encourages the unrestrained exploration of the contents of the mind. These contents include your thoughts, feelings, ideas, memories, inspirations, desires, etc. During a free write, we put the continuous flow of our minds into words. Let your words pour out with freedom. Do not judge the content of your mind. Just write your thoughts down. 80 The Inner-Eye Figure 7.2: FREE WRITING EXAMPLE FROM THE SKETCHBOOK OF CHRIS SALVADOR, SCAD BFA. Do not attempt to edit yourself or worry about correct spelling or proper grammar. A free write does not have to make sense. You do not need commas, periods, or complete sentences. The goal is to let your words flow with as much freedom as possible. Many artists and designers utilize these kinds of automatic writing processes to jump-start their creativity. Free Writing and the Internal Editor There are times when the internal editor is very useful. A free write is not one of those times. Remind yourself to let go of caution and write without inhibition. If the internal editor shows up during your free writing, gently ask it to go away. If your editor is persistent or especially loud, it may become the topic of your free write. Perhaps you will discover more about your internal editor and consequently yourself. Push yourself to see how free you can be with your writing. The more you can allow yourself to be open during a free write, the more you will benefit from this exercise. We will utilize the internal editor during other stages of concept and design development. How to Free Write There is no wrong way to free write. It would go against the spirit of freedom to have too many constraints. However, there are a few suggestions that will help maximize the benefits of the process. It is advised that once you begin a free writing exercise, you do not stop writing until the exercise is over. You can choose to write for a set amount of time, or to write a specific number of pages. If you choose to free write for 10 minutes, do not stop writing for the entire 10 minutes. Even if nothing of substance is coming to your mind, just keep writing. You can even write about how you have nothing to write about. It does not have to make sense. Again, do not worry about spelling or grammar. The goal is to cast off any concerns about outcome. Rather, see if you can make unexpected discoveries in the untamed areas of your mind. Commit to the process. Eliminate as many distractions as possible, and give yourself the time and space to be engaged in the free write. Some people prefer to free write in their sketchbooks or on paper. They enjoy the tactile experience of writing by hand and feel like they can express themselves most naturally in that form. Others are more comfortable free writing on a computer by typing at a keyboard. I have had students who do a variation of free writing by talking into a recorder non-stop for a set amount of time. Again, there is no wrong way to free write. Experiment with different forms of free writing. You may discover you are comfortable with a range of formats, or there may be a specific method that works best for you. Try not to worry, and let yourself be in the process. Do not be surprised if you need to write a lot of nonsense before you discover more interesting ideas. You may find yourself writing about what you had for breakfast or writing a to-do list for the day. Try to welcome whatever thoughts arise and, most importantly, do not judge your free writing. Do not pressure yourself with expectations during this exercise. We are trying to connect to the most sublime and intuitive aspects of ourselves. This goal will require freedom from any notion of what is “right” or “correct”. Be Brave Free writing requires you to be courageous. It is not always easy or comfortable to sit with your thoughts, especially if you are stressed or feeling uninspired. However, free writing can help you to clear away the mental clutter that blocks the path of creativity. Although free writing may feel unpleasant at first, many find the process helps to calm their minds and to produce interesting starting points for concepts. Be brave in your free writing explorations. However strange or different your ideas, they may be just what is needed to kick off your creative process and allow for interesting associations. Do not avoid going where your free writing takes you. You may receive a glimpse of precious gifts, especially where you feel most vulnerable. This is the beginning of the creative journey, fertile with possibility. Go deeper and try to fear less. Allow the wilder aspects of your mind to run free. Be open to what comes during a free write as your ideas may flower into really amazing concepts. The Inner-Eye 81 Making Discoveries Ultimately, we are searching for ideas that resonate with the creative brief. Free writing allows us to get our first thoughts down on paper and dig deeper toward solutions that may be less obvious. We can avoid clichés or tired concepts by putting time and effort into concept development. Free writing has the potential to reveal unexpected insights and possibilities, but we must be willing to seek them out. It is not easy to do, but remind yourself that the more you can let go of outcomes during a free write, the better chance you will have of coming up with a great idea. Also, you will be less worried and enjoy the process more. You may find free writing to be a process that helps you in your everyday life. I often begin my day with a free write to get my thoughts down and help to focus my goals and intentions. Free writing helps to clear away mental distractions and access more interesting possibilities. Free Writing is Personal and Private Because free writing is raw and unedited, do not feel compelled to share your free writes. I take particular care to stress to my students that their free writes are personal and private. In my classes, it is not required to include free writing in process books or presentations. You may edit yourself if someone else reviews or reads your free writes. Sometimes I will free write on the computer and when I finish, I close the document without saving. This way, I can be as unedited as possible without fear that someone may read my writing. The last thing I want to be during a free write is self-conscious. By keeping your free writing a private process, you can explore your thoughts, ideas, and feelings with less fear or caution. Word Lists Figure 7.3: FREE WRITING EXAMPLE FROM THE SKETCHBOOK OF PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. 82 The Inner-Eye Figure 7.4: WORD LIST FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY EDDY NIETO, SCAD BFA. What are Word Lists? Free writing stirs the pond of creativity and causes words to rise from the depths of our minds and imagination. Many of these words can help our ideas to flow, but only a few will have the power to be truly impactful to the concept. Word lists contain keywords, words that are most relevant to your concept and creative brief. They conjure images, ideas, emotions, and stories. For our lists, we seek the words that are most potent. Keywords also open metaphorical doors. They allow us to access and enter new realms of meaning. Like sign posts, they direct and guide us during concept development. Putting keywords into lists helps to structure our thought process. The word list is the first step in organizing the creative potential of what a project can become. Begin to use your internal editor to make creative decisions about which direction the concept will go. However, a great amount of flexibility is recommended at this stage as the concept is still forming. Words are Powerful Keywords tell us which doors to open and which doors to keep shut. It is up to you to choose which worlds or meaning you wish to explore, and keywords can help you. The path of discernment requires effort, focus, and reflection. The advantage of doing a free write first is that you can write down a lot of words and ideas without worrying too much about outcomes or results. You can then look back over your free write and choose the words that feel most alive with meaning. Of course, it is not mandatory to do a free write prior to making a word list. Some people choose to start with word lists during concept development. However, by doing a free write and then a word list, you follow a rhythm of expansion and contraction. The free write expands outward without restraint, whereas the word list gathers inward seeking to contain essential thoughts and ideas. Figure 7.5: WORD LIST FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY DAVID CONKLIN, SCAD BFA. Regardless if you start with a free write or not, the word list helps to find and organize keywords. Keywords are exciting and awaken a thirst to explore potential directions for a concept. Ask yourself if your keywords resonate with your concept? Do they create vivid images in your mind? Are they alive with depth and meaning? If so, they may be worth keeping. Ideally, your keywords will also have personal meaning to you. If you are going to invest time and energy into a project, adding personal passion to your creativity will only make it stronger. Spectrums of Meaning The next step is to make your keywords stronger by creating contrast. You can do this by listing the opposite meanings. Imagine a continuum that connects the extremes of a word or idea. The meanings are connected, but they exist on opposite ends of a spectrum. This opposition is extremely important, as contrast creates interesting tensions within a concept. For example, if one of your keywords is hope, an opposite keyword could be despair. Imagine a motion design piece that begins in a de-saturated world filled with images of death and The Inner-Eye 83 Figure 7.6: WORD LIST FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. decay. Then, a tiny green seed opens up, and a small yellow flower blooms amidst the gray and lifeless world. This image of hope contrasted with despair is more impactful than just showing a flower in a field of green on a sun-filled day. Concepts are made stronger when dualities of meaning are explored. Even if both sides of a keyword are not presented in a project, the research and awareness of opposing meanings will help the designer to develop a better concept. As you build tension through contrast, potential themes for your concept can emerge from your keywords. How to Make a Word List Word lists can be written on paper or typed on a computer. Many designers use their sketchbooks to create word lists, and then transfer them into a more design-oriented layout for their process books. Some people like to write them in really organized columns, while others are more chaotic with their lists. However, the form of the word list is less important than taking time to reflect on the keywords that most relate to your concept. 84 The Inner-Eye Figure 7.7: WORD LISTS FROM THE SKETCHBOOKS OF CJ COOK AND PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. In terms of a process book and presentation of your work, a word list shows your creative thinking and your approach to problem-solving. It will enhance the quality of your presentation and demonstrate that you put time and effort into thinking about the questions and challenges posed in the creative brief. In the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, word lists are a first step in defining creative boundaries for a project.Word lists also provide the source material for the next step in concept development— mind maps. Mind Maps What are Mind Maps? A mind map is an information graphic that displays the inner landscape of your mind. It is a visual way to represent your thoughts and ideas. When created after a word list, a mind map provides an opportunity to create associations between your keywords. Although it is not required to make a word list prior to a Figure 7.8: MIND MAP FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY DAVID CONKLIN, SCAD BFA. The Inner-Eye 85 mind map, there are benefits to working in this sequence. A word list takes you through a process of reflection and discernment to find keywords that resonate with your concept. Mind maps are containers that organize keywords and ideas into thought structures or idea families. A mind map needs a focal point, a center from which your keywords and thought structures can orbit. A simple mind map can contain a main keyword written in the center of a page, with lines branching out and connecting to other keywords. The starting point of a mind map is very important. Not only does it kick-off the creative organization of ideas, but it also serves as an anchor, or center point of certainty. You may find yourself branching out to very unexpected territories, which is great. However, if you stray too far or lose your way, the center point can bring you back to focus. A mind map helps you to bring your internal world of ideas into an external form. It also continues the process of discovery and the overall direction of a concept. Internal to External We all have a mental “screen” or “viewport” within our minds. Our internal world fills up with thoughts, feelings, stories, and images as we explore ideas for our concepts. Mind maps help us to visualize these normally unseen mindscapes. It is a process of bringing the invisible workings of our consciousness to life. Our ideas are made concrete as they make the journey from internal to external. Once our keywords and ideas are given form on paper or on a screen, they become easier to work with. The goal is to visualize emotional, intellectual, narrative, and aesthetic associations with a mind map. Welcome surprising directions that may emerge. By writing down a word or idea, we are planting the Figure 7.9: MIND MAPS FROM PROCESS BOOKS BY TAYLOR ENGLISH, SARA BETH HULVER, AND LAUREN PETERSON, SCAD BFA. 86 The Inner-Eye seeds for concepts. Each keyword has the potential to create a new branch of thought and meaning. Making Connections Creating connections is one of the goals of a mind map. In some ways, a mind map can constitute a more directed free write. Allow yourself to discover new ideas and associations as your keywords branch off into new directions. This process flows back and forth between finding relationships and discovering new possibilities. The act of writing down words and connecting them with drawn lines creates thought structures. The information graphic helps you to see the associations in a clear and efficient manner. You can also draw connections to other keywords or thought structures that may have gone unnoticed if not represented graphically. There is a flow and movement to a mind map that allows stories and connections to begin to unfold. It is not a static Figure 7.10: MIND MAP FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY ROBERT MORRISON JR., SCAD BFA. The Inner-Eye 87 chart, but rather a living map that offers opportunities to make discoveries and find inspiration for your concepts. Using Contrast and Tension Now, just as contrast can be used to refine and strengthen the meaning of a keyword, it can also be used to highlight the important differences of thought structures contained in a mind map. By mapping out opposing thought structures, you can visualize the full spectrum of meaning. Adding contrast and tension allows us to begin crafting a narrative. Strong narrative needs conflict, and a mind map offers the opportunity to visualize dynamic contrast. thought structures, we can begin to choose a direction for our project. It is important to remember we are still at an early stage of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. This means we are not rigid with our mind maps. Try not to be too precious about what you come up with at this stage. It is a valuable skill to learn to let go of ideas if they are not working. DOS & DON’TS List What is a DOs & DON’Ts List? A DOs & DON’Ts list is a collection of words that clarifies your intentions for a project. On the DOs side, you should list desired How to Make a Mind Map There are many ways to make a mind map. Some people prefer to make them by hand, on paper or in a sketchbook. Others make them digitally using software like Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. Also, software exists that is designed specifically to create mind maps. Regardless of the form of your mind maps, the idea is to approach them with curiosity and a spirit of exploration. Mind maps are tools that group our ideas into information graphics that can help to form our concepts. By visualizing our Figure 7.11: MIND MAP FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. 88 The Inner-Eye Figure 7.12: DOS & DON’TS LIST FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY YEOJIN SHIN, SCAD BFA. outcomes. On the DON’Ts side, you should list qualities that you want to avoid. It is a simple exercise that roughs out a tangible plan for your project. It is suggested to make a DOs & DON’Ts list after making a mind map. Mind maps expand possibilities and display associations, while DOs & DON’Ts lists reduce and amplify a project through specific choices.2 Creative Borders All projects need creative borders at some point. We begin the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum with an open mind and a spirit of adventure. Our concepts can be anything, and we should strive to embrace this ambiguity with enthusiasm. However, a project must cross the threshold of becoming something, or it will be unfinished. A DOs & DON’Ts list moves a concept toward the tipping point from mystery to certainty. With definitive choices comes the elimination of ambiguity and procrastination. The guidelines that emerge in a DOs & DON’Ts list need to specify what you want your audience to feel, think, see, and experience. A DOs & DON’Ts list helps to transition between the initial stages of concept development and the search for visual inspiration and storytelling. As a concept is fleshed out, the DOs & DON’Ts list outlines what to aim for in the design and narrative phases and what to stay away from. On the design side, we make Figure 7�13: DOS & DON’TS LIST FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY EDDY NIETO, SCAD BFA. Figure 7�14: DOS & DON’TS LIST FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY JOE BALL, SCAD BFA. choices about color palette, style, fonts, and materials. The DOs & DON’Ts list informs our stylistic direction. For narrative development, the DOs & DON’Ts list contains decisions about how the story will unfold, and what kind of story we want to tell. Cinematically, we can list our desired camera angles and movement. We can begin to think about where the tension will rise and fall and if the narrative will be linear or non-linear. In Relation to Process-to-Outcome Although a DOs & DON’Ts list contains clear borders and boundaries for a project, the structure needs to be loose enough to evolve. As your concept develops, your list may change and grow. The DOs & DON’Ts list defines the initial shape of a concept. It is a set of sign posts meant to guide you as you jump off into the next phase of production, informing both the design and the narrative. The Initial Shape Of A Concept Initial Shape of a Concept The shape of a concept emerges from the first steps of concept development. The combined efforts of exercises like free writing, word lists, mind maps, and DOs & DON’Ts lists can help to form The Inner-Eye 89 the general direction of a project. These tools help to produce ideas about narrative and visual style. In the journey from mystery to certainty, the shape of a concept begins to define what a project is becoming. Be Engaged in the Process The shape of a concept forms as we combine concept development exercises. The point of using methods like free writing, word lists, mind maps, and DOs & DON’Ts lists is to delve into our ideas and creativity. These methods are but a few examples of concept development exercises that have long traditions and have been employed in a variety of usages. Some have their roots in surrealist games like the exquisite corpse or automatic drawing. A keyword in these traditions is “game.” I encourage my students to approach these exercises with a playful attitude. I remind them that if they are not having fun, or if they are not curious about what they are discovering, then they are probably too concerned with the outcome. These exercises are designed to explore possibilities and to help you to make unexpected associations, as well as to define the creative borders of a project. These concept development exercises are laid out in an intended sequence. There is a rhythm between unedited freedom and intentional refinement. Tools like free writing and mind maps assist in the unedited side of the spectrum. These exercises encourage expansion and exploration without hindrance, the free write being the most unconstrained. On the other side of the spectrum are the word list and the DOs & DON’Ts list. These serve as containers for the gems that we discover in our concept development. We can organize keywords that resonate with our concept and begin to rough out the shape of the concept. Of course, there are no rules about how you develop your concepts. You may find a different sequence that works better for your process, or an altogether different approach. Most 90 The Inner-Eye importantly, remember to enjoy the process and allow enough time to form an initial shape for your concept. Tipping Points In the kick-off stages of a project, the concept can be anything in relation to the needs of the creative brief. I encourage my students to try and embrace the ambiguity and mystery of this phase of a project. Sometimes it is difficult to manage the uncertainty, especially if there is external pressure, such as deadlines and competitive pitches. Our internal pressure can be just as bad, if not worse, particularly if we are perfectionists and place high expectations on ourselves. A healthy dose of unedited concept development can contribute greatly to the quality of a project. But at some point, we need to begin moving the project toward definition and certainty. At this stage, the concept is like a seed. It has the potential to become something, but there are still a lot of options in terms of which direction it grows. We want to be sure to plant the seeds of our concepts in fertile ground and nurture them with plenty of metaphorical light and water. This brings us to the next stages of concept development: mood boards and written treatments. As the shape of the concept forms and we become clear about the focal point of our idea, we can direct our energies with efficiency and purpose. As we move into gathering visual references for mood boards and creating a written treatment, the shape of the concept can guide us. Here are a few questions to consider before you begin to make a mood board and craft a narrative for your concept: Does your concept have an interesting shape? Do you have a clear focal point you can refer to if you wander too far off course? Is this a concept you want to invest more energy and time into? Does it have enough contrast and tension to be compelling for a viewer? If the shape of your concept is not clear, you may want to revisit your concept development exercises. Alternatively, you may find clarity as you seek visual inspiration for a mood board. Be open, and, above all else, be engaged in the process. Notes 1 Cameron, Julia. The Artist’s Way. USA: Penguin Group, 1992. 2 Gladman, James, personal interview with author, July 14, 2014. The Inner-Eye 91 Figure 8.1: EXAMPLE OF A MOOD BOARD, PHOTOS AND LAYOUT COURTESY OF PETER CLARK. THIS MOOD BOARD DEMONSTRATES A COLLECTION OF INSPIRING LIGHTING EFFECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS THAT INFORM EMOTIONAL TONES AND QUALITIES. 92 The Outer-Eye Chapter 8: The Outer-Eye Mood Boards What are Mood Boards? Mood boards inspire and inform concepts. They contain images that influence the visual aesthetic and art direction of a project. Additionally, they can inspire narratives, emotions, and ideas. Creating them is a process of gathering and organizing images into combinations that create a specific mood or feeling. Mood boards are used across a wide range of creative disciplines. In the motion design industry, they are extremely effective because they can convey a designer’s stylistic direction for a concept very quickly and efficiently. From a creative perspective, using mood boards eliminates the need to “reinvent the wheel” every time you sit down to create a design style. Rather, finding and grouping images that resonate with your concept can help you kick-start the design phase of a project. As the concept and direction of a project solidifies, you will need to define what it will look like. Creating a mood board helps to establish the visual look and feel of a project. Internal and External A designer needs to be aware that there is a continuum between the inner eye and the outer eye. In other words, there is a balance between the spectrum of looking inside one’s self for inspiration and looking outside of one’s self for inspiration. The exercises and tools that precede a mood board put a lot of focus on looking inward for inspiration. However, a mood board is a tool that embraces the outer eye. We look outside of ourselves for stimulation by tapping into the collective stream of creativity and gathering images that harmonize with our concepts. Although mood boards are very useful, it is vital for a designer to maintain a personal vision for a concept. Do not rip-off other artists and designers by directly imitating their styles. At the same time, rejecting the influence of other artists and designers is not practical and maybe not even possible. Designers are a part of a visual tradition that spans back to the beginning of imagemaking. You can honor the creative efforts and contributions of others by building on the traditions of what they have created. Remember though, there is a tipping point between paying homage and stealing. Ask yourself: Am I adding to what was done before, as well as expressing my personal vision? Or, am I copying the creative work of another? Be honest with yourself about your intentions and if you are indeed building upon a tradition. Work hard, and you may find your own creative work becoming the source of inspiration for other artists and designers. Efficiency Design-driven production is fast-paced and demanding. In the world of commercial art, speed is valuable. Mood boards help The Outer-Eye 93 designers to arrive at creative solutions quickly and efficiently. Designers are often expected to rapidly brainstorm and design creative solutions. You may be asked to produce a design presentation in as little as a day. A valuable quality of a mood board is that it can help you to arrive at your design goals in an efficient timeframe. By finding images that resonate with your concept and allowing them to inspire your aesthetic choices, such as color, material, and typography, you will give yourself a running start as you jump into the design phase. In relation to the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, understanding the creative brief will help you to determine how much time to allocate to each stage of design production. If given Figure 8.2: EXAMPLE OF A MOOD BOARD, PHOTOS AND LAYOUT COURTESY OF PETER CLARK. THIS MOOD BOARD IS A COLLECTION OF INSPIRATIONAL TEXTURES, LANDSCAPES, AND TYPOGRAPHY THAT INFORM A WESTERN AND WEATHERED SENSIBILITY. 94 The Outer-Eye a full week to produce a design board, you may spend the first two to three days on concept development. You may be able to dedicate a full day or more on gathering inspiring images for a mood board. On the other hand, if you are only given two days to produce a design board, you will need to scale back the structure of your time. Instead of dedicating a whole day to mood boards, you may spend one to two hours. However, it is important to dedicate time to making a mood board, as it will prove invaluable in informing the design direction you choose. How to Make a Mood Board There is really no wrong way to make a mood board. A simple way to begin is to search for visuals that inspire you. When looking at images, seek to be moved in some way by the images you choose. Select the ones that make you think or feel. If an image makes you say “wow” to yourself, then it is a good find. You want to be in a state of mind that allows you to be awed by the images you see. While gathering images and making a mood board, try not to be overly concerned with how your project is going to turn out. The project still has the potential to be anything. Do not let your internal editor drive your search for images. Looking for images and making a mood board should be fun. If you are not enjoying yourself or feeling inspired, then you are probably too worried about the project’s outcome. As best you can, turn off your editor, and be amazed by the work of others. As you find images that move you and resonate with your concept, save them. Searching on the Internet makes finding images very easy. Create and organize an inspiration folder within your project structure. A project structure is a way of keeping all of your digital assets and project files organized in one place. If you are looking through books or magazines, digitize the images you find by scanning them or taking a snapshot with a camera. Once you have gathered what you need, or you run out of time to spend searching, go through your images. This part of the process is when you will need your internal editor to come out. Select images that relate to your concept and inform the direction of your visual aesthetic. You can create a sub folder to place your selects, color code them, or come up with your own method of sorting images. The next step is to create the actual mood board. Before desktop publishing and the digital revolution, mood boards were made by hand. Art directors and designers would tear images from magazines or books to gather source for their mood boards. Although the tactility of physical mood boards can be very intimate and personal, it can be very time consuming to make them by hand. Today, we are fortunate to have efficient digital tools and software at our disposal to create mood boards. Software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign are great for digital image handling and layout. The idea is to place images in such a way that you can see them easily. This can be very structured, like a grid of images, or more random, with pictures overlapping in a collage style. The choice is yours, as long as the layout makes sense to you and works for presentation purposes. It can be helpful to group images in categories based on similar visual qualities like color, style, or material. For example, you can have a page of your mood board filled solely with typographic reference. On the flip side, you could arrange your images in juxtaposition to create visual and narrative tension. There is no wrong way to make a mood board, as long as it serves your creative needs. As this practice becomes a habit, you may find yourself creating mood boards and booklets purely for the sake of being inspired. We are lucky to have so many inspirational resources available to us. There are numerous blogs that exist solely to showcase interesting visual work. Have a list of websites and blogs that you can visit to find inspiration. Start a collection of art and design books. Make regular use of a library if you can, and keep your eyes open. The world is filled with beautiful images. The Outer-Eye 95 Author’s Reflection I did my first internship with the creative team at RCA Records in New York City in 2000. I was in Graduate School at Pratt Institute and excited to get my feet wet in the world of commercial art. One day, my art director asked me to help her gather some visual inspiration. She gave me creative direction about an album cover she was working on and wanted me to go down to the New York Public Library to search through the magazines and books. My task was to make color copies of anything I thought was inspiring in relation to the concept. I was given a $20 bill to cover the costs of making color copies. I took the elevator from the 32nd floor down to Times Square below, then walked across town to the library to begin my search. After digging through magazines and books, I brought a stack over to the counter to make color copies. I gave them to an attendant who operated the color copier, and I paid for the copies. I walked back to RCA Records, took the elevator back up to the 32nd floor and delivered my 10 color copies of visual inspiration. Each color copy cost $2 and the entire expedition took a few hours. I tell this story to my students to illustrate how far we have come since the early 2000s. The Internet has completely revolutionized our ability to create mood boards. What took a few hours for me to gather a minimal amount of visual inspiration can now be accomplished in minutes. There are multitudes of design blogs dedicated to organizing and displaying visual inspiration. Some blogs have keyword associations, so a selected 96 The Outer-Eye image will generate additional images based on tag descriptions. Other sites exist solely for the purpose of creating and containing mood boards. It has never been easier to be inspired by external sources and gather images to create mood boards. One of my favorite phone apps is designed to search for inspiration and gather images. If I have a few minutes waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or just killing time I will often do a search for visual inspiration. Additionally, access to digital cameras allows us to capture inspiration constantly. Most designers carry a decent digital camera within their pockets as a built-in feature of their phones. We have the ability to collect and record visually interesting pictures within seconds at our fingertips. Of course, the flip side of this accessibility is the danger of over saturation. A designer needs to be able to discern between images that are beautifully timeless and images that are part of a trend. Trends rise and fall as popular culture changes. Designers should also be wary of losing their individual voice and aesthetic by relying on stylistic fads as their only source of inspiration. This is why it is important to maintain a healthy balance between your inner and outer eye when looking for visual reference and developing concepts. Be sure the images you are choosing for your mood boards align with the concept you are developing. Do not let a cool or pretty style become the driving force of your concept. Rather, beautiful design styles should support and enhance smart, effective, and meaningful concepts. Professional Perspectives Alan Williams Alan Williams lived most of his childhood in a treehouse in the hills of North Carolina. He is confident that this, along with his lifelong interaction with pop-up books, camcorders, and sketchpads, has led to an obsession with the imaginative. While pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in English, he began delving into the fantastical world of Computer Arts, which led to him to earning an MFA in Motion Media Design at the Savannah College of Art & Design. Alan Williams designs and art directs for Imaginary Forces, NYC and is eagerly searching for better ways to build you a story.1 An Interview with Alan Williams What is your art and design background? From my earliest memories, I loved the idea of telling stories and being able to move a person. In my undergraduate studies, I majored in English and Philosophy. That evolved into wanting to be a visual storyteller. I went to Grad School at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I had never taken an art or design class. I felt like I was drowning on day one. I was placed in the middle of students whose undergrad was in Design, or came from a Fine Art background. It was a bit overwhelming at first. But it made all the difference in the world by sticking it out. The faculty and my classmates were supportive and encouraging. I found the most talented people in the room and watched them and learned from them. Have your Undergraduate studies in English and Philosophy influenced you as a designer? English and Philosophy are equally as important to me in the work I do today as techniques, designs, and concepts. Clients come to us with a problem. They don’t know how to communicate to the viewer. Understanding the way people respond to certain things, the structure of a good story, the idea of conflict and resolution, and surprise. All of these things were rooted in me and anyone who has taken the time to read the masters of Literature, to have a pool of reference of all these amazing literary greats, and to understand what drove their writing, and what inspired them. You can pull from those references and find beautiful ways to retell stories. How do you approach concept development? My ideas do not come from nothing. They are always coming from a past experience, reference, an author, or an artist. I make a really strong effort to observe everything around me. Peoplegazing in the city, at coffee shops, and riding on the subway often leads me to inspiration. Taking the time to step away from the computer screen. I take breaks and walk around and observe. That is where the majority of my ideas come from. Where else do you find inspiration? I am a huge fan of Pinterest. For me, it is an online smart hard drive. It makes my procrastination smart. I develop well-organized Professional Perspectives Alan Williams 97 Figure 8.3: The Walking Dead/Hyundai commercial. Created by Imaginary Forces for AMC. Director: Alan Williams. 98 Professional Perspectives Alan Williams Figure 8.4: South Park intro. Created by Imaginary Forces for South Park/Central Productions. Art Director: Alan Williams. folders. As I explore the web, I come across images that belong in those folders. You can begin to collect and create themes and systems that you can go back to. I approach the Internet in a determined way to observe and collect. A lot of times we take for granted that when we are inspired by something, it will stay in a part of our minds that we can always go back to. Take things that inspire you seriously. When something moves you, screen-grab it, write about it. Build collections of inspiration. Being able to quickly write down ideas is so important. Otherwise you won’t remember it, even when you think you will. Professional Perspectives Alan Williams 99 Why are you drawn toward storytelling? I love being able to evoke a response in a person. When I was a kid, my grandmother would take me walking through acres of mountain landscapes in North Carolina. She had a story for everything. It was like Aesop’s Fables. Her stories made everything come alive. I learned from a young age that that was how I could best communicate with people: through storytelling. The calling of a storyteller is to look at something that is moving, and repackage it so the rest of the world can be moved in the same way. Do you have suggestions for young designers? Don’t give up. When I first started at SCAD, I felt like everyone around me was a thousand times more talented than I was. I notice a lot of students who fall down, or fail, and they just stop. You can’t stop. You’ve got to just keep going. Think about what you want to do in a way that is not restricted by your current skill-set. Be optimistic about the potential of what you can do. Figure 8.5: Iron Man 3 end title exploratory. Created by Imaginary Forces for Marvel. Designer: Alan Williams. 100 Professional Perspectives Alan Williams Written Treatments “Writing is such an important part of the design process. Half of defining it—and selling it—is how you write it. If you are conjuring up a particular idea, you’re probably not going to find exact visual references that exist already. Like a screenwriter, you might have to use words to make the scene come alive. So you have to be able to have somebody imagine what you are going to make, and buy off on it. It is such an integral part of the design process to be able to articulate what it will be verbally as well as visually.”—Karin Fong, Designer/Director. What are Written Treatments? Written treatments are the container of a project’s narrative structure. They convey the intended story and vision of a concept through words. The ability to write descriptions for concepts is invaluable for motion designers. Writing allows you to communicate your ideas with others. Designers create beautiful images, but sometimes that is not enough to sell a concept. The ability to express yourself through writing will make you more versatile and valuable on a creative team. For presentation purposes, written treatments help to summarize the overall concept and supplement visual solutions. In some instances, an idea may be too big to illustrate solely with style frames and a design board. A written treatment can help to craft a well-rounded presentation. A written description can help to include any vital information that is left out of a design board. In the world of commercial motion design, studios need to sell concepts to stay in business. Written treatments make up a significant aspect of communicating solutions to a creative brief. Writing for Development Creative writing benefits concept development in a number of ways. First, free writing is a great tool to kick-start the creative process. A written treatment is the next step to giving shape to a concept with words. Although written treatments are further along than free writing within the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, they can still be approached with an attitude that is open and relaxed. A designer can begin an inner dialogue by putting their ideas down on paper. A concept and story evolves with revisions and editing. Writing for concept development is a low-cost investment in terms of time and resources. A journal, notebook, or digital word processing software can go a long way in helping you to record your ideas. Narrative Structure When designing for time-based media, a basic awareness of narrative is needed. A narrative contains a sequence of related events connected over time. This sequence of events can also be described as a beginning, middle, and end. Storytelling is one of the many creative traditions included in motion design. Motion designers need to be familiar with the traditional narrative structure of introduction, rising tension, climax, falling tension, and resolution. The traditional narrative structure is a pattern that can play out in infinite variations. The two most common types of narrative are linear and non-linear. Linear narrative is where the piece follows a clear progression from the beginning until the end. Non-linear narrative is more abstract in relation to time. The story can unfold with sequences of time arranged randomly. Either way, the message and visuals are delivered in a hierarchy of importance. Motion design can easily adapt to either narrative The Outer-Eye 101 structure. Another basic element of storytelling is the transition. Transitions show change in motion design. In terms of narrative, transitions allow events to unfold in either a seamless, or a disjointed manner. This decision will depend on how you want the viewer to experience the piece. The look and feel of transitions is usually determined in the design phase of a project. However, narrative development offers an opportunity to begin to imagine how change will happen. Transitions play a pivotal role in motion design and need to be considered during this part of the process. The Shape of Stories American author Kurt Vonnegut introduced an idea called “The Simple Shape of Stories.”2 His theory about the shapes of stories illustrates how classical myths and stories have recognizable patterns. He drew a vertical axis with Good Fortune on top and Ill Fortune on the bottom. At the middle of this axis, he drew a horizontal line that represented the Beginning and the End of a story. Vonnegut identified a number of simple shapes that repeat over and over again in stories. Joseph Campbell explored similar ideas with his books The Hero with a Thousand Faces3 and The Power of Myth.4 Campbell identified archetypal stories that occur repeatedly in different cultures around the world, and at different points in history. Christopher Vogler translated Joseph Campbell’s ideas into a text for writers called The Writer’s Journey.5 This text outlines the essential patterns that repeat in heroic stories and has served as a template for many Hollywood films. These authors have identified that the kinds of stories we are attracted to have contrast and tension. In general, when we go to the movies, watch an episode of a show, or read a novel, we are hoping to be moved in some way. We are seeking to experience a dramatic change. A story that does not change is typically boring. In motion design, we are creating stories and narratives on a smaller 102 The Outer-Eye scale than movies or novels. However, our stories still need to be interesting and dynamic. Motion designers need to be able to create stories that contain dramatic change, contrast, and tension. Written treatments can help to craft and communicate the general shape of a story. As an example, I will often show my students a simple animation and the graph editor in the software Adobe After Effects. The graph editor displays an information graphic of how velocity changes over time between key frames. A velocity that does not change over time appears as a straight line, which is relatively static and boring in motion. A velocity that changes over time is displayed as a curve either easing in or easing out in motion. The more dramatic the shape of the curve, the more dynamic the motion will be. Motion designers are typically familiar with Adobe After Effects or some kind of animation software that works with a graph editor for adjusting velocity. This is an effective way to demonstrate the need for dramatic change in storytelling. I encourage my students to think about what kind of story they want to tell in their motion pieces. A helpful exercise is to draw the shape of the story as if it was on a graph editor in After Effects, or, like Kurt Vonnegut’s Axis of Good and Ill Fortune, across a timeline, with a beginning and an ending. However, in motion design, the vertical axis may be represented by contrasts in visual intensity or speed. Scripts Written treatments offer broad stroke summaries for narratives and concepts. However, some projects need a more detailed approach. Scripts contain a refined plan for the action of a motion design piece. They organize the exact sequence of events as well as coordinating specific points in time. Scripts also help to develop a shot list that can be used to schedule a production. Shot lists Figure 8.6: SCREEN CAPTURES OF ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS GRAPH EDITOR. The Outer-Eye 103 Figure 8.7: INFORMATION-GRAPHIC REPRESENTING KURT VONNEGUT’S “THE SIMPLE SHAPE OF STORIES.” 104 The Outer-Eye organize all the various shots that need to be captured in a liveaction production, or created in post-production. Scripts can also contain dialogue and voiceover, as well as direction for camera movement. A designer or animator can use a script to plan the syncing of visuals with audio. Scripts help to keep all the members of a design-driven production on task and “on the same page.” Using Written Treatments and Scripts “If you can write down your idea in a paragraph, and it makes sense, I think that is a great foundation for what you are going to do visually. It helps you to distill an idea into something simple enough to execute. I encourage designers to do that because it helps them get to the core of an idea.”—Beat Baudenbacher, Designer/Director. Scripts and written treatments define the narrative shape of motion design projects. Because storytelling is a fundamental aspect of motion design, motion designers need to be comfortable creating narratives. Design boards are the realized vision of a motion design treatment or script. Approaches to narrative can be formal or informal, typed out in script-writing software, or written on index cards. The point is to dedicate enough time to develop an interesting story. Be engaged in the process, and do not be afraid to revise. A well-crafted narrative will add depth and meaning to your project. The Outer-Eye 105 Figure 8.8: Halt and Catch Fire title sequence. Created by Elastic for AMC. Director: Patrick Clair. 106 Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair Patrick Clair is a director, creative director, and motion designer based in Los Angeles, California. He is creative head of the production studio Antibody and is part of the Los Angeles-based agency Elastic’s group of filmmakers. He has an Undergraduate degree from Queensland University of Technology, where he focused on live-action directing, including 16mm short films, and a Graduate degree in Visual Effects and Titles Design from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. After finishing his studies, he worked at MTV and with Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC. He freelanced for several years until starting Antibody in Sydney, Australia. Patrick has created work for advertising, production, and broadcast, producing work for MTV, NBC, ABC, TEDx, and Ubisoft. He was a speaker at the SemiPermanent Conference on the power of design to address social issues.6 An Interview with Patrick Clair What is your art and design background? I started out with a focus on live-action, and I trained as a liveaction director when I was still kind of absurdly young. I found myself leaving college, living in a small city in Australia with a piece of paper saying that I was a director. It was a bit ridiculous considering there were probably a handful of working directors in the city I lived in. I was looking for another way to enter into the industry in a practical and realistic level. At the time there were some genuinely thrilling things happening in motion design. There was work coming out of houses like Psyop and MK12 that were really fusing images together in a way that I had never seen before. It was taking motion design out of the realm of being credit rolls and end tags, and turning it into something that was truly innovative. I got really excited about motion design and went in that direction because I thought it was something new and an interesting approach. I went and did some post-graduate studies at the National Film School in Australia, specializing in Title Design and Visual Effects, and getting some proper technical grounding. I was lucky enough to get a job with MTV, which was wonderful. It was really creative, and I had lots of freedom. I got to jump around between doing motion design, cutting my own stuff, producing promos, and directing musical artists. It was great, but very driven by aesthetics and what was trendy. Eventually, I wanted to do something with content and storytelling. I started to find my own voice, my own perspective on how I wanted to do things. I started making animated documentaries for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which is very similar to a body like the BBC or somewhat similar to PBS in the States. It was from there that I started to build a style of motion graphics design that could focus on slightly longer format storytelling. Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair 107 How do you approach concept development? It’s a combination of things. Obviously, it’s a visual medium, so I try to drink in as much visual culture as I can through books, the Internet, and all the rest. I think designers can get distracted doing that to some degree; I know that I certainly used to. I think the most important things to keep in mind are story, communication, and meaning in a really simple, basic, and straightforward level. When I am approaching a concept these days, it is really about, “What is this trying to achieve? Who is it trying to reach, and how should I be speaking to them? What is the simplest way to bring my message to life visually? What is going to engage an audience and keep them engaged in a way that is not overcomplicated, indulgent, or style over substance?” It’s really about the basics of the communication and storytelling. What do you like about storytelling? Storytelling is at the core of our roles in the film and television industry. I think it also applies to the work that many of us do in advertising. All screen content is really storytelling, and it’s easy when you are in the thick of making it to get distracted by aesthetics. But ultimately our job is to have an impact on people and convey to them some information or some kind of emotional effect. To take them on a journey, engage them with characters, and engage them with story points. If you use that to guide your decisions, then you will end up with a stronger piece of work. Where do you find inspiration? When I was starting out, I would voraciously consume every bit of motion design that was posted on the Internet. I would obsessively watch every little bit of stuff being done out there, trying to figure out how my heroes had done their jobs, and how they had put the motion design together. Why the “ones that worked” worked so well, and why the “ones that didn’t work” did not work. Now I am 108 Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair more likely to look at photography and contemporary art. Books are also really important to me. Inspiration strikes you in the weirdest ways. It comes from the strangest places. Often, having space in your day is when things get solved. It’s never when I sit down and try to figure out a brief. It’s when I am stuck on a plane or a train that I am struck with inspiration. Do you have suggestions for young designers? I spent the first five years of my career learning how to use all the different things in Adobe After Effects. Then, I spent the next five years learning not to use them. What I do now is use a couple of the more simple elements. But, I don’t think I could have gotten to this point of being so confident using the simple stuff if I hadn’t spent all that time making things unnecessarily complicated. The latest effect or latest trend won’t make something good or better. It’s good to know how all that stuff works, but eventually you will find a couple of things you can trust. Often a simple bit of well-set type will do a job better than any plug-in can generate. Do you have a favorite project? True Detective. The director and the show runner were fantastic. I think it’s really proof that good work comes from good clients. Most designers can do amazing work. You just need to find the right brief and the right client, directing you in the right way. They had a gift where they were able to make succinct, direct requests throughout the process. I think they got a sequence that they pretty much wanted. At the same time, it is a sequence that we can all feel ownership and authorship over. It was a great collaboration. I hope that everyone gets to work on a brief like that, where you get the right idea, at the right time, for the right job, with the right people. I feel very lucky. We chose the double exposure for a very particular reason. The drama of the show used landscape to tell the audience things Figure 8.9: True Detective title sequence. Created by Elastic for HBO. Director: Patrick Clair. Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair 109 Figure 8.10: Watch Dogs game trailer. Created by Antibody Film Lab for Ubisoft. Design and Direction: Patrick Clair 110 Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair Figure 8.11: Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus Infographic. Created by Zapruder’s Other Films for Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Design and Direction: Patrick Clair. Written by: Scott Mitchell about the characters. We thought we could mirror that idea of using landscape to build character, and do that visually. We literally used pieces of the landscapes to build visual portraits of the characters.7 Notes 1 “Alan Williams.” Behance.com. Accessed September 20, 2014. <https://www. behance.net/alanwilliams/>. 2 “Kurt Vonnegut on the Shape of Stories.” Youtube.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ>. 3 Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. California: New World Library, 2008. 4 Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor, 1991. 5 Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey. California: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. 6 “Patrick Clair.” Artofthetitle.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://www. artofthetitle.com/designer/patrick-clair/>. 7 Clair, Patrick, telephone interview with author, August 13, 2014. Professional Perspectives Patrick Clair 111 Chapter 9: Image-Making Image-Making and Design for Motion When we make style frames, our goal is to create beautiful images. Successful style frames contain strong compositions. The more dynamic the composition of a frame, the more likely it will attract the eye of the viewer and communicate its intended message. Designers of motion need to develop the ability to both recognize and create effective compositions. Recognition comes first, as designers must be able to discern between strong and weak compositions. I often ask my students to point out the strongest and weakest style frames during critiques. Students need to be able to critique their own work as well as the work of their classmates, just as industry professionals must know how to do this for themselves and other designers. The goal is to consistently create strong style frames. In order to do that, we must first develop our sense of what makes an image beautiful. The tradition of image-making began with early man and cave paintings. The act of making marks, strokes, and lines on a surface to depict something observed in nature or imagined in the mind is at the root of humankind. Images represent ideas, emotions, and experiences. They serve as symbols of meaning that an artist wishes to express, indicating what a viewer should be thinking or feeling. Images have the power to connect with viewers across time and space. Even pictures that are thousands of years old are still impactful. Today, the World Wide Web 112 Image-Making allows these images to be accessed instantly, no matter where you are. Art and design share common principles that need to be mastered in order to create beautiful or successful images consistently. Most art and design schools teach foundation classes in the first year of study. Fundamental principles include composition, value, contrast, color, and space. Additionally, an understanding of form, shape, line, and texture are required to become proficient with image-making. It takes proper instruction and hard work to develop these skills. Surround yourself with good teachers, and challenge yourself and your peers to be better artists and designers. Composition Hierarchy of Visual Importance From a design perspective, style frames allow a designer to establish a hierarchy of visual importance. Style frames direct the eye of the viewer toward specific focal points. A designer needs to understand how to do this by arranging compositional elements. Color, value, scale, depth, shape, line, and texture all contribute to defining what should stand out and what should sink into the background. Perhaps the single most important principle of imagemaking is composition. Composition is the arrangement of visual elements in a space. The essential elements of Figure 9.1: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY DANIEL CHANG, SCAD MA. composition are the spectrums, or ranges, between positive and negative space, and between symmetry and asymmetry. How these visual elements are composed affects how they relate to each other. The designer is responsible for directing the eye of the viewer. If you change a single element in a frame, all of the elements change by varying degrees. The more dramatic the change, the more the composition as a whole is affected. Positive Space and Negative Space The interplay between positive space and negative space is at the essence of composition. The balance between what is seen and Image-Making 113 Figure 9.2: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY JORDAN TAYLOR, SCAD BFA. what is not seen permeates every aspect of design. This concept transcends the realm of design and motion. The traditions of Taoism’s Yin and Yang, the 1s and 0s of binary code, dark and light matter, and a multitude of ideas express the contrast between what is and what is not. These are very deep and profound areas of study. Yet, they contain a simple thread of similarity: they explore the 114 Image-Making tension between the visible and the invisible. An understanding of how to manipulate the relationship between what is there and what is not there is essential to creating strong compositions. Negative space is one of the most important terms used in critiquing style frames. The viewer’s eye needs areas of empty space in order to be purposefully directed toward the focal point of an image. Understanding and being able to play with positive and negative space is vital for making strong compositions. Imagine you are moving into a dorm room or a studio apartment. This space contains a bed, a desk, and a dresser for your clothes. How you arrange these elements will affect your experience in this space. If you decide to place any of these objects directly in front of the door into the room, you will block the visual and spatial flow. If you fill the space with other objects, like a couch, a small fridge, a bookshelf, and an entertainment center, the space may start to feel cramped. Have you ever spent time in a cluttered room or space? Envision desks piled high with papers, clothes on the floor, and drawers overflowing with stuff. With so much happening in a space, it is difficult to find breathing room for the eye. The inability to focus creates feelings of confusion and uncertainty. Looking at an image that is too busy is like being in a cluttered room. When an image contains too many elements, it will appear to flatten out. All of the visual elements are shouting for attention. The viewer will not have a clear visual path to follow, and certainty will be watered down. In other words, what you leave out is just as important as what you put in. This means that the negative space plays as large of a role as the positive space. The empty spaces can support and frame focal points in a composition. Symmetry and Asymmetry The other essential spectrum that needs to be considered when making a composition is the continuum between symmetry and asymmetry. Symmetry is an arrangement of positive and negative space in such a way as to create maximum balance and certainty. Design-oriented compositions are often symmetrical, making them easy to read with little doubt about the intended message. Think about advertisements such as posters, print ads, and end tags for commercials. In general, logos and title treatments are centered in the composition. Around these focal points, there is plenty of breathing room in the form of negative space. Symmetrical compositions are effective when the greatest need is clarity. An advertiser needs the viewer to know who is responsible for delivering the experience of the ad. Hence, the final three to five seconds of a 30 second commercial almost always employs a composition that is tipping toward being symmetrical, with the advertiser’s logo as the focal point. Asymmetrical compositions are considered to be more in the tradition of fine art, where the arrangement of visual elements is off-centered or unexpected. Contrary to symmetry and certainty, an asymmetrical composition is most effective to create a sense of mystery in an image. Mystery creates openness to interpretation. Asymmetry has the potential to be more dramatic and potentially more interesting. These kinds of compositions draw a viewer in and produce emotional and intellectual reactions. Knowing when to employ a symmetrical or asymmetrical composition is key for a motion designer. Motion Motion design is composition changing over time. An interesting dynamic in motion design is the contrast between mystery and certainty. The composition in a still or graphic image is often considered either fine art or commercial art. Although you can certainly have elements of both in a single image, it will generally read as one or the other. A composition either communicates certainty about a subject matter, or evokes a sense of mystery. However, in motion design we can work with both kinds of compositions. The element of time allows us to change compositions, giving the option to move from mystery to certainty, or vice versa. Additionally, the transitions between art and design can happen multiple times in a single piece. Many commercial pieces work in this way, starting in a place of mystery that then takes the viewer on a journey. The commercial almost always concludes in a place of design certainty with a logo resolve. Image-Making 115 Figure 9.3: STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY JOE BALL, SCAD BFA. Methods and Formulas When building a composition, there is a struggle between the understanding of visual principles and artistic intuition. Methods such as the golden section and the rule of thirds can be helpful. These tools use classical proportioning systems to construct visual relationships based on geometry.1 These mathematical ratios also occur in nature. “The golden section is a proportion (as one involving a line divided into two segments or the length and 116 Image-Making width of a rectangle and their sum) in which the ratio of the whole to the larger part is the same as the ratio of the larger part to the smaller.”2 The rule of thirds is a simple method that helps to create aesthetically pleasing compositions. It “aims to position the composition’s main areas of interest along lines that separate the image into three equal rows and columns—most preferably at or near the intersection of the lines.”3 Figure 9.4: EXAMPLES OF PROPORTIONING SYSTEMS. THE LEFT IMAGE REPRESENTS THE GOLDEN SECTION. THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT REPRESENTS THE RULE OF THIRDS. Although these are powerful tools, be careful not to be too reliant on any formula for image-making. An image can fall into the trap of becoming contrived or even static when overly balanced. Rather than using such tools to construct compositions, try using them more as guides. The struggle required to make beautiful compositions is a vital part of the process. The effort of arranging and rearranging visual elements, until they look and feel right, adds dynamic tension to a composition. Sea Glass Strive to build beautiful compositions, and persevere through failed attempts. There is a journey in the process of creating an image. Facing obstacles and challenges are a part of that journey. The turmoil of building a space, moving elements, erasing, and starting over will make you a better designer. Sea glass is a great metaphor for art and design. It begins as rough, jagged, and broken glass that is discarded into the ocean. The glass is tumbled and scraped against the bottom of the shoreline by the ocean waves. The sharp edges of the glass are repeatedly battered against the rocks and sand. This process happens over and over again. Gradually, the glass begins to smooth. The hard rocks and gritty sand of the ocean floor polish the glass as it is regularly dragged across them. Over time, the rough and jagged sea glass becomes something quite beautiful. Becoming an artist or designer is a lot like sea glass. You need to be engaged in the process and willing to endure the pain of being metaphorically tumbled against rocks and dragged through the sand. Grit and dedication are required to embrace this process and will reward you with the ability to make beautiful images. Image-Making 117 Figure 9.5: Coke “Happiness Factory” commercial. Created by Psyop for The Coca Cola Company. Directors: Kylie Matulick and Todd Mueller. 118 Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick Kylie Matulick is a creative director and co-founder of Psyop. In addition to designing and directing award winning projects, in 2007 she was nominated in the USA Creativity Magazine as one of the top 50 creative people in the USA. Psyop helps brands and agencies to connect with consumers and solve business and marketing problems by telling compelling stories and building engaging worlds, using whatever techniques and media are appropriate. Skilled in animation, design, illustration, 3D, 2D, and live action production—and seamlessly combining some or all of these—Psyop takes a unique, tailored approach to each and every project.4 An Interview with Kylie Matulick What is your art and design background? I studied graphic design in Australia. It was a very traditional and highly regarded design school. At that time, there were no Motion Design programs. Even computers were barely being used. We were doing a lot of stuff by hand; typography by hand. It was all about composition, cutting and pasting: a lot of craftsmanship. It definitely helped to create a great foundation for thinking, concepting, using my hands, and being really sensitive to color and composition. Playing around with different mediums, experimenting. Sometimes you need to step away from the computer and get your hands dirty. I find that the process helps me to think more expansively about an idea. I got into packaging design. I love the smaller details. Packaging design was interesting because it is something that you interact with physically. It needs to communicate, but it also needs to set people up for an experience. I moved to the US and stumbled into an opportunity where I was designing for motion. I had a design folio with no motion examples in it, but it showed a strong aesthetic and a clear opinion. So I really learned on the job. The process of storytelling was so intriguing. Combining my visual sensibility with a layer of story and narrative was a creative mind opener. I also started at a very interesting time, when people were just beginning to use technology in creative ways. Having a design background helped me to think in motion more expansively. I wouldn’t describe myself as a highly technical person, but that is where collaboration became very important. I started working with teams of people whose technical prowess blew my mind. It became an invigorating collaboration between my design/ storytelling sensibility and others technical artistry which yielded great results. We started Psyop in 2000, and luckily there was a real appreciation for it. We were pushing the design, creative, and Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick 119 Figure 9.6: Process drawings for Coke “Happiness Factory” commercial. Created by Psyop for The Coca Cola Company. Designer: Kylie Matulick 120 Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick conceptual elements through our technical team and had a lot of fun experimenting. We pushed the technology in ways that hadn’t been pushed before. We were more interested in thinking for the problem and not locking into a particular style. We tried to approach each project uniquely. That is the basis of our work at Psyop. We don’t have a house style. There may be some areas we explore more deeply, but we always try to push ourselves into uncomfortable territory. As a designer, you need to do that. Every problem has a different solution so you almost have to start fresh every time. You start with a fresh perspective and think forward. How do you approach design? An important aspect to getting a good end result is making sure that you’re representing your vision clearly. We have always created very elaborate style frames—whether we pitch on a job, or take on a project—that clearly represent what we are looking to produce. The 3D artists know what the goal is and they try to solve for that. We like to explore different mediums, like charcoal, oil paint, vector graphics, paper cut, and hyper-real photography, and our technical team can then take those frames and figure out how to best capture that look. It is an important skill to be able to visualize what is in your head. It is a time when you can experiment. You’re not locked into anything. You’re not hindered by any technical obstacles. You put it on a page, and it can be anything you want it to be. Once you’ve gone through your creative process you may need to make some adjustments. Your idea might not be possible to produce in the time you have, or it’s not going to be possible for the money, or it might be technically difficult to achieve. It’s a reductive process, but the initial creative step is to get your vision out there and represent your ideas as accurately as possible. How do you approach concept development? Sometimes we will sit down and brainstorm. We work a lot in teams. That brain trust is really good, to be able to bounce ideas off someone. There is a constant dialogue, which is generally healthy and exciting. Sometimes it is a really quiet meditation. You don’t know what it is quite yet and you need to get a feel for it. You go into a state of flow, where you are listening to your instincts. You don’t see anything specifically, but you start to lock onto something that feels right. A combination of colors, or a palette of textures, or a sense of motion, or the kind of story you want to tell, or a moment in a story that feels impactful. You build around that. It’s always different, the place from where your inspiration comes. Everyone is inspired by something different. My process is quite emotional, I am always trying to find the special ingredient that will draw people in, that will move people, and make them think or laugh. It could draw them in because the scene is visually arresting, or make them cry because the story resonates emotionally. That’s what this is about—engaging people. Making them feel something, or think differently, or lighten someone’s day for a moment. The idea needs to come from that place. I think it’s harder to start with, “I’ve got this Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick 121 Figure 9.7: Coke “Happiness Factory” commercial. Created by Psyop for The Coca Cola Company. Directors: Kylie Matulick and Todd Mueller. 122 Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick really cool visual,” and then inject it with some emotional meaning after the fact. Where do you find inspiration? I find challenge inspiring. Solving the problem, winning the job, producing something spectacular and unexpected, jumping in the deep end outside your comfort zone. Sometimes l like to find inspiration in the smaller moments: hanging out with the kids, looking for four leaf clovers, drinking a morning coffee. All of these moments might take you to a special place. That’s the thing with being a creative person. You want to stay open. It’s not always easy. I think it’s also important to have a creative expression outside of work. Do you have suggestions for young designers? This is a very competitive marketplace. There are lots of designers and lots of people who have a vision. As a junior designer, you will be working under a creative director, or you will be guided at some point by a peer or by a mentor, or you will collaborate with someone. But, you always have to be able to hear your own voice and trust it. That way you will be able to infuse other people’s ideas clearly with yours. It won’t get too muddied. You will know when you are right and when you are wrong— because sometimes you are wrong. You need to be flexible enough to adjust your vision so that the idea is communicating. If you are not communicating what you need to communicate, then you have failed. Sometimes you just need to stand firm and find convincing ways to sell your approach because you believe it’s the right path. These are things you get a feel for with experience. Secondly, if you want to succeed in whichever field you choose, you have to work your ass off. Natural talent can only take you so far. You have to go after it! Keep yourself busy, continually perfect your craft. I’ve seen average designers grow to become truly exceptional through a strong work ethic. Never the other way round. Lastly, I think it’s really important to be curious, and to always be asking, “What if?” It is wonderful to meet people who always have a sense of curiosity. If you can always be asking what if, you are always open to possibilities. At a certain point you need to lock in on something, and see it through. But asking yourself questions opens you up to other things in life that will affect your creative perspective. That is an important aspect of growing as a creative person.5 Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick 123 124 Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick Figure 9.8: Twinings “Sea” commercial. Created by Psyop for AMV BBDO, UK, and Twinings. Creative Director: Kylie Matulick. Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick 125 Figure 9.9: ING exploratory. Created by Psyop for ING. Designer: Kylie Matulick. 126 Professional Perspectives Kylie Matulick Value The Range of Intensity from Light to Dark In addition to positive and negative space and symmetry and asymmetry, a designer needs to understand value. Value can be defined as the range of intensity from light to dark. With proper use of value, we can create depth within a composition. Many students and designers are taught value in life drawing classes or from traditional media, but they have a difficult time translating the principle into digital image-making. When I first began teaching design for motion, I found that students who were not comfortable with value had a difficult time with style frames. Learning to see value is the first step in translating the gradations of light and dark, and is critical to success in design for motion. Images without an interesting juxtaposition of light and dark values lack contrast and appear flat. The ability to render value allows an artist or designer to create the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface. Value is a principle that is independent of color and saturation, although all colors have ranges of value. Value and Color All colors have value, meaning a range of intensity between light and dark, but they also have varying degrees of hue and saturation. In order to render an image in color that has depth and a directed focal point, a designer needs to understand how to translate not only value, but also the correct hue and saturation. This skill is especially important in photo real images where elements are coming from sources with different lighting setups. Images can very quickly fall apart if color and value are not handled properly. Alternatively, a designer can create a clear visual flow by selectively manipulating value and color saturation. Why Value Matters The proper use of value will create depth in a composition. The darkest darks and lightest lights in an image appear to come forward in space. By using this principle, a designer can effectively establish planes of depth by simply creating gradations in the intensity of dark and light. Value can also be exaggerated to direct Figure 9.10: VALUE STUDIES IN BLACK AND WHITE AND COLOR, BY AUSTIN SHAW. Image-Making 127 the eye to a focal point in a composition. The most intense lights and darks will always attract the viewer’s eye. A designer can bring visual elements forward or push them back in space by adjusting intensities of value. Mastering Value At first, it is a good idea to begin discovering value by working in black and white. Learn to see and recognize the range of intensity from light to dark. Practice rendering everyday objects on a twodimensional plane or surface. The goal is to give depth, form, and dimension to your images. You will need to identify and apply the correct gradations of gray to achieve this dimensionality. Once you are comfortable with black and white, see if you can translate your understanding of value to color. A good exercise is to identify the range of value in a black and white photograph. Then examine a color version of the same photo, again identifying the range of value. (See Figure 9.10.) Value is key to creating photo-real composites. A designer needs to be able to match values when bringing elements from different sources together to create an image that feels believable. A poor assessment and execution of value are very unforgiving. This skill is indispensable in the disciplines of retouching and matte painting, both of which are extremely important to designers of motion. However, once designers are comfortable with value, they can use it to abstract and stylize with skill and confidence. Value and Line Value can be translated and expressed through line weight. Illustrative design styles often utilize line as a primary visual element to create images. Variation between thick and thin lines has a similar effect to gradations of light and dark. Thicker, bolder lines come forward, whereas thinner, lighter lines recede. A designer can create a lot of movement and even depth solely with 128 Image-Making line by creating contrast with value. This effect can be achieved using analog or digital tools. For instance, pencils range from light to dark based on the hardness or softness of their lead. You can exaggerate or diminish the degree of light and dark even further by pushing harder or lighter while you draw. In the digital world, a Wacom tablet allows you the option of using a pressure sensitive setting to create a similar effect. For vector artwork, software like Adobe Illustrator gives you the option to vary the width of the stroke on any path or object. The principle remains the same despite the tools you use. Value in Nature To explore value is to explore the beauty in life. When you look at the sky, do you just see blue? Or can you become aware of the gradations of color in the sky? If you look, you will see a range of lighter and darker shades of blue. If you look for a while, you will notice how these gradations change over time. Subtle variations in value are qualities inherent in analog visuals. If you want an image to feel organic or tactile, it needs to have a high gradation in value. Contrast For Image-Making Contrast is a principle that is utilized in every aspect of motion design. From concept development and design through production and post-production, contrast creates tension. Oppositions have the potential to produce dynamic relationships when composed effectively. For image-making, tension is important because it creates visual interest. The more dramatic the differences are between elements in an image, the greater the contrast. An artist or designer who understands how to work with contrast can direct the eye toward points of interest. It is difficult to achieve depth or vibrancy without contrast. The absence of differences will make an image appear flat or washed out. Do not be afraid to explore visual extremes in your Figure 9.11: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY VANESSA BROWN, SCAD BFA. designs. A common mistake beginners often make is not having enough diversity in their images. If you have a large shape or form in your composition, try to counterpoint it with smaller shapes. If your space is too full, try removing elements to create more negative space. If there are areas of extreme light in your composition, build contrast by adding areas of extreme dark. If all of your colors are highly saturated, de-saturate elements that are not the point of interest. Contrast can be applied to every single visual principle. One of the advantages of digital media is the speed and efficiency of art and design tools. We can experiment with contrast very easily and quickly within digital image-making programs. We have the ability to push image adjustments to their extremes, and in many instances, preview what the effect will look like. We can also undo, save versions, or work in a variety of non-destructive manners. This ability gives us a lot of freedom to push the limits of contrast in our design explorations. Analog media is much less forgiving if we push extremes too far and Image-Making 129 decide we want to undo. However, by digitizing analog assets, we can take advantage of digital efficiency. Contrast is a powerful tool for image-making. Color Color is a fundamental principle of image-making. Color serves as a unifying element that defines the visual pattern of an image. This element is commonly known as a color palette. A designer must be able to choose and define color palettes to answer the needs of different kinds of creative briefs. Color palettes also help to establish the creative borders and boundaries of an image style. A color that is too far outside a chosen color palette will feel out of place. Color can give an image life and vibrancy. A designer can communicate ideas and feelings with their color choices. Colors have distinct personalities and characteristics. You can endow an image with emotional qualities based on the colors you choose. For instance, a color palette that is mostly saturated green, with a few accents of bright yellow and orange, will feel lush and alive. Alternatively, a color palette that is highly desaturated with silver and gray colors will feel sterile and clean. A helpful metaphor for color in image-making is the phenomena of synesthesia. Synesthesia is a neurological condition where a person’s sensory experiences are cross-wired, meaning they may hear smells or taste colors.6 Artists and designers can use the idea of synesthesia as a vehicle to coordinate or sync visual elements with meaning. A general rule about colors is that warm colors will come forward in space and cool colors will fall backward in space. Warm colors include reds, oranges, and yellows, whereas cool colors include blues and greens. Purple is somewhere in between and can be warm or cool, depending on the amount of red or blue. Warmer colors tend to be more exciting and active while cooler colors tend to be calmer. An image becomes really interesting 130 Image-Making when colors interact in dynamic ways. Color combinations, such as complimentary colors, create contrast. This color contrast evokes tension and establishes a visual flow and hierarchy within an image. Additionally, gradations of value and saturation in color will add depth and dimension to your compositions. The artist and educator, Josef Albers presented his theories about color in his book Interaction of Color.7 The book explores how color and value appear to change when juxtaposed in different combinations. This idea is important for artists and designers to be made aware, as each color choice you make will affect and change your image as a whole. In relation to images for branding, color is also extremely important. Color is used to visually define and distinguish a brand or identity. Color choices made by brands are included in style guides that instruct designers how to maintain brand consistency. Repetition of colors reinforces the public perception of a brand’s identity and personality. On a smaller scale, this idea of branding or defining with color can be used to group and separate visual elements in an image. Color is an excellent tool to delineate and organize elements. The first step in becoming comfortable with color is to look around you. The natural world is rich with color. Time spent observing nature will reveal beautiful colors and combinations. You can easily document what you find with a digital camera. Or you could sketch what you see with any number of tools like colored markers, watercolors, colored pens, colored pencils, etc. Additionally, creating mood boards for color reference has never been easier. You can gather images from various design blogs or online resources, and organize them by inspirational color palettes. Depth A designer needs to have an understanding of depth in order to successfully create dimensionality in an image. Depth is the sense of space within a frame or viewport. Value is a key ingredient in creating the illusion of depth. The gradation of lights and darks produce a sense of moving forward or backward in space. However, there are other principles designers need to know in order to establish depth in a composition. Awareness of spatial planes, depth of field, and perspective are principles with which designers should familiarize themselves. Spatial Planes A very practical approach to creating depth in a composition is to establish foreground, middle ground, and background planes. Without these basic spatial planes, an image will appear very flat. Visual elements arranged in spatial planes create depth, and a designer can use that depth to create movement in an image. Also, additional planes of space include an extreme foreground and an extreme background. These extremes will create an even greater sense of depth in a composition, with objects appearing very close to the viewer or barely perceptible in the distance. It is very important to consider value when establishing spatial planes. High contrast of light and dark values will cause visual elements to come forward in space. Neutral values will recede toward the background. By combining value and spatial planes, a designer can effectively establish the focal point of an image. Depth of Field Depth of field is another visual principle that a designer of motion needs to understand. Depth of field relates to how the focus of a lens affects the appearance of a scene. Depth of field is defined as “the range of distances of the object in front of an image-forming device (such as a camera lens) measured along the axis of the device throughout which the image has acceptable sharpness.”8 Essentially, depth of field determines what spatial plane is in focus. Planes that are in focus will appear sharp and clear, whereas planes that are out of focus will be blurry. The farther a plane is from the focal point of the lens, the blurrier the objects on that plane will look. This effect can be created either with software that establishes depth of field based on the Z-position of layers in a digital space, or by manually blurring layers that you wish to be out of the focal length of the composition’s “camera lens.” Although depth of field builds on the tradition of cinematic conventions, it is analogous to how we actually see. For instance, when you focus on a single object in a room, it appears very clear in your vision. However, objects that are farther away from your point of focus lose definition. A designer directs the viewer’s eye in a composition based on the same way as we see. Perspective The types of perspective that are particularly useful to a motion designer include linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, and color perspective. Linear perspective is a fundamental technique Figure 9.12: AN EXAMPLE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC DEPTH OF FIELD. PHOTOGRAPH BY AUSTIN SHAW. Image-Making 131 for image-making defined as “the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye.”9 This approach provides guides for where to position elements so that they appear to exist realistically in space. The frame or viewport represents the viewer’s eye or a camera lens looking into a scene. Visual elements that are closer to the lens of the viewport will appear larger in scale, and elements that are farther away will be smaller. Working with perspective is mandatory if you wish to create images with some measure of realism. Atmospheric Perspective Atmospheric perspective emulates the way we naturally see. This form of perspective, also known as aerial perspective, is defined Figure 9.13: EXAMPLES OF ATMOSPHERIC AND COLOR PERSPECTIVE. PHOTOS BY AUSTIN SHAW. 132 Image-Making as a “method of creating the illusion of depth, or recession, in a painting or drawing by modulating color to simulate changes effected by the atmosphere on the colors of things seen at a distance.”10 The earth’s atmosphere is filled with dust, haze, water vapor, and scattered light. These particles make objects in the distance appear to lose contrast of value and definition. The farther away an object is from a viewer, the more neutral the values will appear. The closer an object is to the lens of the viewport, the higher the contrast of darks and lights. This technique is useful to create more realistic depth and dimension in an image. Color Perspective Color perspective works in a similar way to atmospheric perspective. However, with color perspective, the affected visual principles are color and saturation. Again, due to natural particles in the environment affecting how we see, colors appear to lose saturation the farther away they are in space. Also, elements that are extremely far away will take on the color of the sky. Try and observe this sometime as you drive on a highway surrounded by tree-filled mountains. The mountains that are really far away will appear to be blue in color. However, these mountains are covered with the same kinds of green trees that are right outside of your car window. What is happening is that the mountains in the distance appear to take on the color of the sky. Figure 9.14: EXAMPLES OF ATMOSPHERIC AND COLOR PERSPECTIVE. PHOTOS BY GREG HERMAN. Image-Making 133 Figure 9.15: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows main on end title sequence. Created by Prologue for Warner Bros. Pictures. Creative Director: Danny Yount. 134 Professional Perspectives Danny Yount Professional Perspectives Danny Yount Danny Yount is an American graphic designer and commercial director who has a diverse visual style and a unique range of depth and craftsmanship in motion arts and film. He has been recognized internationally for his work in feature film and television main titles and show opens. As a leading title designer, he has collaborated with top film directors and producers, designing some of the most recognized sequences of the last decade, such as Oblivion, Iron Man 1–3, Six Feet Under, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Rocknrolla, Sherlock Holmes, Tron Legacy, Tyrant, and many others. He also led the graphic VFX design teams for the hologram sequences in Iron Man 2.11 An Interview with Danny Yount What is your art and design background? I started out wanting to be a graphic designer. I didn’t go to school, but I was really hungry to do something that I was passionate about. I knew I wanted to make art, and I thought graphic design was really cool. This was around 1989–90. I was moving to Seattle from the Bay Area, where I grew up. My wife reminds me of the story of when I looked down at the Pioneer Square Area in Seattle, and I said, “I want to work down there and be a famous designer someday.” I started making steps, reading HOW magazine and PRINT magazine. I was able to get a Macintosh on credit and started learning how to use that. It was such an amazing time for a young designer to break into the field because all of it was brand new. No one knew that it would take over the print industry. No one knew how far it would go. When you consider a world where you’re laboring over these hand materials, and all of the sudden desktop computing comes in, you can see how it went completely nuts. I got to be there, working with all these brand new tools, and it was wonderful for me. I finally got a break after working at a series of sign shops. I started toying around a little bit with interactive media. I made a portfolio in Macromedia Director that was in color, that showcased my work, and that I sent out on floppy disks. By today’s standards, it was pretty poor. But it was enough to get their attention. I got hired in Seattle, in Pioneer Square, by an amazing designer named John Van Dyke. He had a really acute sense of elegance, of powerful imagery, and loved technology. I discovered Premiere by accident. I edited digitally for the first time. Then I was able to put in some animation and some design. I was completely sold. I was like, “This is what I want to do!” It got me really fired up. I did everything I could to wriggle my way into projects like that. After five years, I went into News Broadcast, of all things. At the time, the post-industry was the place you would do motion work. You would take film, put it on digi-beta, and then transfer that digibeta into Avid. That was the establishment at the time. I started at the bottom again. I worked very hard to make a reel and sent that reel to Imaginary Forces in LA. They brought me in and I worked on some Professional Perspectives Danny Yount 135 projects. It was great, but I could not move my family there. So I sent my resume back home, to Digital Kitchen. When I had lived in Seattle, they were part of the establishment and would have ignored a guy like me. Now, all of the sudden I was a freelance designer coming from LA in their view. They hired me on, and we did the Six Feet Under titles. I didn’t know it at the time, but when the Six Feet Under titles came out, everyone loved it. It got an Emmy, and all of a sudden, my whole world as a professional changed. That’s how I got in. I wish I would’ve had formal training, so I wouldn’t have to learn everything the hard way. But then again, that’s kind of my personality. I don’t really learn something unless I screw something up. I learn more from failure. I don’t really learn from the book. I like to break something first. Then I learn something. Do you have suggestions for young designers? For motion, you really have to learn how to tell a story. Even if you are doing it with the simplest of means. The way to master title design is to learn how to use graphic metaphors to tell a story. To me, that is the holy grail of motion design. Because if you don’t do that, what you really are is a graphic sampler. You may be a great technician, but you don’t know how to make something that gets into someone’s emotions. That’s where storytelling comes in. That is the cream of the industry, people who know how to tell stories with design and motion. Be diverse so you don’t get pigeonholed into doing one or two things. You have to be a go-to person to establish yourself. But, once you establish yourself, pursue what your real gifts are. Figure 9.16: Six Feet Under title sequence. Created by Digital Kitchen for HBO. Director/Designer: Danny Yount. 136 Professional Perspectives Danny Yount Don’t do anything that you are not passionate about. You have to steer your career. Are titles your favorite kinds of projects? They are. As a younger designer, I used to get off on the fact that my work was on the big screen. But, that kind of wears off, and you ask yourself “Why am I really doing this?” I really love it because the challenge is to engage an audience at a high-art level of storytelling. With Hollywood production, everything you do has to be completely distilled and concentrated. It really has to do its job. You are working with a lot of really talented people, and if it is not doing its job, they will let you know really quickly. Figure 9.17: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang title sequence. Created by Prologue for Warner Bros. Pictures. Title Designer: Danny Yount. Professional Perspectives Danny Yount 137 In Hollywood, it’s all about viscera. You tell a story, but you’re almost invading someone’s senses. Kyle Cooper is great with that. It goes even further than story. It gets into your senses. I learned as a designer and storyteller to make things that really set the tone for the film, but also get into the senses of the audience. To prepare them for what they were going to see, or to leave them with something that was powerful … for them to remember the film. How do you approach concept development? One thing I learned from my mentors, meaning John Van Dyke and Paul Matthaeus, is that you have to get as many ideas out Figure 9.18: Semi-Permanent 2013 conference titles. Created by Danny Yount for Semi-Permanent. Title Designer: Danny Yount. 138 Professional Perspectives Danny Yount as quickly as you can. You have to have the ability to step back from them and look at them as a whole. That could be putting 27 frames up in Photoshop on your screen, or literally printing them out and posting them on a wall. With computers, everything is very inward. We have to master the art of being able to lay everything out. Continuously review and refine that canvas. When I was younger, I would beautify singular frames. I would hyper-focus on one frame, and another part of the production would suck because I didn’t focus on that. Then, it’s time to put a presentation together, and you’ve lost an opportunity. As Paul Matthaeus would say, “It’s a very funnel-shaped process.” You capture it very wide and then you make refinements to the entire project as a whole as you work. Once everything is working, then you have the ability to really focus on weaker or stronger areas to make statements, and to bring it all together. The other thing I learned that was really important—and my whole life changed when I realized this—is to let go. It’s a cliché, but you have to learn to let your babies go. If you hang on to something because you’re so proud of it, you can’t let it go. If it confuses your audience, then you’ve lost. I used to be just adamant, and dig my heels in, and say, “I am going to make this work.” That was very destructive. I finally learned to say, “This is a great idea, but it is no longer valid. I will set this aside, and maybe use it in something else someday.” It’s important for young artists to know you have to learn to let go. Step back and put on your storyteller hat, and say, “Well, this isn’t telling the story. So it doesn’t matter how cool this is right now. But, I can use this somewhere else.” That will give you a lot of freedom and space to develop as a real artist. As opposed to someone who has just learned how to sample something. You have to be mature enough to know that we have to service the story more than our own conceits. It’s a professional honesty that we have to develop. Where do you find inspiration? Aside from working with some of the best people in the world, there is nothing better than Pinterest right now. Pinterest is like Figure 9.19: ROCK N ROLLA main title. Created by Prologue for Warner Bros. Pictures. Title Designer: Danny Yount. Professional Perspectives Danny Yount 139 every magazine store that I could possibly visit in a year. That is for my workspace, where I get inspired when I have to sit down and come up with something. But what inspires me in a much richer way is travel. Being able to see different cultures and experience different things in life. All of that pours back into your work. You gain knowledge that you didn’t have before. You are able to put something into your work that means something for the right occasion. Travel and having a really broad world-view is critical for designers.12 Notes 1 Elam, Kimberly. Geometry of Design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1951. 2 “Golden Section.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 20, 2014. <http:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/golden section>. 140 Professional Perspectives Danny Yount 3 “Rule of Thirds.” Creativeglossary.com. Accessed August 20, 2014. <http:// www.creativeglossary.com/art-mediums/rule-of-thirds.html>. 4 “About.” Psyop.tv. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://www.psyop.tv/ operations/>. 5 Matulick, Kylie, telephone interview with author, July 25, 2014. 6 “Synesthesia.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 21, 2014. <http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synesthesia>. 7 Albers, Josef. Interaction of Color. Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1975. 8 “Depth of Field.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 21, 2014. <http:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depth of field>. 9 “Perspective.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 21, 2014. <http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspective>. 10 “Aerial Perspective.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed August 21, 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/7229/aerial-perspective>. 11 “About.” Dannyyount.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://www.dannyyount. com/info.html>. 12 Yount, Danny, telephone interview with author, August 16, 2014. Chapter 10: Cinematic Conventions, Thumbnail Sketches, and HandDrawn Storyboards Cinematic Conventions Motion designers need to think like directors. As visual storytellers, we must be familiar with the basic vocabulary of filmmaking and cinematic conventions. A single style frame represents the camera’s eye, and the design board is the sequence of the camera’s vision throughout the story. A director is responsible for deciding what the viewer will see, thereby influencing how the audience thinks and feels.1 Different camera angles and distances create varying degrees of visual and emotional intensity. Utilizing a variety of shots can create interesting rhythm for visual storytelling. The camera position can also be used as a transitional device in a motion design piece. Within this section, we will explore the essential vocabulary of cinematic and visual storytelling. Basic Shots and Camera Angles for Cinematography Extreme Wide Shot An extreme wide shot will often be used to establish the setting or environment where the story will unfold. They can also be Figure 10.1: EXTREME WIDE SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. referred to as establishing shots. Extreme wide shots can also convey a dramatic sense of scale, perspective, and distance. For motion design, extreme wide shots can be used to dynamically transition and create pleasant surprises that leave an impact on the viewer. Cinematic Conventions 141 Wide Shot A wide shot reveals the subject matter within the setting. The distance of a wide shot allows the viewer to take in the action of the subject. In motion design, wide shots can describe the visual elements within a scene. Wide shots are also used as transitional elements to advance the plot. an extremely wide range of visual possibilities. A medium shot can show medium distance from typography, graphics, or an illustrative element. Medium shots can also serve as a transition from wider to closer distances. Close-Up Shot A close-up shot is a tight framing of the subject. This distance can create higher emotional intensity. Close-up shots also allow details to be revealed to the viewer. Again, with motion design, our subjects can vary greatly. However, we can treat close-ups for motion design in a similar way that a director would for liveaction. Figure 10.2: WIDE SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Medium Shot A medium shot frames the subject at a medium distance. If one is working with actors, a medium shot typically crops the figure from the waist up. With motion design, our subject matter has Figure 10.4: CLOSE-UP SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Figure 10.3: MEDIUM SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. 142 Cinematic Conventions Extreme Close-Up Shot An extreme close-up shot brings the viewer even closer to the subject. We can show the audience the most specific or finest details of the subject. This shot is the most intimate and expresses the highest emotional intensity. For motion design, extreme close-ups are often used as transitional devices, showing dramatic changes in scale, setting, or even the subject itself. For instance, an extreme close-up of an eye can transition to become a galaxy. Figure 10.5: EXTREME CLOSE-UP SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Low Angle Shot A low angle shot describes a camera position that is below and looking up toward the subject. A low angle shot makes a subject feel larger. In motion design, this camera angle is often used to create a dramatic sense of importance. Low angle shots are often used with logo animations, sports graphics, or any visual element that requires a sense of being monumental. Figure 10.7: HIGH ANGLE SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. the subject feel smaller. In traditional filmmaking, this angle makes a character seem powerless or vulnerable. However, for motion design, a high angle shot allows the director to portray perspective and reveal details. Dutch Angle A Dutch angle is when the camera is rotated to make the horizon appear at an angle, rather than straight. In conventional filmmaking, this angle creates tension and psychological drama. With motion design, Dutch angles also produce tension, but are often employed to increase visual interest. From a purely Figure 10.6: LOW ANGLE SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. High Angle Shot A high angle shot describes a shot that is framed from above and looking down toward the subject. This type of shot makes Figure 10.8: DUTCH ANGLE, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Cinematic Conventions 143 compositional point of view, a Dutch angle creating diagonals in a frame is more dynamic than a straight view showing solely horizontal and vertical planes. Over the Shoulder An over the shoulder shot places the camera behind a subject, using the head and shoulder to frame a second subject or to reveal a setting. It helps the audience to focus on whatever the first subject is looking at, or interacting with. It also draws the viewer into a more intimate circle of action. Figure 10.10: TWO SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Figure 10.9: OVER THE SHOULDER, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Bird’s Eye View A bird’s eye view refers to a camera position that views a scene from an aerial perspective or from a very high angle relative to the subject. This view allows the audience to observe a scene from an unexpected angle. It also allows the director to use sweeping camera movements for dramatic effect. In motion design, landscapes can take on a myriad of forms and styles. For instance, a bird’s eye view may be a camera flying over extruded typography or flying over a 3D model of a phone. Scale, proportion, and the definition of landscape are more mutable with motion design than with traditional filmmaking. Two Shot A two shot is a shot that frames two figures or subjects in a composition. In filmmaking, it is used to show how subjects interact with each other. For motion design, a two shot can be employed to show the interaction of visual elements within a frame. Figure 10.11: BIRD’S EYE VIEW, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. 144 Cinematic Conventions Figure 10.12: DOLLY SHOT, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Dolly Shot With physical filmmaking, a dolly shot is accomplished by mounting the camera to a track—or stabilizing system—in order to move it smoothly through space. With motion design, we can create similar movement using a virtual camera in 2D or 3D software applications. A dolly camera movement can be used to exaggerate or compliment the action of the subject matter. Dollies can move horizontally, vertically, or zoom forwards or backwards through space. A digital workspace offers the potential for camera movements that would be impractical or impossible in a physical space. Pan A pan is a movement of the camera on its central axis, rotating from side to side. With a pan, the camera position remains stationary, although the orientation of the lens changes. Pans can be used to follow the movement of the subject, or to direct the focus of the audience. In motion design, pans reveal depth, volume, and perspective in a scene. Cinematic Elements Of Design Boards A basic understanding of cinematic principles will help you to make your design boards stronger. An interesting visual story Figure 10.13: PAN, DRAWING BY EVAN GOODELL. Cinematic Conventions 145 requires a variety of shots. Emotional intensity shifts as distance from the action changes. As the camera moves closer to the circle of action, the viewer will feel more like a participant than an observer. A designer needs to think like a director when making a design board. Directors guide what the audience should be thinking or feeling during the piece. Establishing Shots Establishing shots are typically the first frames in a design board. These shots set the stage for what is going to happen in a motion piece. They introduce viewers to the world of the motion project and direct where the action will take place. Establishing shots can also be used to define new scenes within a piece. Figure 10.14: ESTABLISHING SHOT STYLE FRAME FOR A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY ERIC DIES AND KALIN FIELDS, SCAD MFA. 146 Cinematic Conventions Hero Frames Hero frames are style frames that define the heroic or important moments in a motion piece. They require strong compositions and clear focal points. Hero frames indicate moments where the viewer needs to take in what is happening on screen or through the viewport. Typically, the relative speed of a piece will slow down during hero moments, so the viewer can process the scene. Important information like typography will be set in a legible and balanced manner in hero frames. Transitions Transitions, or in-between frames, serve to connect the action between hero frames. In motion design, transitions are typically much faster than the hero moments. A rhythm between fast and Figure 10.15: HERO FRAME STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY KALIN FIELDS, SCAD MFA. Cinematic Conventions 147 Figure 10.16: TRANSITION STYLE FRAMES FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY CHRIS FINN, SCAD BFA. THE CAMERA PULLS BACK AFTER FRAME ONE TO REVEAL THE FIGURE WITHIN THE EYE OF THE COYOTE IN FRAME TWO. slow movements will create interesting contrast and tension in motion. Transition frames represent moments where things happen very quickly on screen. These frames can indicate camera movement or transformation of visual elements. Thumbnail Sketches After the concept development stage of a project, we transition to giving vision to our ideas. There is a tendency among young designers to rush directly into the design phase using digital or analog tools to start making assets or creating a polished image. No matter how well these elements may look, without a strong composition, the overall image will suffer. Composition is the arranging of visual elements in a scene or viewport. It is the master plan of an image, and a poorly executed composition will not connect with the viewer, and will thus fail to communicate the intended message. Thumbnail sketches can be very helpful in exploring and defining composition prior to investing a lot of time and energy refining an image. 148 Cinematic Conventions A thumbnail sketch is a drawing that roughs out the composition of an image very quickly. Thumbnail refers to the size, meaning that these are typically small drawings. Additionally, thumbnail also implies the idea that these drawings are low risk in terms of the investment of time and effort. The term sketch relates to the process side of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, meaning that it is a preliminary idea of what an image can become. At this stage, the composition can be anything. You can draw in a sketchbook, on index cards, or with a computer application. Pencils and erasers are suggested when you work by hand, and a digital tablet can be helpful when working on a computer. Thumbnail sketches explore the essential qualities of an image in a fast and loose manner. They are like gesture drawings, defining the underlying essence of the composition. Details are not that important in a thumbnail sketch. Rather, the core elements, such as positive and negative space, light and dark values, and spatial planes, can be worked out in a thumbnail Figure 10.17: EXAMPLE OF THUMBNAIL SKETCHES FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY HYEMIN HAILEY LEE, SCAD BFA. sketch. Like blueprints, thumbnail sketches provide the structure for a future image. Once you arrive at a solid composition, you will have laid the foundation for creating an effective style frame. Approach and Practice In your sketchbook or on a computer, create a frame that is approximately the aspect ratio or dimension of the image you plan to create. Begin by blocking out the positive and negative space. Work quickly and with freedom. Try not to worry about the outcome. Rather, have fun searching for an interesting visual flow. Determine if you are creating a more design-centered, symmetrical composition, or a more art-centered, asymmetrical composition. Define a focal point, or where you want the viewer’s eye to focus. If you want depth in your composition, establish foreground, middle ground, and background planes. Decide on a light source and direction in the scene and rough out the range of values. Try making a series of thumbnails for a single composition. This practice will allow you to explore a variety of visual arrangements in a short amount of time and also serves as a reminder that thumbnail sketches are disposable. Do not be too precious with them. They are sketches and intended to be rough. You may need to make a dozen thumbnails before you arrive at a strong composition. Of course, remember to have fun! All parts of the process should be enjoyed, and thumbnail sketches are no exception. Thumbnails for Style Frames You can be more efficient with your time by working on thumbnail sketches prior to making style frames. Thumbnail sketches can Cinematic Conventions 149 Figure 10.18: EXAMPLE OF A THUMBNAIL SKETCH AND COMPLETED STYLE FRAME FROM A PROCESS BOOK BY DANIEL CHANG, SCAD MA. help to establish the compositions of your hero frames. These frames are the moments in a motion design piece that help to define the visual style and the narrative. Once you are satisfied with a thumbnail sketch, use it as a reference for making your style frame. You could also place it in a digital workspace to use as a template for your design. Thumbnail sketches can also rough out transition frames in a design board. Again, with thumbnail sketches, you can quickly try out different options until you are happy with how a transition is working. What distinguishes a thumbnail sketch from a style frame is the level of polish. Both types of frames establish the composition and the camera angle of an image. However, only a style frame takes a composition to a fully realized look and feel. time on them. You can also translate your decisions directly into hand-drawn storyboards. Practicing Cinematic Conventions Imagine your composition can be viewed through a cinematic lens. Camera distance can be explored and determined with thumbnail sketches. You can specify if the “shot” of a composition will be either wide, medium, or close. You can also work out the camera angle. For example, an image can be made more dynamic with a low or Dutch angle. Thumbnail sketches allow you to try out different cinematic treatments without having to spend too much Hand-Drawn Storyboards Hand-drawn storyboards combine image-making with storytelling. Storyboards contain a sequence of frames laid out in an order that visualizes a script or written treatment. From a narrative standpoint, a storyboard illustrates the key moments of a project. Important events in a story, such as how it starts, what happens, and how it ends, should be included. Handdrawn storyboards are similar to design boards because they 150 Cinematic Conventions “When we work on a project where the aesthetic is pretty time-consuming, we use the pen and paper approach. We make thumbnails and turn them into hand-drawn storyboards. We present a style frame or two to assist those. With a time-consuming aesthetic, you sacrifice a good story for all the labor that goes into making all those style frames. With a hand-drawn storyboard, we can focus on storytelling and come up with a better flow and narrative, then do a bang up job on one or two style frames.”—Daniel Oeffinger, Designer/Director Figure 10.19: STORYBOARD CREATED BY SCOTT CHENG YI LIM FOR A STUDENT PROJECT, SCAD BFA. establish frame composition, camera placement, and camera movement. However, hand-drawn storyboards do not display the defined visual style of a motion design project. Like thumbnails, storyboards are less polished than a finished style frame or a design board. A term that is often associated with storyboards is pre-visualization, as they help to rough out the overall structure, action, and story of a project. They offer an opportunity to explore the cinematic movement and narrative of a project prior to production. Working with Storyboards Be sure to work with frames that are the same aspect ratio of the project you are creating. It will not be helpful to block out frames at a size that is different than what you will be producing in motion. Like thumbnails, you can either work by hand or digitally to create a storyboard. Either approach is fine as long as you can work comfortably and efficiently. Each frame in a storyboard contains the content for a scene. The content can include frame composition, camera angles, camera movement, transitions, and Cinematic Conventions 151 direction of talent. Storyboards can be rendered with extreme detail, or they can be comprised of stick figures. The main objective is to clearly communicate the cinematic qualities of each shot. Work with storyboards to your comfort level of drawing. Do not shy away from this tool if you feel your drawing skills are minimal. Legibility of cinematic intention is more important than artistic rendering in a hand-drawn storyboard. movement in a project. Storyboard frames contain the key moments of a story or the vital moments of change. Your storyboard frames need to feel connected as they relate to each other sequentially. A camera movement that begins or is suggested in one frame needs to continue into the next frame. Sequential art is a great reference for learning about continuity with frame-based storytelling. Storytelling and Continuity Understanding the language of cinema will also help you to envision and plan the direction of visual elements and overall Storyboard Usage The goal is to make the narrative of a project clear with a storyboard. They are important tools in planning and guiding Figure 10.20: STORYBOARD CREATED BY AUDREY YEO FOR A STUDENT PROJECT, SCAD BFA. 152 Cinematic Conventions productions. Storyboards can also include notes about camera and scene direction beneath the frames. It is vital that the creative team and the client are on the same page prior to shooting liveaction or proceeding to animation. Storyboards, like design boards, help to guide the creative team and ensure that the client is aware of what to expect. For the purpose of learning to design for motion, focus on creating clear compositions and camera movements in your storyboards. A beautiful storyboard can get a production team fired-up about making a project. Also, there are commercial projects where a storyboard accompanies a director’s treatment as a selling point for a pitch. Figure 10.21: STORYBOARD CREATED BY BEN GABELMAN AND CASEY CRISENBURY FOR A STUDENT PROJECT, SCAD BFA. Cinematic Conventions 153 Figure 10.22: Durex “Get it On” commercial. Created by Superfad for Durex. Creative Director: Robert Rugan. 154 Professional Perspectives Robert Rugan Professional Perspectives Robert Rugan Robert Rugan is a two-time Clio Award-winning writer/ director who moved from Alabama to New York City, then to sunny Los Angeles, where he is currently writing and directing feature film projects and television projects. Commercially, he has worked with such clients as Google, Verizon Wireless, Kodak, Nikon, XGames, and Durex—which won a Bronze Cyber Lion at Cannes, Gold and Silver CLIO Awards, four AICP Awards, and was nominated for the D&AD Award. His work for Durex is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.2 An Interview with Robert Rugan What is your art and design background? As a kid, I was drawing. I went to a small liberal arts school, the University of Montevallo in Alabama. I was into pen and ink illustration. I was really serious about becoming a medical illustrator. I was interested in the detail and preciseness of the illustrations. But then I found out I needed to have a tremendous amount of background on the medical side, and I was not very keen on surgery and blood. I started focusing more on design, and then in my final year at school I did a short film. I kept shooting shorts and became interested in post-production. I became an editor right out of school. I taught myself how to edit on the very first version of Adobe Premiere: Premiere 1.0. This was when non-linear editing was becoming a thing. I started combining my interests of design with film and editing. Those things started overlapping. How did you get into making style frames? Photoshop was new when I was in college, and I was really into it. I was into taking photography and augmenting it. But I didn’t start doing style frames until I started working in motion graphics. When Adobe After Effects came out, people didn’t know what to expect. You got handed a job and you just did the job. You didn’t have to make style frames to show what you were going to do. Over the years, people wanted to see what you were going to do before they were going to pay for it. So style frames became a thing. A lot of people treat style frames like design exercises. I always wanted to find the conceptual route of the project. I wanted to tell stories. The editing and filmmaking side of me wants to make sure design was used as a storytelling device. Not just something to create pretty pictures: using design to explain, express, or clarify something that couldn’t be done in other ways. It’s always about finding what a project is about, and how I can communicate that. I struggled as a creative director with projects that just wanted to be motion graphics. I always wanted there to be a story or a concept, instead of fun things flying around the screen. Professional Perspectives Robert Rugan 155 What is your process when you get a creative brief? Figuring out what the client is trying to express and get that across to the audience … and, making sure that that is coupled with the client’s brand. Certain companies have rules and ideals they need to adhere to. It’s always fun to color outside the lines and go crazy. But, to have the restraint to create something that also addresses the brand is a real challenge and a real accomplishment when you do it well. How do you stay inspired? I have always done side projects, just to have a creative outlet. A lot of these projects are me just wanting to do something that Figure 10.23: Danny and the Wild Bunch short film. Director: Robert Rugan. 156 Professional Perspectives Robert Rugan isn’t dictated, isn’t a client telling me what to do. I like doing stuff that I have the freedom to do. When it comes to a job and making a living, a lot of times you don’t have that same freedom. Some of the best stuff I have done has either been free projects, or projects I have done on my own. It’s a great way to experiment with things. How do you see the role of designers in productions? The great thing about designers is that they think visually. They take concepts and translate them into visual ideas that we can see. The designer is the translator. A really good designer can take something that is hard to communicate and show it in a very simple and elegant way. The best solution is usually the most elegant solution. I use style frames in the practical and logistical side of filmmaking. I have to go in and pitch a lot. I use visual images to communicate my ideas about a movie. Style frames have become my concept art for movie pitches. They are part of my presentation when I pitch. It’s a huge plus. Learn how to edit and how to put pieces together. That way, you can go in with a plan and not just shoot or design everything. Trying to fix everything in post is the worst way to go about a project. It was an interesting thing when motion design started. Everybody was coming from a different place. So you had designers working with animators, and animators working with writers, and writers working with directors and filmmakers. All these different types of things were coming together and creating this weird new art form. We really hadn’t seen that before because the processing power of computers hadn’t caught up. So now, it’s great that people are learning specifically about motion design. I wish we could have had animators or designers who studied motion design. But it’s also great when you have someone with an outside interest. Something that feels outside the scope of what we’re doing, but really isn’t. If you weren’t a designer or director, what would you be? I think I would be a writer. I would still focus on telling stories.3 Do you have suggestions for young designers? Make, make, make, make, make. When you’re not working to make a living, make something else. Shoot something, edit something, paint, do something where you’re constantly creating. Professional Perspectives Robert Rugan 157 Figure 10.24: TH1RT33N title sequence. Created by Superfad for Paramount. Creative Director: Robert Rugan. 158 Professional Perspectives Robert Rugan Notes 1 Van Sijll, Jennifer. Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2005. 2 “About.” Robertrugan.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://www. robertrugan.com/contact/>. 3 Rugan, Robert, telephone interview with author, May 8, 2014. Cinematic Conventions 159 Chapter 11: Concept Development Exercises This is a two-part exercise designed to practice concept development in relation to the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. Part 1 explores various concept development exercises to help generate ideas. Part 2 takes these concepts into the visual realm with thumbnail sketches and hand-drawn storyboarding. Part 1 The outcomes of design for motion are beautiful style frames and dynamic design boards. However, without strong concepts, these outcomes are merely eye candy. There is more to being a motion designer than creating beautiful images and motion. We are also problem solvers and creative thinkers. These exercises introduce tools and methods to warm-up your concept development skills. The goal is to explore ideas with curiosity and an open mind. Turn down the volume of your internal editor, and try not to worry about outcomes. In a classroom, it is helpful to practice these exercises to be sure students understand how to work with them. However, there is no reason you cannot do these exercises on your own, outside of a course setting. The suggested order of exercises allows you to practice the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. 160 Concept Development Exercises Description/Creative Needs: For this assignment, you will create process books that document the creative development stages of three different concepts. Concept development is an integral part of a creative project. With the pressure of deadlines, competitive pitching, and getting paid, it is easy to rush through these stages to arrive at an outcome or solution. However, smart solutions need time and effort to grow. The purpose of these exercises is to fully embrace the concept development stages of a project without the pressure of delivering finished outcomes. Remember, we are on the process side of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. That means we want to have an attitude that is open and curious. Approach each stage with a playful mindset, and do not forget to have fun. Refer to the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum information graphic as needed. We begin broad with infinite potential. Gradually, and without too much force, we refine our concepts toward becoming something finite. Follow these steps in developing your concepts: 1. Free write 2. Word lists 3. Mind maps 4. DOs & DON’Ts lists 5. Shape of a concept 6. Mood boards 7. Written treatments Creative Brief All projects begin with a creative brief. The first step of this exercise is to construct a very simple creative brief. Start with a single word that can serve as a jumping-off point. Try to choose a word that is thought provoking, challenging, or inspirational. In a classroom setting, invite the students to suggest a keyword. By including them in the process, they will be more invested in the exercise. You can also refer to sample keywords on pages 221–222 for suggestions. The creative brief is the focal-point question for the exercise, and the goal is to create an answer in the form of a concept. However, it is important to remember that these exercises are warm-ups. You will not be taking these concepts all the way to the style frame or design board stages. The more you can let go of outcomes and explore freely, the more you will benefit. After a keyword is selected, prepare for a 10-minute free write. Free Write As you prepare for a free write, do your best to turn off your internal editor. Remember, free writing is an unedited flow of your thoughts recorded on paper or typed on a screen. Do not worry about what comes out in your free write; let go of outcomes, and explore the chosen keyword. Once the timer starts, do not stop writing until the end of the free write. Be engaged in the process, and try to avoid any unnecessary noise. Write down everything that comes to mind about the keyword. If other thoughts come up during the free write, record them as well. Do not worry about grammar, spelling, or even making sense. If working in a classroom, it is a good idea to have a brief group discussion about the experience once the time is up. However, specifics of what students have written in their free writes should not be shared. It is really important to feel comfortable writing whatever comes to mind, so I always remind students that their free writes are personal and private. Let this be an opportunity for your mind to run free and see what ideas emerge. For many, this exercise will be the first time writing in such a manner. At first, it may be difficult to let go of the internal editor. If you are having difficulty, keep practicing free writing and try not to worry. We spend a lot of time in our daily lives editing ourselves. Free writing can be uncomfortable at first, but it can help to jumpstart the creative process if we stick with it. Additionally, free writing may help to clear our minds of any mental clutter that may distract us from concept development. There will often be unexpected ideas or associations that arise during a free write. These are the kinds of discoveries we seek. When an idea, image, or emotion unfolds during a free write, try to see where it takes you. After the free write is over, identify the words or ideas that most resonate with the creative brief. These will become the initial keywords of the next stage in the exercise: the word list. Word List Make a word list from the keywords that emerged during the free writing exercise. Remember to have fun during these exercises. If you are not enjoying the process, then you are probably too concerned with the outcome. For the word list, seek keywords that have meaning and depth in relation to the creative brief. Continue to work in a sketchbook, notebook, or type on a computer. Search for interesting words, then create juxtapositions by including the opposite definition of those keywords. Again, if you are in a classroom setting, have a brief group discussion about your experience once the word list is completed. Compare and contrast the word list with the free write. Some Concept Development Exercises 161 may be more comfortable with the word list, others may prefer free writing. Remember that both tools can be used together or separately. Keep working with both free writing and word lists because you may have a totally different experience on any given day. The main idea is to keep an open mind and explore with as much curiosity as possible. Mind Map Now it is time to translate the word list into a mind map. Mind maps help to organize our keywords into associations or thought structures. The previous exercise focused on refining and selecting keywords, while the mind map expands ideas and creates new connections. At this stage in the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, a concept usually begins to emerge. However, try to maintain a flexible attitude as the concept is still forming. Nothing is set in stone at this point. We are still exploring and making discoveries. Mind maps can be created in a sketchbook, notebook, with software, or designed on a computer. Let go of your expectations about outcomes, and be engaged in the process as best as you can. DOs & DON’Ts List By the time the mind map is completed, you should be having flashes, glimpses, or inspirations about what the concept is becoming. Ideas, emotions, images, or narratives that emerged during the previous exercises are beginning to orbit around the creative brief. The DOs & DON’Ts list organizes intentions and creative choices about the direction of the project. Putting these choices down on paper begins to define the borders of the concept. The goal is to loosely define what we want the concept to be and what we want to avoid. Again, these decisions are not final. But, they do help to determine the initial shape of the concept. Consider qualities you want to communicate—such as visual style, emotions, and ideas—and the kind of story you want to tell. 162 Concept Development Exercises Shape of a Concept At this point, you will have done a free write, a word list, a mind map, and a DOs & DON’Ts list in relation to the creative brief. You should be arriving at an initial shape for your concept. The exercises encourage an internal search for ideas and inspiration. In terms of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum, the initial shape of a concept is a jumping-off point into the next stages of concept development. With this shape in mind, we can start our external search for inspiration. Mood Board There are many excellent blogs that showcase beautiful design. When visiting these sites, search for images that most resonate with the developing concept. The DOs & DON’Ts list will provide guidelines for what kinds of images inform the concept. Finding reference images for a mood board is an inspiring process. Let go of expectations or worries about the outcome of the project and appreciate the beautiful images you discover. This part of the process is all about sparking creativity and generating ideas. Save the mood board images that move you and relate to your concept into a folder for reference images. It is always a good idea to keep an organized and logical project structure. Once you have found a range of inspirational images, it is time to organize them. Use design software with strong layout capabilities to build your mood board. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign are both great options. Written Treatment Written treatments describe the narrative of the project—how it begins, what happens, and how it concludes. Use your mood board, DOs & DON’T’s list, mind map, and word list to help construct your written narrative. Remember, interesting stories contain tension, conflict, and resolution. Draw a simple shape for your story as illustrated by Figure 8.7 (in the written treatments section of Chapter 8). Be clear and concise with your written treatments. They are excellent tools for communicating and selling concepts as well as planning a vision for a project. Part 2 “The advantage of using drawn frames is that your viewer’s imagination can still go places. A storyboard is a starting place. Some things you need to be precious about, but if you are doing something with actors, live action, or animation with ink, you need to leave enough room so you are not boxed in as it develops.”—Karin Fong, Designer/Director We will continue expanding our concepts from the exercises in Part 1 by creating thumbnail sketches and hand-drawn storyboards to visualize our narratives. This part of the assignment is an opportunity to practice visual storytelling. Consider cinematic conventions, continuity, and narrative. Review your written treatments and begin to envision how your stories will unfold. Deliverables: Three process books for three different concepts. Document your relevant ideation in process books. All of the exercises need to be included, with the exception of the free write. Due to the unedited nature of free writing, it is optional if you wish to include them. The process books will be the deliverables for this assignment. These exercises focus on concept development and previsualization. Your completed process books can demonstrate your critical thinking skills and your ability to visualize a narrative to a potential employer. Additionally, the goal of these exercises is for you to become comfortable using concept development tools and creating visual stories for your projects. Suggested Specifications: PDF file Horizontal layout 1920 ¥ 1080 or Tabloid Size Process: 1. Create thumbnail sketches for the hero moments of your concepts. 2. Create three hand-drawn storyboards: one for each concept. 3. Continue to document and update your process books. Concept Development Exercises 163 Figure 11.1: Design board for CDW Commercial. Created by Superfad for CDW. Creative Director: Chace Hartman. 164 Professional Perspectives Chace Hartman Professional Perspectives Chace Hartman Chace Hartman is co-founder of Scout, a motion design studio based in New York City. Prior to Scout, he worked as an Executive Creative Director at Superfad, NY. Chace also spent many years freelancing for studios such as Digital Kitchen, Buck, Passion Pictures, and Brand New School. He studied Illustration at the Cornish College of the Arts. Chace began his career doing print and packaging design for Starbucks in Seattle, in its early years. He found a niche doing technical illustrations for products and how-to guides, but realized he wanted more of a creative challenge. Chace made the transition from illustrator to motion designer. An Interview with Chace Hartman How did you get started as a motion designer? I had a good thing going doing technical illustrations, but I could see exactly where I would be at 40, looking back and doing the same thing I did when I was 25. I had always liked animation. I didn’t know how to do any of it, but I was attracted to it. Motion design was just coming of age. I could have stayed at my first job doing packaging and illustration and done well, but I would have been bored out of my mind. I got an opportunity to do some freelance animation for Digital Kitchen. I was in way over my head, but I figured it out on the fly. It was new and challenging, and I was hungry. I was just glad it wasn’t huge amounts of technical illustration. I started doing design boards for Digital Kitchen, which solidified in my mind that I could do this. I also realized at that point, that I could rely on my illustration, and get better at design and typography. Didn’t you sleep in a closet for a year? There were only a couple of places doing motion design in Seattle at the time. I was ready for a change. I realized if I was going to move to New York, I needed to save some money. So I moved into a friend’s place. I paid him $200 a month and just slept in the closet. I had a sleeping bag, my bike, and a duffel bag of clothes. I stayed there for a year and a half, built up my reel and saved money. I emailed studios in New York and told them I was moving there in six months, even though I didn’t have a plan yet about how I was going to do it. I found a sublet in New York and started freelancing with Eyeball. Then I got booked at Brand New School. I freelanced between Seattle and New York for around 12 or 13 years. Then I got married and started having kids. So I got a full-time job at Superfad in New York. I had avoided taking a staff position for a long time. But, I found I was able to nurture and grow with one place. This allowed me to hone my art directing ability, work more with clients, and manage people better, which you don’t get to do as a freelancer. Most of the time you are running-and-gunning or doing damage control with freelance. Professional Perspectives Chace Hartman 165 After Superfad closed, I opened a studio called Scout with my partner Brian Drucker. How do you approach storytelling? I think it is a common tendency for illustrators to over storyboard. I used to be more precious about my work. I have become a better storyteller by knowing what to leave out, so the viewer can fill it in. It is a process of finding the balance and letting go. Learning how to show the most, with the least amount of detail. Where do you find inspiration? Being surrounded by really hard-working and talented people. What do you like most about motion design? I enjoy the process of problem solving. All of the initial thinking you put into a project, so you don’t get stuck in a position of trying to untangle something you’ve overpromised. Thinking in a modular way, or modular phases helps to avoid that. I like being inspired by other people’s work, and learning from their skill sets. As soon as you stop learning, you won’t be passionate about your work. 166 Professional Perspectives Chace Hartman Do you have any design mentors? Anyone who would give me opportunities was someone I looked up to. I have always enjoyed collaborating with people who were willing to share and were excited about the process of design. What would you be if you weren’t a designer? I would probably do something with music. Definitely not anything like economics or physics. Do you have suggestions for young designers? Get to know what you are good at, but don’t let it be your only strength. Have a couple of things you really like to do. Not every job is going to need your strength, so you need to be diverse, within reason. Having a diverse skill set is a good attribute and attractive to people who might want to hire you. It will allow you to think in different ways and solve design problems. It will also keep you from getting bored. You can’t let not knowing stop you from trying.1 Figure 11.2: American Express “Beaker” commercial. Created by Superfad for American Express. Creative Director: Chace Hartman. Professional Perspectives Chace Hartman 167 Figure 11.3: Design board for World Cup. Created at Superfad. Designer: Chace Hartman. Note 1 Hartman, Chace, telephone interview with author, July 10, 2014. 168 Professional Perspectives Chace Hartman Figure 12.1: KNOLLING SHOOT OF DESIGNER’S TOOLS BY STASIA LUO, AUSTIN SHAW, LEXIE REDD, EDDY NIETO, RYAN BRADY RISH, ALONNA MORRISON, CHASE HOCHSTATTER, AND MADELINE MILLER. 170 Design Essentials Chapter 12: Design Essentials Designer’s Toolkit It is an exciting time to be a designer. The last few decades have ushered in the digital revolution. Designers now have access to high-quality tools and equipment at relatively affordable prices. Motion designers need a fluency in both analog and digital materials and production methods. This means we should feel comfortable moving between the sketchbook and the computer. Most of us have some kind of background in fine arts— drawing, painting, sculpture, etc. Yet, we often forget that these practices are available to us as motion designers. Students are pleasantly surprised when they are reminded they can utilize skills and materials from their foundation training as artists. This section covers the indispensable tools the modern designer needs. Gathering and creating elements is at the core of design for motion and is one of the first steps in the creative process. Finding and Making Assets It is typical to use assets from any source when you make style frames for a pitch in the motion design industry. With tight deadlines and limited resources to build compositions, we may need to pull images from the Internet. How else will we composite an aerial shot or a desert landscape if we are working in a studio in New York City? Now, for pitches, this practice is standard. Images used in style frames for presentations are fair game. However, if a project is awarded, the rights to use those images in a commercial production must be purchased, or original assets must be photographed for usage in the project. Designers should create their own assets whenever possible. Digital cameras are extremely affordable and allow us to photograph elements for our style frames. We will have much more control of our compositions if we shoot our own images. We can assure that our lighting is consistent if we are compositing different source photos. Shooting our own images may also help to introduce a cinematic quality to our design. Scanners are useful to digitize drawings and illustrations as well as interesting textures and found imagery. We can bring images from our sketchbooks directly into the digital workspace to combine them with other assets, or to use them as templates to create digital illustrations. We can also utilize 3D software to create models, textures, cinematic setups, and dynamic lighting. Of course, there are also alternative or unexpected methods to create assets, such as scratched film, data glitches, ink in water, or projection mapping. These techniques offer the opportunity to create uniquely beautiful distortions. The more diverse a designer’s skillset in regards to asset creation, the more options a designer will have to create compelling style frames. Prepping Assets Sometimes the assets or layers in a style frame can translate directly into production. Be sure to work non-destructively Design Essentials 171 Figure 12.2: VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHS, SCANNED TEXTURES, AND HAND-MADE ELEMENTS BY AUSTIN SHAW. whenever possible—meaning, preserve as much flexibility as possible with your layers and digital assets. Non-destructive workflows are important because they give us the option to undo or revert files and projects. This attribute increases efficiency and can save a studio or designer a lot of time and money. When designing in Photoshop, make it a habit to work with layer masks, adjustment layers, smart objects, and smart filters. In any program we are designing, naming layers logically will save time when we go into production. Even if we are not animating, 172 Design Essentials we will make the animators happy by labeling layers because it will be easier to find and keep track of assets. If our assets do not translate directly into production, we need to be prepared to remake them. Mark-Making Tools Artists have been using tools to make marks for thousands of years. Early cave paintings were created with brushes made from plant and animal materials. Today, we have a myriad of tools at our disposal to make marks in our sketchbooks. Pencils, pens, charcoal, markers, brush pens, crayons, and paintbrushes are a few of the most common mark-making tools. Use the tools you are most comfortable with, but be sure to have a pen or pencil within reach of your sketchbook so you can record any ideas that may come to mind. An important idea to remember is that most of the tools we use on the computer are digital translations of analog practices. The scissor, the brush, and the ruler are but a few of the tools that are directly digitized versions of actual tools. Creative software allows us to utilize these digital means in a rapidly efficient manner. However, we should not set aside analog tools. Often, analog methods contain a personal and unique quality that is very difficult to produce digitally. Ultimately, the art of combining analog and digital offers an opportunity to harness the creative potential and power of both mediums. Experiment with how far you can mix analog and digital methods. Sketchbooks Sketchbooks are a vital tool for designers. They come in many different sizes, from pocket size sketchbooks that are very portable, to large format sketchbooks that take up half your desk. Artists and designers have been using sketchbooks for ages. You can record what you see in your daily life, develop concepts, and work on images. Sketchbooks are excellent for taking notes, roughing out drawings, and exploring potential ideas. Writing down or sketching your ideas and inspirations is like planting seeds in a garden. Over time, they may develop into something beautiful. However, if you do not record your ideas, they will fade away. Traditionally, sketchbooks are analog. With the introduction Figure 12.3: A FEW PAGES FROM A SKETCHBOOK, COURTESY OF YEOJIN SHIN, SCAD BFA. Design Essentials 173 of tablets, digital sketchbooks are emerging. Use the medium with which you are most comfortable. However, an analog sketchbook can be used virtually anywhere and facilitates a tactile experience of creativity. Computers Computers have become the ultimate tool for designers. They offer many advantages, including the ability to save work, undo mistakes, and contain creative software. They are like miniature studios, equipped with the tools needed to create vast amounts of media. Desktop computers are great for regularly used workstations. Laptops offer portability for creativity on the go. Just be sure your computer has enough processing power to perform efficiently for your workflow. Also, never forget that the computer is a tool. The designer is the creative force behind the tool. Digital Backups Get in the habit of backing-up your important data. A backup is a digital copy of files onto a storage device that is independent of your computer. This backup should include your creative projects and your digital library. As designers, we spend vast amounts of time and energy making our work. The process of building a digital library of assets often takes years. Be kind to yourself, and invest in a reliable backup system. With digital files, especially animation and video, storage space can fill up very quickly. Fortunately, the price of digital storage has come down tremendously in the last decade. The first external hard drive I purchased around 2001 was a 250gb Maxtor drive. It cost over $450! It is a good idea to use software to set up automatic daily backups of your work. Smart update features only copy new data, which makes the process much quicker. Although backup solutions are an expense, they can save you time and heartache. 174 Design Essentials Cameras The widespread availability of digital cameras has greatly expanded the ease with which we capture and gather elements for the digital workspace. The camera may be the most essential tool, especially because it can capture both stills and video at a high quality. In the early 2000s, digital point-and-shoot cameras became very affordable and were employed in many commercial productions, especially in the design phase. Today, most smart phones have cameras that are good enough for broadcast purposes. The ease and affordability of ownership has made the process of image capturing much easier. Of course, a DSLR camera—digital single-lens reflex camera—will offer a much greater range of quality, as well as the ability to affect factors like depth of field and RAW image file formats. A basic understanding of lighting, aperture, and shutter speed will also be of great benefit when working with a DSLR camera. Wacoms and Cintiqs Although it is not required to work with a Wacom Tablet or Cintiq, they are very useful. A Wacom Tablet offers a tactile method of input for your mouse movements. A Cintiq allows you to draw directly on the screen. Both devices allow us to capture natural hand gestures with precision when working with a computer. They may take some time getting used to, but they are invaluable for creating illustrative design directly in a digital workspace. Scanners Another great tool for digitizing assets is a scanner. A scanner offers the ability to create a digital file of a flat object like a printed photograph or a sheet of paper. One benefit of a scanner is that it can capture an image or flat object in extremely high resolution. Scanned textures can be employed in the digital workspace in a variety of ways, but often work very well as blending materials. In addition to scanning for textures, other analog elements can be digitized, such as drawings, ink splashes, watercolor washes, organic plant life, tape, etc. Pretty much anything that can be laid on a scanner bed can be digitized. Just be sure you do not damage the scanner in the process. Transparent paper such as Mylar will help protect a scanner from wet or messy elements. Digital Library Once you have digitized your assets, you can use them in the digital workspace. Building a resource library of various assets is advised. You can draw upon these assets in your design and production processes. Be creative with how you organize your assets, but be sure to have some kind of structure. As time passes, your resource library will grow, and your methods of gathering assets will probably expand, as well. Alternative Tools Of course, there are alternative tools that can be included in your toolkit. Projectors, motion sensors, 3D printers, etc. are being innovated constantly. Touch-screen technology is poised to offer new possibilities for designers. We stand on the precipice of what appears to be the next revolution—the Interactive Age of Design. Be open and embrace new tools and methods. But, always remember a designer is a creative problem-solver. Do not rely on any one specific tool or method to accomplish your tasks. Design Essentials 175 Figure 12.4: Sprint: Now Network commercial. Created by Superfad for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Figure 12.5: Samsonite: Matador commercial. Created by Superfad for Connelly Partners. Director: Will Hyde. 176 Professional Perspectives Will Hyde Professional Perspectives Will Hyde Will Hyde is a collaborative problem solver, fascinated fine artist, wannabe fourth grader, and general uncager of the amazing. On any given day, he can be found inventing a new camera rig, painting a plastic Godzilla toy, plundering for vintage lenses in a thrift shop, or euphorically fiddling with mathematical formulas. He joyfully proclaims his happiest projects are those he has no idea how he’s going to make, but he somehow always does. Will is the founder of Strange & Wonderful as well as a co-founder of both Superfad, and Digital Kitchen.1 An Interview with Will Hyde What is your art and design background? I studied Liberal Arts at the University of Virginia. I discovered desktop publishing technology while I was in college. I followed a friend out to Seattle to start a newspaper called The Stranger. The technology that made design really fluid is what got me interested in the first place. I started pushing the envelope of Photoshop when it first came out. I got a job as a Junior Art Director at an ad agency. We had an opportunity to do a video job in 1995, when the first software to push video through the Mac came out. Six months later we bought an Avid Media Composer, Adobe After Effects, and started Digital Kitchen. We set up Digital Kitchen to push into this new world of motion graphics. We gradually started getting more opportunities in video. It was a David and Goliath kind of story. The world was filled with post-production houses with big machines that had technicians running them. They could do stuff in more real-time, but because they were million dollar machines, you couldn’t really have artists on them. They had to be technicians who knew exactly what they were doing. They had to get it done and get out because they were charging $700 per hour. That was the big shift. We couldn’t do it in real time, but we could get it done in the middle of the night. We were just punk kids with Macs who didn’t know what the rules were. We didn’t have a plan. I slashed my salary in half so we could build this thing. We were trying to figure out what we were doing, at the same time the technology was getting better and better. I was in on the ground floor of Photoshop and then in on the ground floor of motion graphics. As time went by, people saw they could get video done less expensively. Video cameras got better and there was a natural cycle where everything fed itself. We were just there to take advantage of it. I am very keen, at this point in my career, not to do something that I have done before. My work always goes back to what got me into this business in the first place: I want to do something different with the camera. I am fascinated with new technology. Going back to the beginning of how I started in design, it was the technology that got me interested. Professional Perspectives Will Hyde 177 Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration in photography. The very nature of fashion photography is that it exists on the cutting edge. It has to be new— new uses of techniques and art direction. The practical use of light, the sculpting of light … it’s very important to me. Because fashion photography has to be new every month, I draw a lot of inspiration from it. The other thing that is really important to me is the maker movement. The Arduino world, and making stuff is really important to me. I find that, more than anything, if I am really into some kind of new maker stuff, it will inform the next job that comes along. Do you have suggestions for young designers? You need to have a certain amount of technical skill to get your foot in the door. You need to have design chops. But, in the long 178 Professional Perspectives Will Hyde run, it is important to have critical thinking. When you move from Designer to Art Director to Creative Director, you spend a lot of your day thinking and writing. You’re not going to get a job right out of college doing that. But, as the years go by, to move up in the business, you will be asked to do more and more critical thinking and conceptual thinking. You need to be able to talk to clients. Talking on the phone is a huge part of the business. You have to be smooth, to be able to think on your feet, and to be confident. The most important thing is to be able to sell your ideas to the other people in the room. The hardest thing for me to get students to do is to fight for their ideas. I want students to come to me with ideas, and if I point something out, it is their responsibility to push back. It’s hard. But a lot of people never even try to put themselves out there. The best road to success, once you get your foot in the door, is to make yourself heard.2 Figure 12.6: Sony: Eye Candy commercial. Created by Superfad for Sony Worldwide. Director: Will Hyde. Professional Perspectives Will Hyde 179 Figure 12.7: Phantom: Descent commercial. Created by Superfad for Vision Research. Director: Will Hyde. Figure 12.8: Pioneer: Kuro commerial. Created by Superfad for TBWA Chiat Day. Director: Will Hyde. 180 Professional Perspectives Will Hyde Notes 1 “About.” Strangeandwonderful.co. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http:// strangeandwonderful.co/about/>. 2 Hyde, Will, telephone interview with author, August 8, 2014. Design Essentials 181 Figure 13.1: TIC TAC COMMERCIAL. CREATED BY SAROFSKY FOR NOISE VANCOUVER. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: ERIN SAROFSKY. 182 The Art of Compositing Chapter 13: The Art of Compositing Compositing Compositing is the art of combining two or more distinct elements to create a sense of seamlessness or a feeling of belonging. Compositing is used to select, adjust, blend, or stitch multiple visual elements into a single image. Successful compositing establishes a recognizable visual pattern and is a key skill that will allow you to create a variety of visual styles. There is a spectrum of compositing treatments that ranges from concrete to abstract. Concrete compositing refers to photo-realistic images, where believability is required. The goal of concrete compositing is to mimic reality and to create a sense of realism in an image. Abstract compositing refers to images that use elements from various sources to create a distinct style. It is not necessary for an image to look photo-real or believable in an abstract composite; however, abstract composites still need to achieve a sense of harmony. Many of the same techniques are used in both concrete and abstract compositing. It takes skill and practice to know how to apply them based on the needs of a creative brief. Concrete and abstract describe the extreme ranges of composites and many instances will require something in-between. Concrete Compositing Concrete compositing combines elements from different sources in order to feel real or natural. This side of the compositing spectrum is rooted firmly in the tradition of visual effects and has very strict rules that need to be followed to be effective. Perspective, lighting, value, and color are some of the key principles that are used with concrete compositing. In addition to understanding these visual principles, the designer must know which tools are most effective and how to use them. Figure 13.2 showcases two different examples of concrete compositing. The designer has used compositing skills and principles to match intensities of value, basic transformations like perspective, and color correction to achieve unity. The image on the left utilizes light direction, cast shadows, and reflective surfaces to create a sense of believability. The image on the right uses perspective, reflections, and depth of field to achieve a sense of compositing within the style frame. Although both images are stylized to some degree, they feel like they adhere to physical laws. Abstract Compositing Abstract compositing is bringing elements together in a way that does not appear concrete or photo-realistic. There is a range of stylization from slightly abstract to fully abstract. Regardless of the degree to which a design is abstracted, a visual pattern must emerge that holds the image together. An abstract composite must still feel like one world in which all the elements exist harmoniously, even if the rules of nature are not as strict. In this way, many of the same visual principles that are The Art of Compositing 183 Figure 13.2: STYLE FRAMES REPRESENTING CONCRETE COMPOSITING, COURTESY OF ROBERT RUGAN. Figure 13.3: SALT—EVERYTHING’S BETTER COMMERCIAL. CREATED BY GENTLEMAN SCHOLAR FOR GREY ADVERTISING. DIRECTORS: WILLIAM CAMPBELL AND WILL JOHNSON. 184 The Art of Compositing needed for concrete compositing apply to abstract compositing. Perspective, lighting, value, and color are just as important. Although with abstraction, the designer has the liberty to bend the rules. Figure 13.3 shows two frames from a commercial that can be described as abstract compositing. In this project, all the visual elements of the world are constructed from salt. Although the aesthetic style is abstract, compositing skills and principles have created a sense of harmony. Lighting, color, cinematic conventions like depth of field, and a unified treatment of 3D modeling contribute to the visual pattern of the composite. Additionally, the consistent handling of principles such as positive and negative space, value, and contrast also help to define the look and feel of this project. Core Principles and Skills of Compositing Compositing is an idea that bridges analog and digital media. In the visual arts, compositing began with photomontage and collage. For motion, compositing has its roots in visual effects and optical printing. Although many analog compositing techniques have been translated into digital toolsets, the underlying principles remain the same. This section introduces the essential principles and tools of compositing. In the simplest terms, mattes help us to cut parts of images from their source. For instance, we would employ a matte to remove a figure from a background in order to composite the figure into another image. Mattes are pivotal for compositing, and there are many different tools and methods to make them. Become adept with a range of tools, as varying images will present different challenges. Making a matte for a human figure is far different than making a matte of a sky. A designer must develop the ability to analyze an image, and identify which tool or tools will be most effective in making a matte. Figure 13.4 is an excellent example of compositing that utilizes mattes. The True Detective title sequence effectively creates a beautiful and unique aesthetic style reminiscent of double exposure photography. Mattes are used to contain and blend landscapes within figurative elements. Contrast is a key principle in creating these strong visuals. The backgrounds are very sparse and simple relative to the intensely rich visuals of the double exposure figures. The negative space directs the viewer to the focal point in each frame. Contrast between dark and light values also causes dynamic tension and interest. Variations in opacity and feathered edges of mattes add to the visual composite by creating oppositions between simultaneous feelings of depth and flatness. Mattes Mattes are one of the core concepts and skills of compositing. A matte describes the process of isolating, removing, or extracting specific parts of an image. Historically, this action would be accomplished with a blade or a scissor. Pre-digital designers needed to develop their “hand skills” to aid in their image-making process. Today, these practices still have value, but have mostly been replaced by digital methods in commercial art. Feathering Feathering is a way to control how sharp or blurry the edge of a matte will be. Edges that are either too sharp or too blurry will stand out and look unbelievable. For successful compositing, a designer must learn to analyze and define the degree of softness that edges possess in an image. This skill is related to learning to see value and how light affects objects. Feathering also applies to the edges of digital brushes. Adjusting your brush to be The Art of Compositing 185 Figure 13.4: TRUE DETECTIVE TITLE SEQUENCE. CREATED BY ELASTIC FOR HBO. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: PATRICK CLAIR. either hard- or soft-edged will give you greater flexibility in your compositing skills. Duplication One of the most astounding aspects of digital tools is the rapid ease of duplicating files, images, or parts of images. With analog 186 The Art of Compositing materials and assets, there is only one of a kind. Of course there may be many different kinds of a material or asset, but each one is unique. For example, you can never have two exact analog copies of papyrus paper. However, once that piece of papyrus is digitized you can duplicate it over and over again. You can adjust the digital image in a multitude of ways. Figure 13.5: AN EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF DUPLICATION. THIS PIECE OF PAPYRUS HAS BEEN SCANNED AND DUPLICATE VERSIONS HAVE BEEN COLOR TREATED. The Art of Compositing 187 Duplication is part of a non-destructive workflow and can allow you to take chances you may not be so eager to take with analog materials or methods. Non-destructive describes a process that allows you to undo and preserve layer assets. By making duplicate files and layers, you should feel emboldened to experiment during your compositing and design process. Basic Transformations Basic transformations include scale, rotation, position, and adjustments to perspective. Digital tools allow for basic transformations with relative ease, but they can appear heavyhanded when applied without an understanding of compositing. A basic grasp of perspective will help you to make correct changes to scale and rotation in an image. Distortions can be used to create the effect of an element being foreshortened or to create a dynamic diagonal. Again, like most compositing principles, the key is to have a broad understanding of their varied uses and to know which tool to employ in each situation. Retouching There are many powerful digital retouching tools. But, they are easy to overuse. When these tools are not handled well, it is very evident. Too much exact repetition disrupts the pattern of believability in a composite. Images can very quickly begin to look fake or obviously digitally manipulated. However, when used with skill, retouching can enhance composites. The goal is to introduce enough randomness while retouching. This creates a more organic and believable look and feel. Retouching is useful to remove unwanted parts of an image, clean up blemishes, or to blend the edges of different elements in a composite. Color Correction and Color Grading Color correction is the art of adjusting the colors of an image to achieve a consistent look and feel. In terms of compositing, color 188 The Art of Compositing correction can help to unify an image into a cohesive pattern. Color grading creates a stylized tone by enhancing color choices. Again, the goal of compositing is to create a sense of uniformity, and color can be a powerful tool to do so. Motion designers must be able to analyze the existing color space of the assets they are working with and define the color pattern of an image. Assets need to be adjusted to match the intended color pattern. These primary art and design principles include hue, saturation, and value. Hue, Saturation, and Value Digital tools allow you to make adjustments to hue, saturation, and value very quickly. Changes to these visual elements can help images to feel like they belong in the same space. Often, the needed adjustments may be very subtle. However, precision is required for compositing in order to achieve a degree of believability. This requirement is especially true with concrete photo-realistic images. You may need to boost the saturation of an element very slightly for it to feel like it belongs with the rest of the image. Or, you may need to swing the hue of an element to match the color space you are placing it in. The ability to adjust and selectively manipulate value is also crucial to successful compositing. Figure 13.6 demonstrates the principles of color correction and color grading. Color is used as a unifying element in each frame. Although the background and type colors change, the palette is essentially limited to red, yellow, black, and some gradations of gray. The intensity of color saturation is consistent in every frame. Additionally, this style utilizes texture to create a weathered appearance. The combination of highly saturated colors against a distressed and gritty texture contributes to the color style of this project. Figure 13.6: MATADOR TITLE SEQUENCE. CREATED BY SAROFSKY FOR ROBERT RODRIQUEZ AND EL REY NETWORK. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: ERIN SAROFSKY. The Art of Compositing 189 Blending Blending allows you to create unity and integration within your composites. Blending helps to visually merge images to achieve a sense of belonging. Building on the traditions of photography and cinematography, digital blending is essentially a translation of analog methods and techniques. Qualities like luminance, color, and value can be mixed between distinct visual elements to produce unexpected effects and aesthetics. In Figure 13.7, the titles for The Pacific showcase the principles of blending and compositing. Textured paper is blended with filmed imagery to create a unique style. The organic qualities Figure 13.7: THE PACIFIC MAIN TITLE. CREATED BY IMAGINARY FORCES FOR HBO. ART DIRECTORS: PETER FRANKFURT, STEVE FULLER, AND AHMET AHMET. DESIGNER: LAUREN HARTSTONE. 190 The Art of Compositing of the paper are preserved and mixed with the photographic imagery. Additional compositing choices, like a limited color palette with accents of intense red and a high contrast treatment of imagery, create a visceral response in the viewer. Creative Brief—Compositing Exercises Concrete and Abstract Composites Successful compositing for motion begins with successful compositing for design. These exercises are crafted to improve Figure 13.8: EXAMPLE OF CONCRETE COMPOSITING EXERCISE BY PETER CLARK. The Art of Compositing 191 Figure 13.9: EXAMPLE OF ABSTRACT COMPOSITING EXERCISE BY SEKANI SOLOMON. 192 The Art of Compositing and solidify compositing skills. Although it can be tedious, a foundation in technical proficiency coupled with an understanding of compositing principles enables designers to create a diverse range of visual styles. Composites can range from concrete photo-real to abstract combinations. Compositing creates a visual pattern where elements from different sources feel like they belong in the same space. For this project, you will create a series of images using photographs of animals in unexpected environments and unexpected combinations. Part 2—Analyze Visual Patterns Once you have source images for animals and environments, you will need to analyze the underlying visual patterns. What direction is the light coming from? What direction are shadows being cast? What is the range of intensity between dark and light values? What is the perspective? Is there depth of field? Answering these questions will help to construct the visual borders for your composites. They are essential to the concrete photo-real exercises, but will also be applicable with the abstract exercises. Specifications and Constraints: • Create three photo-real composites of animals in unexpected environments. • Create three abstract composites of animals in unexpected combinations. • Prepare all six composites, as well as source images, in a process book. Process: Part 1—Gather Images The first step is to gather and organize the image assets you want to use. Ideally, use your own photographs for this project. However, it may be impractical to photograph exotic animals, unless you live near a zoo. In this case, use the Internet to find source images of animals if there are no other options. It should not be a problem to photograph the environments into which you will composite the animal images. Additionally, choosing the environment will allow you to control light direction and time of day. Part 3—Build Composites Begin by sketching out the compositions you want to build with your image assets. Use compositing techniques such as mattes, masks, blending, color correction, and transformations to combine your source images. Rough out the general patterns of the composites, then gradually refine and add details. You can use gradients, noise, or textures to help unify your compositions. Practice using a non-destructive workflow with these composites, giving you greater flexibility to undo or make changes. Part 4—Create a Process Book Document your project in a process book. A process book can demonstrate your ability to bring image assets together from different sources to create a unified visual aesthetic. Showcase your step-by-step progress by including source images, initial composites, and final composites. The Art of Compositing 193 Figure 14.1: SUPERBOWL XVIII STYLE FRAMES FOR OPENING SEQUENCE. CREATED BY SCAD STUDENTS FOR FOX SPORTS. FOX SPORTS CREATIVE DIRECTORS: GARY HARTLEY AND MICHAEL DOLAN. SCAD CREATIVE DIRECTOR: SEKANI SOLOMON. DESIGNERS: KELIANG SHAN, RICK KUAN, RAINY FU, AND CHASE HOCHSTATTER. 194 3D Software for Design Chapter 14: 3D Software for Design Using 3D Software for Design 3D software is a powerful tool. It allows designers to create objects and scenes that appear to have three-dimensional form. Although learning 3D software may be daunting at first, becoming comfortable with this tool will give you greater freedom and flexibility in your design process. There are entire professions and disciplines dedicated to working with 3D—specialists who use specific tools and software. From a motion design perspective, we approach 3D as generalists. Unless you are specializing in a field like visual effects, try not to worry about learning every single aspect of software or creating perfect photo-realistic renders. Learn the basics and expand your knowledge as needed. After learning to navigate 3D software, the essential skills a designer needs to know are modeling, materials, lighting, cameras, and rendering. Modeling 3D software allows us to bring sculptural sensibilities into design. We can create the illusion of depth and volume in a digital space. Most 3D software allows you to create simple geometric shapes with the click of a button. These can be modified, distorted, and combined. Working with simple objects like cubes, spheres, and cones is a great place to begin learning modeling. You can use simple deformers to distort, bend, or twist objects. More complex modeling requires learning how to adjust points, edges, faces, and splines of 3D geometry. However, by expanding your range of modeling techniques, you can learn to create much more organic forms. Materials You can create materials for 3D models and scenes that range from photo-realistic to highly stylized. Materials can be adjusted to manipulate qualities such as color, transparency, reflection, and texture. They are extremely customizable and offer a range of different looks and feels. An important idea to grasp is how materials are projected onto objects in 3D. This determines the way a material appears on the surface of a model. There are various options for material projection and mapping, and different models will require different choices. A common default projection in 3D software is UVW mapping. This option attempts to wrap your material around your geometry like a piece of clothing on a mannequin. However, if your material does not have seamless edges, you can get undesirable results. Other projections such as cubic, cylindrical, and spherical are great for corresponding object types. Cubic works well for anything rectangular, etc. There are additional mapping types and other software that has more specialized tools, such as UV unwrapping. However, it is a good idea to become comfortable with the basic material projections and add them to your skills as you learn more about 3D. 3D Software for Design 195 Figure 14.2: DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY DAVID CONKLIN, SCAD BFA. 196 3D Software for Design Lighting Lighting is fundamental to success in a 3D workspace. It affects the range of values in a scene, thus creating a sculptural look and feel. Lighting can help to establish an organic or believable style. Conversely, poorly considered lighting can make an aesthetic feel overly harsh and computer-generated. Knowledge of photography or cinematography is beneficial, as the principles of lighting translate directly into 3D software. One of the biggest differences between analog and digital lighting is the absence of ambient light in digital environments. In an analog lighting situation, ambient light is created when photons bounce off physical objects and create a diverse range of light and dark values. Digital lighting requires either placing additional lights at varying degrees of intensity to create the illusion of ambient lighting, or using settings to create the look of ambient illumination. Effects like global illumination can create ambient lighting, but they can be very processor intensive and time-consuming. It takes practice to learn how to efficiently create a desired lighting setup in 3D. Here is where the fill light is employed. A fill light serves to fill ambient light into the overly harsh shadows created by the key light. In 3D software, an area light works well as a fill light. Area lights project light in a diffused manner. The intensity of a fill light should also be reduced, as it is emulating the behavior of the reflected light in an analog setup. Reflected light bounces off objects in an environment to fill in the shadows of a subject. Place the fill light on the opposite side of the key light, to reduce the intensity of darkness in the shadows. The third light in the setup is a backlight. Some of the other names for this light are effects light, rim light, or kicker. The purpose of this light is to illuminate the edges of a model or scene. This light is placed behind the subject and can be positioned to either side as needed. A backlight will help to give the model or subject definition and separation from the background. A 3-point light setup is a good starting place for lighting a model or scene. However, you may need to add additional lights depending on the needs of your project. 3-Point Light Setup A good place to start with lighting is a 3-point light setup. This lighting technique is derived from practical studio lighting. The 3-point light setup uses three lights to give a model or scene a visually pleasing range of light and dark values. You have a key light, a fill light, and a backlight. The key light serves as the primary light source, emulating direct light from the sun. A spotlight or soft box with a high intensity is fitting for a key light. The key light is placed to either side of a subject and slightly above, pointing downwards. A key light that is placed directly in front of a subject will wash out the contrasts between light and dark. When this happens, the subject flattens out and becomes uninteresting. When the key light is placed to the side, a strong contrast between light and dark creates spatial forms. If we were to stop with just the key light, we would have a very harsh lighting situation. Cameras in 3D It is essential to become comfortable working with cameras in 3D. Your camera view defines how the viewer sees your composition. One of the strongest benefits of working with 3D for motion and design is the ability to change camera position. Once you have modeled, textured, and lit your scene, you can place the camera anywhere within your environment. In relation to design for motion, you can create style frames and design boards that have fluid continuity by using multiple camera positions and views. Designers have tremendous flexibility in creating interesting camera angles and dynamic changes in perspective or distance within the same scene. Adjusting the settings of cameras in 3D is not very difficult. They are digital translations of analog cameras. So parameters such as focal length, aperture, and shutter speed can be modified. 3D Software for Design 197 Figure 14.3: AN EXAMPLE OF A 3-POINT LIGHT SETUP IN MAXON CINEMA 4D. A. DEFAULT LIGHTING IN CINEMA 4D. B. KEY LIGHT ONLY. C. KEY LIGHT AND FILL LIGHT. D. KEY LIGHT, FILL LIGHT, AND BACK LIGHT. E. KEY LIGHT, FILL LIGHT, BACK LIGHT, AND AMBIENT OCCLUSION. F. KEY LIGHT, FILL LIGHT, BACK LIGHT, AMBIENT OCCLUSION, AND GLOBAL ILLUMINATION. For multiple style frames in a scene, you can either keyframe the position of a single camera at different moments in time, or you can create multiple cameras for different views. Experiment with camera focal length to create different effects. Try out various camera angles to create dynamic frame compositions. The beauty of working in digital software is the relative ease of experimentation. 198 3D Software for Design Rendering Designers need to learn the basics of rendering to utilize 3D for design. 3D software allows you to configure the output size, file format, and multi-pass settings for a project. Output size is the equivalent of aspect ratio or image size. Width, height, and resolution can be specified for a render. 3D software offers the option to render with an Alpha Channel, which allows Figure 14.4: DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY KELIANG SHAN, SCAD MA. for a transparent background. Image files or movies rendered out of 3D software will flatten or merge visual information by default. We do, however, have the option of rendering the visual information out in separate passes. This is known as multi-pass rendering. Multi-Pass Rendering Multi-pass rendering is the process of separating a 3D render into individual layers or passes. These multiple passes will then be reassembled in compositing software. This process offers the ability to control and enhance the look of an image or movie. When used with skill, multi-pass composites can add a polish and finish 3D Software for Design 199 Figure 14.5: VARIOUS PASSES OF A MULTI-PASS RENDER BY SEKANI SOLOMON, SCAD BFA. 200 3D Software for Design that greatly enriches the final outcome. Multi-pass compositing is a digital process that integrates 3D rendering and 2D compositing. Consequently, multi-pass requires working between 3D and 2D software. The advantage of rendering 3D in separate passes is much greater flexibility in how you composite your images or movies. You can individually adjust the separate passes to refine the aesthetic of the composite. Some of the more common passes to render separately include specular, shadow, reflection, ambient occlusion, global illumination, and object buffers. Of course, there are many other types of passes that can be rendered separately. Explore and add to your multi-pass render settings as your knowledge and projects become more advanced. Compositing 3D When you render with multi-pass, you create separate layers for the designated passes. Multi-pass layers are composited using blending modes in software like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe After Effects. It is very easy to be heavy-handed and overdo it. You may want to reduce the opacity of your passes if needed. Try different blending modes on your multi-pass layers to see what kind of effects they have on your composite. Another great feature of multi-pass rendering is the ability to render matte passes. Matte passes provide luminance information of black and white values that can be used to distinguish between what is visible and what is invisible. They are extremely helpful to isolate and work on specific parts of an image or animation. 3D gives you the ability to model objects, position them in space, compose scenes, and choose how they are viewed through a camera. Compositing your 3D elements will allow you to create any number of unique design styles. With 3D, you can create dramatic compositions for style frames and maintain continuity throughout a design board. It is a valuable skill to add to your arsenal of creativity. Additionally, knowledge or experience with 3D is attractive to potential employers. 3D Software for Design 201 Figure 14.6: FATES FOREVER VIDEO GAME CINEMATIC. CREATED FOR HAMMER & CHISEL. DIRECTOR: BRANDON KITKOUSKI. ANIMATOR: ROD LOVE. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: JASON M. DIAZ. COMPOSITING, VFX, AND 2D ANIMATION: SEKANI SOLOMON. 202 3D Software for Design Figure 15.1: MATTE PAINTING FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. 204 Matte Painting Chapter 15: Matte Painting Matte painting is an art that originated as a visual effect for early cinema. It allowed filmmakers to composite live-action with hand-painted scenic elements. Matte painting combined the principles and techniques of photography with early visual effects compositing. A matte painting was needed if the desired background did not exist, such as an alien world, fantasy environment, or futuristic setting. Additionally, matte paintings were needed if a background scene was too difficult to shoot or financially impractical. Early movies were generally shot on studio lots, as the cost to shoot on location was too high. Matte paintings were used to create realistic depth and location believability in films. They were either painted on glass or on canvas depending on the specific needs of a shot. Composites could be created in camera by shooting the matte painting on glass and the talent simultaneously. Or, the talent and matte painting were combined in post-production.1 Analog to Digital The digital revolution ushered in many new methods for design and production. Digital painting and digital effects are the common methods of matte painting today. In general, green screen production has replaced in-camera matte paintings for visual effects shots. Talent can be composited with fantastic environments in post-production efficiently using 2D and 3D software. Today, matte painters work as concept artists and digital painters for cinematic productions. They help to craft the vision of landscapes and worlds that otherwise could not be created for the screen. Matte painting and compositing may have shifted from analog to digital media, but the underlying visual principles remain the same. Matte Painting for Motion Design Although motion designers may not be creating concept art and matte paintings on a regular basis, the process of matte painting is extremely valuable. Matte painting offers opportunities to practice image-making and compositing skills in relation to storytelling. It also firmly places responsibility for composition and lighting on the designer. Often, motion designers create style frames based on source photographs. Various compositing tools are used to select and blend images together. However, the designer is forced to conform to the composition of the source photos. With matte painting, images are not made in this way. Rather, the process of making a matte painting puts ownership of the image firmly in the hands of the designer. Matte painting requires you to focus and combine your image-making abilities. Rather than finding a photograph to begin building an image, you create a sketch that depicts your overall composition and lighting. Once you have completed the sketch, you then turn it into an under-painting that depicts color and Matte Painting 205 value. After the under painting is fleshed out, you then create or find the necessary photographic, graphic, 3D, and/or illustrated elements to produce your matte painting. Sketching The first step after concept development is sketching. Once you have an idea for a scene, use thumbnails to sketch out potential compositions. Think about spatial planes, including foreground, middle ground, and background. Extreme foreground and background elements will add extra depth to your composition. Now is a good time to consider the camera view and perspective that you want to capture. A composition with perfectly horizontal spatial planes may be boring. Try using unexpected camera angles and positions. This approach will make your compositions more dynamic and challenge your skills with perspective. The goal of the thumbnail sketch is to develop a strong and interesting composition. Composition is the most vital principle in terms of the visual success of a frame. A weak composition will always find it a challenge to connect with the viewer, no matter how well it is composited or rendered. This method for creating a style frame differs from the method of selecting a source photograph to serve as a background layer, or selecting a key figurative element to build a composition around. Rather, the designer is choosing the Figure 15.2: SKETCHES FOR MATTE PAINTING FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. 206 Matte Painting layout of the frame and will create or find source elements to fill in their composition. A vital consideration during the sketching phase of a matte painting is the location of the light source. The designer needs to decide the origin and direction of lighting, as this will affect all of the elements in a scene. The light source determines the placement of highlights on objects and the direction and intensity of shadows. Variation in light and dark intensities of value is what will give form and depth to a matte painting. Thumbnail sketches can be done with pencil and paper, or digitally with a drawing tablet. Use the methods you are most comfortable with. Under Painting Once you have a solid thumbnail sketch, the next step is to render a detailed under painting that clearly defines color, value, light, and shadow. Traditionally, matte painters would do a color sketch by hand with paint, watercolor, or pastels. Today, it is very easy to digitize a hand-made drawing to paint over digitally. Or, if your sketch is digital, you can use it as a reference layer. Digital painting offers a lot of advantages including increased speed of production and the ability to save or undo choices. You do not need to set up actual paint, and you can easily save multiple versions of your work. This workflow allows for a lot of freedom to experiment in your process. Figure 15.3: REFINED THUMBNAIL SKETCH FOR MATTE PAINTING FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. Matte Painting 207 Figure 15.4: UNDER PAINTING FOR MATTE PAINTING FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. Digital painting tools offer a variety of brushes as well as the ability to customize your own brushes. Variations in brush opacity and flow rate will give a more organic feeling to your strokes. Working with a digital tablet allows you to paint strokes more naturally. As you make choices about color, remember to apply the image-making principles of value and saturation. Higher intensities of either principle will attract the viewer’s eye. The color sketch will help to determine the color palette of your image as well as the overall lighting of your scene. You will also want to pay attention to both atmospheric perspective and color perspective. With atmospheric perspective, objects in the 208 Matte Painting distance will have less contrast due to dust, fog, and particles in the air. This principle means that the further an object is in the distance, the less contrast it will have between lights and darks. Objects in the distance will also be less in focus. You can use a blur to create the illusion of background objects appearing further back in space. With color perspective, objects in the distance will have less saturation of color as well as absorbing the color of the sky. Asset Creation and Modification Your image style can range from concrete photo-real to a more abstract treatment. After you place your assets into your Figure 15.5: ASSETS FOR MATTE PAINTING FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY PETER CLARK, SCAD BFA. composition, you can digitally paint over them to deepen shadows and enhance highlights. Experiment with a range of blending to create the look and feel you want with your design. Another useful technique is to create assets independently of your main composite. Not every single asset needs to be made in the main composite, and it is often helpful to make visual elements in their own files. If your matte painting is especially dense, it may be easier to focus on making an asset in its own file. You can then place the asset into your main composite from the other image file. Do not be afraid to create many layers, but be sure to keep your layers labeled and organized. Compositing Assets Once the under painting is completed, the next step is to replace or build upon it with more refined image assets. The under painting serves as a reference layer as you move into the next stage of the project. Update the matte painting with photographs, illustrations, 3D models, or refined digital painting. You can find, shoot, make, model, draw, or paint your assets. Use compositing tools such as mattes, blending, transformations, and color correction, to create a sense that everything belongs in your image. All of the skills you learned and practiced in the compositing exercises will come into play in a matte painting. Matte Painting 209 Also, continue to apply fundamental image-making skills, such as matching value intensities. Lens effects like depth of field will add a cinematic quality to your matte painting. Atmospheric and color perspective will increase the sense of depth and space. Perspective Perspective can be tricky to get right, especially with dynamic or unexpected camera angles. If you are familiar with 3D software, you can use the perspective view, cameras, and simple geometry to help define your perspective. The wireframe display of perspective in a 3D application offers excellent guides for maintaining realistic depth. If you are not comfortable in 3D software, you can combine Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to help to establish perspective. You can create a grid in Illustrator that can be copied and pasted into Photoshop. Then, use either the perspective or the free distort transformation tools to place the grid in the perspective you want. The horizontal and vertical lines of the grid will serve as guides to maintain the scale and position of visual elements to create the illusion of depth. Lighting Again, if you are familiar with 3D software, you can set up lighting scenarios that will help to define the pattern of light and darkness for your image. Model simple geometry to rough out the layout of your matte painting, and set up lights for your scene. You can render stills for lighting reference. This step will ensure consistency in light and shadow direction, as well as help to visualize value in a three-dimensional space. If you are not familiar with 3D software, spend some time observing nature and how light affects objects. Use a sketchbook 210 Matte Painting or take a photograph of interesting lighting situations. You can also use the Internet to find various lighting references and inspiration. Color Correction for Matte Painting Color correction and color grading can help to unify an image. There are infinite ways to color correct an image, but the main goal is to create a recognizable and logical pattern. Photographers use photo filters or gels that warm, cool, or tint an image with a specific color. Similar tools are available as digital translations in Photoshop and can be employed using adjustment layers arranged at the top of the stacking order in the layers panel. Texture Texture is a great way to add another dimension of compositing to an image. A subtle texture of paper, concrete, or some other natural surface introduces an organic and tactile feeling to the image and will help to unify the overall look. Subtlety is the key. Find images where the texture is not distracting or heavy-handed. You may want to lower the opacity or use a blending mode to better composite your texture. As with color correction, you may want to place a texture layer toward the top of the stacking order in the layers panel to create maximum effect. Working with 3D 3D applications offer a lot of tools for matte painting. As mentioned above, 3D software can help to define perspective and lighting. It can also be used to establish an under painting for your matte painting. You can model light, texture, and apply cinematic effects like depth of field. Once a scene is built, you can position your camera anywhere within the scene. You can create dramatic camera angles by adjusting the camera’s focal length. Additionally, you can render your scene in multiple passes, then composite and paint them further in Photoshop. Creative Brief—Matte Painting For this project, you will create a matte painting that serves as the visualization of a motion design concept. The matte painting should also be suggestive of a story or narrative. Develop a concept based on a keyword. Regardless of the keyword chosen as a jumping off point, be bold in your approach. Create a scene that would be extremely difficult, if not impossible to photograph. The point of this exercise is to create a dynamic composition for a scene that would be impractical to shoot. Simply creating a composited landscape would be an underwhelming outcome for this project. Dream big for this concept and push the limits of your imagination. It is an opportunity to practice and challenge your image-making and compositing skills. Process 1. Concept development: this includes free writing, word lists, mind maps, DOs and DON’Ts list, mood boards, and written treatment. 2. Create a series of thumbnail sketches—at least five different rough compositions. 3. Select the strongest composition, and refine it into a more detailed sketch. Block out the main areas of light and dark value. 4. Create an under painting from your sketch, translating the black and white values into color. 5. Replace the under-painting with photographs, graphics, 3D, and/or illustrated elements. 6. Color correct, and add final details for delivery. Specifications and Constraints: This exercise should be delivered in a process book that documents your project. Your process book should include the following: Concept Development • Word list • Mind map • DOs and DON’Ts list • Written treatment/concept statement • Mood board Image-Making and Design • Thumbnail sketches • Under painting • Source images • Completed matte painting Aspect Ratio/Size Matte paintings for concept art are created in a variety of sizes. For this project, you have the option of working in either horizontal or vertical format. It is suggested to work with a size no smaller than 1920 ¥ 1080 pixels, or 1080 ¥ 1920 pixels. Specific principles to consider: • • • • Linear perspective Atmospheric perspective Color perspective Depth of field Matte Painting 211 Figure 15.6: TNT branding. Created by Loyalkaspar for TNT. Creative Director: Ben Hansford. Design and Photography: Greg Herman. 212 Professional Perspectives Greg Herman Professional Perspectives Greg Herman Greg Herman is a multidisciplinary writer for screen, live-action director, and VFX concept designer for film and television. Greg has worked as a creative director, live-action director, and lead concept artist with some of the best design-driven production and visual-effects companies on the globe.2 An Interview with Greg Herman What is your art and design background? I started doing design out of necessity. I was playing in different bands, and one of the best ways to make money as a musician was to sell T-shirts. When you play gigs, you have a merchandise table, which is like a cool little store. So I started to design shirts for my band so we could make money while we were on tour. That’s what got me into Photoshop. A big part of design for me is about having an opinion. Having some level of taste and being able to make decisions. Back in those days, making band T-shirts, to this very day . . . those simple things apply. Back then it was not about a lot of output, but more about input. A lot of looking at magazines, and going to Barnes and Noble and looking at design books, and immersing myself as deeply as I possibly could in anything that I felt connected with what I liked as a designer. I was forming an opinion. I was starting to form what I liked as a designer. And, over time as I developed my craft, I developed my stance. Through the years, my opinion of what I like has changed and evolved. How has your design opinion changed over the years? My taste has specialized and gotten more specific. What I have noticed is I took more of a liking to cinema and cinematography. That led me to photography, which led me back to design. For me, becoming more specialized was a matter of seeing all the different styles of design, various ways to tackle obstacles, and that led me more to the cinematic nature of things. Using a camera to tell a story. That influenced my design style a lot. Bringing elements of the lens into my design. Things like depth of field, lens flare, atmosphere, spatial depth, color perspective, atmospheric perspective: all these important elements of art and design found their way back to me through the lens. My design started having more of a unique feel. Through the years, I have been developing my eye to get closer to the things I like. Those little polishes and tweaks of the eye are developed over time. How has matte painting influenced your design process? I have a martial arts background. I was inspired to bring some of the philosophy of martial arts into my career as a designer. One of the philosophies is the idea of training and hard work. The idea in martial arts is that you practice, train, and refine your skill. I wanted to bring a certain element of that into design. You can’t always just go to competitions and compete, because you may never get to the next level. The point is that if you practice for the competition, the practice becomes what you end up fighting like. Professional Perspectives Greg Herman 213 Figure 15.7: UFC on FOX design board. Created by Greg Herman for FOX Sports Design. I have tried to take that mentality with my work. That’s where matte painting came in. It was the training for me. The job was the competition. Matte painting was like my training. I did my matte painting in the background, as a side project, as a passion project. I worked on it after work, at night, or on my breaks. It’s that situation where you are throwing yourself into something new, 214 Professional Perspectives Greg Herman something potentially uncomfortable, that you have to learn. The more you train and practice, the better you get. I really had a love for this cinematic film look. I gravitated toward these establishing matte painting shots that tell a story in one shot. It has mood, tone, motion, and color. You learn so much with a single image. I did a boatload of matte paintings. A lot were just for fun— Figure 15.8: Epix Drive-In network launch. Created by Fresh Paint for Epix. Designer/Director: Greg Herman. throwaways that were about learning. They were exercises in failing. I looked at it as 100 percent about exploration and to see where it would go. Do you have suggestions for young designers? Throw yourself in the fire, get the training, and put the time in. The number one thing is to be humble and open to criticism. Be eager to learn and succeed.3 How do you approach concept development? It’s better to approach projects with an open heart and an open mind. Don’t grip too tightly to any single exploration. Professional Perspectives Greg Herman 215 Notes 1 “Matte Painting.” Shadowlocked.com. Accessed June 6, 2014. <http://www. shadowlocked.com/201205272603/lists/the-fifty-greatest-matte-paintings-ofall-time.html>. 2 “About.” Design.morechi.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://design. morechi.com/INFO-CONTACT>. 3 Herman, Greg, telephone interview with author, July 21, 2014. 216 Matte Painting Chapter 16: Stylistic Creative Briefs For Portfolio Development Style “Every illustration, image, object, design, or building that has a visual style involves a rejection of all but a select few options. Be it the rejection of all the colors in the rainbow except for cool blues and warm yellows or the simplification of form, stylistic invention begins with reduction. If it were not for that, all images and designs would simply look like photo-collages, mish-mashes of everything, including the kitchen sink. This, in fact, is one of the common mistakes of beginning designers; constantly adding more and more elements in the hope that something works. It is reduction that not just amplifies a design, but also makes it quickly identifiable in the world. Amplification is the selective prioritizing of one or more elements over all the others, be it through scale, exaggeration, repetition, or other devices. The paintings of Vincent van Gogh are marked by the amplification of brush strokes. The Volkswagen is marked by its amplification of near-circular curves. The opening title for the feature film Se7en is marked by its exaggeration of hand-drawn writing.”—James Gladman, Professor of Motion Media Design, Savannah College of Art & Design. What is Style? A style comes alive when a recognizable visual pattern is created. This pattern serves as the overall framework for the look and feel of a piece. A visual style should emerge from a concept and should also serve to express that concept. In other words, the style is the form, and the concept is the function. Fundamental qualities such as color, material, medium, line quality, scale, and other visual elements contribute to a style. Choices about abstract or concrete treatments and cinematic conventions will also affect style. Visual styles are comprised of creative borders and boundaries. Decisions that lead to a style define a distinct visual pattern that holds a project together. The goal is to create unique visual styles that stand out and connect with audiences. Clearly Defined Definitive choices about what a project will become are required to create a visual pattern. In this way, a defined style has clearly tipped to the outcome side of the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. Each step in the creative process contributes to the formation of a style. Once a visual pattern has emerged, each subsequent frame or visual element in a project needs to feel like it belongs within the overall style. Of course, each frame in a project will be Stylistic Creative Briefs 217 different. Compositions change, cameras move, and narratives unfold. However, a recognizable visual pattern is needed to carry the viewer seamlessly through the piece. If the change in visual patterns is too abrupt, it will cause the viewer to disconnect. Range of Visual Styles To be a successful designer for motion, you need to be able to create a range of visual styles. The previous exercises in compositing and matte painting are designed to help build the foundation of core skills required to achieve this range. Mood boards can help to inform the direction for a visual style, but, ultimately, you need to be able to create a defined look and feel for a project. You need to have both a solid understanding of image-making principles, as well as proficient technical abilities. With these skills, you can design across a dynamic spectrum of styles. This section includes a variety of creative briefs that need to be executed within specific genres or stylistic constraints. The exercises are designed to help you to explore and practice your craft by taking you through design for motion projects from process to outcome. I often use the metaphor of gesture drawing while describing the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum to my students. When you create a gesture drawing, you begin by loosely analyzing the essential shape and form of the subject. If you are doing a gesture drawing of a human figure, you work quickly to rough out the primary directions of the x-axis and y-axis. You find the central line and movement of the spine. You see and draw the direction of the shoulders and hips. Gesture drawings capture the energy of a scene or subject in a fast and efficient way. You do not worry about details during the gesture phase of a drawing. Rather, you work on roughing out the entire composition in a connected manner. Once the overall shape has been defined, take pause and begin to work on the values of light and dark in a broad-stroke manner. You continue in this way until you reach the point where the composition is strong. The process shifts toward outcome. You gradually slow down and finally begin drawing the precise details. Design for motion projects should be approached in a similar way. Begin loose and free until your concept has a solid shape and form. Then gradually slow down until you put the finishing touches on your project. Using The Exercises Each creative brief has specifications and requirements. Of course, these can be modified according to your needs or goals. However, the general purpose of each exercise is to kick-off a creative brief with a keyword. The keyword is a jumping-off place for a concept and can be interpreted in any number of ways. For each exercise, follow the Process-to-Outcome Spectrum. Budget your time wisely to produce the best results. Time management is a vital skill for a motion designer. Do not wait until the last minute to start your project, or you will feel rushed and your work will suffer. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to find the answer as soon as you begin. This kind of pressure will cause you stress and remove the fun. Aspect Ratio and Size An aspect ratio is “the ratio of the width of a television or motionpicture image to its height.”1 Style frames have traditionally been designed in either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios, which correlate to Standard-Definition television, High-Definition television, and film. As the need for motion design has grown into other venues like the web, mobile devices, tablets, digital signage, and projection mapping, the variety of aspect ratios has increased. In addition to horizontal screens, motion design is being displayed in vertical, square, and multi-screen layouts. The expansion of screen space is great news for designers, as opportunities to work professionally across a range of creative industries continues to grow. 218 Stylistic Creative Briefs Alternative Aspect Ratios We need to be comfortable working in the aspect ratio for which we will be designing. For example, if we design motion primarily for broadcast, we should create frames in the 16:9 aspect ratio. Once we become well acquainted with the practice of making style frames, we can try experimenting with alternative aspect ratios. Panoramic or extra-wide style frames can be very fun to design and have the potential to make a strong impact on the viewer. Extremely wide frames can allow us to create depth, dynamic compositions, and suggestions of camera movement. However, if we are working on a commercial project, we need to make sure that everyone is on the same page. We may have to explain that the alternative aspect ratio is meant to exaggerate a specific mood or indicate camera movement. The aspect ratio and size of style frames should be created at least as large as the specification of a motion project. If you are designing for an HD 1920 ¥ 1080 piece, then your style frames should be at least that size. This makes it easy to prep and save design assets from your style frames to be used directly in production. If you make your style frames larger, you will give yourself, or your animator, the option of scaling up or pushing into elements. However, larger image sizes can have some drawbacks. Your file size and source elements will need to be larger, as well. Practice and experience will train you to gauge the sizing needs of projects. As long as you work at the required size for delivery, you should be fine. Always double check the creative brief of any project for the needed aspect ratio and size. If the needed size is not clear, ask your client to clarify. You can lose a lot of time and energy if you begin working on a project at the wrong size. For motion design projects, there is a wide range of aspect ratios and sizes. There are numbers of different sizes for HD, film, and mobile devices. Projection mapping and physical computing offer even more possibilities. A good default size to work with these exercises is at HD 1920 ¥ 1080 pixels or HD 1280 ¥ 720 pixels. Feel free to vary from these sizes if a concept or style lends itself to an alternative aspect ratio. Figure 16.1: STYLE FRAME FROM A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT BY RAFFAEL PINDELL, SCAD BFA. THIS STYLE FRAME IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN EXTRA-WIDE ALTERNATIVE ASPECT RATIO. Stylistic Creative Briefs 219 Number of Style Frames for Design Boards For the exercises outlined in this textbook, you have options for the number of style frames per design board. In the industry, unless specified, there is no set number of style frames. Some pitches can be won with a single style frame, whereas others may need dozens to win the job. To reap the most benefit from these exercises, put the same amount of effort into a project regardless of the number of style frames you create. On average, a thirty second commercial requires 9 to 12 style frames in a design board. This is a good number to begin working with for each of the assignments. However, you may vary this number to accommodate a concept or stylistic direction. An alternative is the pen and paper approach.2 This method involves creating one or two extremely detailed and time consuming style frames that are accompanied by a set of hand-drawn storyboards to describe the narrative. If you choose to create a single frame for an assignment, you should invest as much time and energy into that single frame as you would for a design board with twelve style frames. This sort of epic style frame should be like a matte painting in terms of depth and detail. Alternatively, you can create something in between. You may create three to five panoramic style frames that are extra wide to indicate camera movement or to make compositions more dramatic. Again, as long as the effort is equal for each project, feel free to experiment with alternative aspect ratios and the number of style frames per design board. Schedule and Deadlines The default timeline for each exercise is one week. This deadline may seem like a fast turnaround, but it is actually rare to have this much time to work on a design board in the industry. Working at this pace will help to prepare students for the fast-paced demands of professional commercial art. It is suggested to have a couple of midpoints, or reviews, during each project. 220 Stylistic Creative Briefs The first day or two should be spent on concept development and brainstorming. By mid-week, an initial style frame should emerge. The rest of the style frames and the design board should be fleshed out and compiled into a process book for delivery by week’s end. I often require students to post work in progress to a group web space halfway through a project. This deadline helps them to manage their time and insures that they are not waiting until the last minute to start working. It also gives them the benefit of giving and receiving feedback. This practice keeps the connection of the class active and persistent outside of the classroom. Constructive critique and direction can be offered at this time. If your class meets often enough, it is helpful to have a studio session to give specific feedback or demonstrate helpful techniques. Of course, the amount of time dedicated to each exercise could vary depending on your class and skill level. You can complete creative briefs in shorter or longer time frames. Speed alone should not be the goal. I always stress quality over quantity. However, it is a good idea to get familiar and comfortable with realistic industry timelines. Practice Process-to-Outcome Begin each project by dedicating time to concept development. Even with a really short deadline, you can spend time coming up with ideas. You may feel compelled to run with the first idea that pops into your head. However, do your best to devote some quality time to concept development as this greatly increases your chance of producing strong outcomes. Document your free writes, word lists, mind maps, and DOs and DON’Ts lists as you flesh out your concept, so they are ready to be included in your process book. By all means, feel free to use any other concept development tools that work for you. When your concept begins to take form, write a treatment or script for your project. Think about the kind of story you want to tell. Remember to use contrast to create dramatic tension in your narratives. With the shape of your concept in mind, seek external inspiration and create a mood board. Once again, try not to worry about the outcome of your project. Rather, seek to be inspired. Don’t forget to document your writing and mood board in your process book. As your concept develops, begin working with thumbnail sketches to explore the compositions of your hero frames. Do not be too precious with your thumbnail sketches, and do not be afraid to make a lot of them. The more time you spend working out strong compositions during this stage, the better your style frames will be. The next step is to begin sequencing your thumbnail sketches into a hand-drawn storyboard. The hand-drawn storyboard helps you to visualize your narrative as you block out events and action. As you translate your concept and story into a unique visual style, your project crosses from process toward outcome. Although you are still exploring the look and feel, you eventually need to arrive at a defined style. When this happens, repeat the visual style across a series of style frames that will become your design board. Check to see that every style frame feels like it belongs in the design board. Transition frames will help to maintain continuity. After you have applied finishing touches to all of your style frames, arrange them into a design board. The layout of your design board should be clean and professional. Use guides, grids, or templates to ensure your style frames are aligned proportionately. Strive to endow every aspect of your project with beauty. Once you have finished your design board, construct a process book to document your project. As you approach the outcome of the project, slow down and double-check your work. Proofread your writing, and use spell check to catch any errors. This is the time to really focus on details, and make sure everything appears professional. Include the highlights from your concept development, design development, and final outcomes in your process book. Creating process books will give you practice in the construction of professional pitch books as well as providing you with content for your portfolio. Keywords to Kick-Off Creative Briefs Below is a list of sample keywords that I use to kick-off creative briefs/exercises. I often shuffle the pairing of keywords with the various stylistic constraints every time I teach a design for motion class. The goal of the exercises is to develop strong concepts and visual styles regardless of the keyword or stylistic specifications. Feel free to apply keywords to different assignments as you practice creating style frames and design boards. Additionally, you can come up with your own keywords that inspire interesting concepts. Look for words that are potent with meaning and have a wide range of interpretation. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Revolution Hipster Legendary Apocalypse Self-portrait Equilibrium Visceral Hero/Villain Radical Nomenclature Pathos Serenity Alchemy Gravitas Leviathan Optical • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Mythology Love Bliss Gossamer Swagger Turmoil Incognito Evanescent Archetype Fantasy Hubris Tribal Ethereal Hyperbolic Surreal Elemental • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Invasion Wayfarer Prometheus Kaiju Betwixt Elysium Redemption Propaganda Seasons Dreams Fable Nostalgia Hope Freedom Dimensional Interdependent Stylistic Creative Briefs 221 • • • • • Microscopic Flexible Binary Preservation Memento • • • • • Macro Theatrical Native Personification Humanitarian • • • • • Modular Existential Anarchy Transcendence Lyrical Deliverables The following exercises should be delivered in a process book that documents your project. Your process book should include the following: Concept Development • • • • • Word lists Mind maps DOs and DON’Ts lists Written treatments Mood boards Image-Making and Design • • • • Thumbnail sketches Hand-drawn storyboards Individual style frames Complete design board 222 Stylistic Creative Briefs Narrative Needs • Your visual narrative needs to have a clear beginning, middle, and end. • Be aware of the traditional narrative structure: • Introduction • Rising tension • Climax • Falling tension • Conclusion • A non-linear narrative structure is also an option. (See Narrative Structure, Chapter 8.) Notes 1 “Aspect Ratio.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 28, 2014. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspect ratio. 2 Oeffinger, Daniel, telephone interview with author, July 17, 2014. Figure 17.1: TYPE-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY PATRICK POHL, SCAD BFA. 224 Type-Driven Design Boards Chapter 17: Type-Driven Design Boards This creative brief requires typography to be the heroic element of a design board. Typography is extremely relevant to motion design for a number of reasons. Most importantly, type serves as a vehicle for communication. Beyond what we perceive with our physical senses, words are a ubiquitous aspect of our lives. Our thoughts and conversations are composed of words. Signage and labels contain words that inform us about the objects and places we interact with. Entertainment—including books, songs, plays, and movies—revolves around the use of words. Typography is the art of designing and setting words for visual communication. In motion design, kinetic type adds the dimension of time and movement. Kinetic typography is type in motion. A motion designer needs to understand how to treat type effectively and appropriately for a creative brief, as well as envision how type changes over time. For design-driven productions, a motion designer’s ability to handle typography is valuable because type is used so often. Nearly every commercial production utilizes typography in some capacity. Commercials can range from entire spots that are composed of kinetic typography, to type treatments or logo resolves for end tags. History and Culture Although typography is fundamental to graphic design, motion designers need to at least know the basics. After all, graphic design is one of the many traditions that motion design is built upon. In addition to becoming familiar with the history of typography, it is vital to understand the cultural significance of type. Each culture has psychological associations with various typefaces due to popular usage. Even the laymen with little to no historical knowledge of type will recognize emotional and intellectual significance when encountering various typefaces. Slab serif wood type conjures images of the American west. Stencil type has instant associations with the military. The collegiate type family is reminiscent of varsity letter jackets and sports. Motion designers need to be aware of how culture influences typography in order to make educated decisions regarding which typefaces to use. Additionally, typography can also reference specific periods in history. Knowledge of the preferred type treatments of different eras will allow a designer to craft and elicit intended responses from an audience. Figure 17.2: VARIOUS TYPEFACES REPRESENTING A RANGE OF CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS. Type-Driven Design Boards 225 The Basics Motion designers need to know a few basic typographic terms and principles. There are two main type families: serif and sans serif. Serif describes letterforms that have an accent or flourish stemming off of each end of a character in the font family. Serif is considered to be more traditional or classical, and it is useful for body text or large amounts of readable text. The body text of books or magazines is often written with a serif font. It is easier to read because the horizontal strokes of serif letters help to reinforce and maintain a sense of separate lines. Sans serif describes letterforms that do not have any flourish or visual accent. Sans serif, which literally means without a serif, is commonly used for headlines and display signage. Sans serif is considered relatively more contemporary and modern. It is cleaner and offers clear legibility. However, it can be difficult to read large amounts of sans serif as body type. Figure 17.3: EXAMPLES OF SERIF AND SANS SERIF TYPOGRAPHY. Anatomy of Type Another term motion designers need to be familiar with in relation to typography is the baseline. The baseline is an invisible line, upon which the bottoms of letters sit. Legibility and aesthetic qualities diminish very quickly when type is not aligned with the baseline. You can use the baseline to keep your type aligned while you make modifications to individual letterforms. Keeping words and lines of type aligned will help to maintain visual balance and maximize communication. 226 Type-Driven Design Boards In regards to the layout and setting of typography, motion designers need to understand and be able to adjust kerning, tracking, and leading. Kerning is the space between two individual letterforms. Kerning is important as the distance between letters affects the legibility and visual balance of words. When kerning is either too tight or too wide, a word may become difficult to read. Additionally, poor kerning can disrupt the aesthetic harmony of type layout. The average person might not be able to identify exactly what is wrong with a poorly kerned word, but they will feel that something is not right. Typefaces that are installed digitally have default settings for kerning. Often, these default settings need to be modified by a designer to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing space between two letters. Kerning needs to be considered like any other visual principle. Positive and negative space, contrast, and harmony all affect the visual relationship between letterforms. Tracking is the space between all of the letters in a word. Like kerning, tracking affects legibility and the visual aesthetic of typography. A motion designer needs to be able to analyze and adjust the appropriate spacing for type in relation to the needs of a creative brief. In some instances, the spacing may need to be decreased or visually tightened. In other cases, it may need to be increased or visually widened. Each modification will have a different effect on the viewer. Leading (pronounced “ledding”) is another principle that motion designers need to understand and be able to modify. Leading describes the space between lines of typography. This space applies to the typesetting of headlines as well as the layout of body type. Again, leading affects legibility and how pleasing typography is to the eye. If leading is too tight or too wide, it will affect how the type is experienced and interpreted. Visual consistency is another factor to consider with leading. Sudden changes to type leading communicates a break or disconnection. Typically, paragraphs are separated by an Figure 17.4: CUSTOM TYPOGRAPHY FOR LIFETIME. CREATED BY BEAT BAUDENBACHER. additional line space. This spacing lets the reader know that an idea has come to an end. Similar considerations must be taken into account for motion designers as they layout type. These skills take time and practice to master. The reward of proper kerning, tracking, and leading is legible and aesthetically pleasing type. As a design tool, the intended purpose of typography is to maximize certainty. Beautifully handled type often performs its function with little fanfare. The average person does not stop and marvel at the elegant treatment of typography. However, poorly set type is quickly recognized and distracts from the communication of the intended message. Competency with typography is vital for motion designers. Designers who develop a passion for typography possess a valuable skill for potential employers. Type-Driven Design Boards 227 Casting Type Motion designers need to be able to choose the appropriate typeface in relation to the needs of a creative brief because typefaces communicate information and emotion to viewers. A naïve or careless choice of typeface may express unintended or even contrary meanings. With so many typefaces to choose from, selecting a typeface can feel like an overwhelming task. A helpful way to approach this task is borrowed from the worlds of film and theatre. When choosing a typeface, try to think of yourself as a casting director. Figure 17.5: TYPE-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY YEOJIN SHIN, SCAD BFA. 228 Type-Driven Design Boards A casting director needs to find an actor that will best fit the role in a script. In order to complete this task, the casting director needs to properly identify the defining qualities of the role. Is the character comedic, tough, or devious? Is the mood of the script contemporary or classical? These considerations will narrow the scope of potential candidates. They will also provide keywords and descriptive characteristics for the role. Determining the boundaries of a role will aid in the process of casting the part. A similar approach can be used when selecting a typeface. Start by identifying the keywords and qualities that best describe the message, emotion, or idea that you want to express. Use adjectives to help shape the identity of your choice. Typefaces have distinct personalities, so the more descriptive you can be, the easier your search. Is the message you need to express playful or serious? Is the overall style of your project modern or traditional? These kinds of questions will help to guide your exploration. The longer you work with typography, the more familiar you will become with a range of different typefaces. The skill of choosing typefaces is a combination of research, concept development, and experience. Integrating Typography Another skill that motion designers need to develop is the ability to integrate typography into a composition. Beginners often treat type as an afterthought, pasting it onto a canvas after all the other visual elements are in place. This action gives the impression that the type is a secondary consideration. Seeing typography as an integral component in a composition can be difficult. It may require a great deal of practice and failed attempts. However, typography that is not integrated in an image will flatten out the overall composition. Type should be treated just like any other visual element. The stylistic applications to space, value, contrast, or color that are used in an image should also be applied to typography. This consistency will help to achieve a level of compositing where the type feels like it belongs. Type-Driven Design Boards 229 Figure 17.6: TYPE-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY CHRIS SALVADOR, SCAD BFA. 230 Type-Driven Design Boards Type Treatments There are a number of different stylistic treatments that can be applied to typography. Motion designers should become acquainted with a range of styles to be able to meet a variety of creative needs. Type can be created graphically, hand lettered, constructed tactilely, extruded in 3D, or composited into an environment. Graphic treatments of type are the most common and include choices about color, texture, and customized letterforms. Hand lettering is type created by hand, and it often has a personal sensibility. There are many different options for treating typography, however, stylistic considerations should always reflect the needs of the creative brief. Creative Brief For this project, you will create a type-driven design board. Typography should be the hero and focus of your concept. Type as a hero for motion design projects can range from title sequences, kinetic type, or information graphics. Any of these genres can work for this assignment, as long as typography is the primary visual element and treated in an interesting manner. • Concept keyword: select a keyword as a starting point for concept development. Refer to the sample keywords in Chapter 16, pages 221–222 for suggestions. • Deliverables: refer to specifications for deliverables for Concept Development, Image-Making and Design, and Narrative Needs in Chapter 16, page 222. Essential typography skills to consider for this project: • The ability to set type elegantly • The ability to choose appropriate typefaces to express emotions or ideas • The ability to build dynamic compositions with typography • The ability to composite type into environments Specific techniques to consider for this project1: Figure 17.7: TYPE-DRIVEN STYLE FRAME FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY DANIEL URIBE, SCAD BFA. • Hand lettering—type made by hand • Graphic construction of type—type that is treated graphically • Tangible/tactile type—type that has the feeling of touch or a three-dimensional quality • Cut and paste type—type that has the feeling of analog compositing • Ephemeral type—type that feels temporary or impermanent Type-Driven Design Boards 231 Figure 17.8: TYPE-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY SARA ODZE, SCAD BFA. 232 Type-Driven Design Boards Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher Beat Baudenbacher is a Principal and Chief Creative Officer of Loyalkaspar. He co-founded Loyalkaspar, an Entertainment Branding Agency, with his business partner David Herbruck in 2003. Beat believes that design is storytelling that transcends borders and languages. He is obsessed with brands, particularly how they look, behave, and communicate with individuals and society at large.2 An Interview with Beat Baudenbacher What is your art and design background? My mom is an artist, so I grew up drawing, painting, and making stuff with her all the time. I didn’t think there was a career in art, so I was going to study economics for some strange reason. One day my dad, who is a surgeon, came back from a conference with a catalogue from Art Center. I looked at it and it was awesome. At the time, Art Center had a Swiss campus. I spent a summer putting together a portfolio of stuff, and I got accepted. It was sort of by chance, but I feel like everything led up to that. I finished at Art Center in Pasadena, CA. I came to New York in 1998, and I had studied graphics and communication design but hadn’t done any motion at all. Design studios were gobbling up people out of school and throwing them at motion design. It was a sink or swim kind of thing, and that is how I fell into this industry. I thought it was really exciting, that you got to tell stories. You got to figure out how to get from point A to point B, as opposed to working on one static image. How did your graphic design training prepare you for motion design? Composition, layout, how you construct a frame, your focal point, how to use your diagonals, and the anatomy of a frame; I think that is where Swiss graphic design is really helpful. Whether it is complex or not, super graphic shapes or a complex CG environment, the main principles still apply. Even in a very complex world, you still need one focal point. I feel like a lot of pure motion designers fall a little short, because they don’t have the traditional design foundation. Things can get pretty messy if you don’t know those rules and guidelines. How did you learn about storytelling? I had taken filmmaking classes, and I had written screenplays. The basic structure of how to construct a story, I took from that. So if you have 5 or 10 seconds, in many ways it is still a three-act structure. You have an introduction, development, and then a conclusion. I took those from filmmaking and applied them to design and visual storytelling. The visual aspect was instinctual, but the intellectual approach to storytelling came from filmmaking. At some point, you need to learn how to put that stuff into words, as well. I think writing is very useful in this business. Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher 233 Figure 17.9: U2/Grammy Awards/“Get on Your Boots” screen experience. Created by Loyalkaspar. Creative Directors: Beat Baudenbaher and David Herbruck. 234 Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher Figure 17.10: U2/Grammy Awards/“Get on Your Boots” process and development. Created by Loyalkaspar. Creative Directors: Beat Baudenbaher and David Herbruck. Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher 235 Figure 17.11: Bates Motel show open. Created by Loyalkaspar for A&E. Creative Director: Beat Baudenbacher. 236 Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher How do you approach concept development? I think a lot of people jump to the Internet a little too fast these days. It’s a great tool, but I don’t think it entirely replaces sitting down and trying to figure out what you want to say, or what your concept is. Research, inspiration, thinking about it, writing stuff down, and the act of doing it. Sitting down and making frames is where I tend to find the narrative. Figure 17.12: House at the End of the Street film titles. Created by Loyalkaspar for Relativity Media. Creative Director: Beat Baudenbacher Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher 237 Where do you find inspiration? One of the reasons I like living in New York is you have so much visual stimulation every day. I try to pay attention to my surroundings. I take a lot of pictures. I try to find inspiration from real life more than from digital catalogues of stuff. It’s not always that easy. Do you have suggestions for young designers? Don’t let technology overpower or overshadow the simplicity of a good idea. It’s easy to get caught up in software. You can think you need to learn everything and do everything. But, at the end of the day, a great idea can be more powerful than knowing all the software in the world. I think it’s really important that people who come into this business still do their own creative work. Find ways to do your own work. I see so many frustrated designers and animators in this industry who have been doing this for a long time. They make too much money not to do this anymore, but they are frustrated. At the end of the day, we are creative people who go into this business thinking that we have something to say and something to share. I think small pockets of time to experiment—to do your own thing, be your own client—is super important. The creative services industry is an on-demand business. You are being forced to create on-demand constantly. If you don’t have the time to play, 238 Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher to experiment, and to fail, you never have time to recharge your batteries to be creative on-demand! Do you have suggestions for creating a successful company? You need a vision of what you are trying to do, and to stick with it. My vision was always to be a place that does many different things, to never get pigeonholed into one thing. Looking at all the stuff we are doing now, that has come true in many ways. A lot of it is strategy, directing live-action, branding, and story-telling on a much larger scale. Have a vision and go for it, and realize that it is a marathon, not a sprint. Do you have any design heroes? When I was in college, David Carson was huge. Looking at Raygun, it was something totally new and different. Tomato was really big, too. They were a huge influence on me. What would you be if you weren’t a designer? I am not sure because this really brings all my skills and interests together. I was on my way to study economics. If I hadn’t found or discovered design as a profession, I probably would have gone on to study economics. But that would have been mostly because I felt like I had to, or out of default.3 Figure 17.13: Custom typography created by Loyalkaspar for various clients. Type Designer: Beat Baudenbacher. Notes 1 Klanten, Robert. Playful Type: Ephemeral Lettering and Illustrative Fonts. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2009. 2 “About.” Weforum.org. Accessed August 14, 2014. <http://www.weforum.org/contributors/beat-baudenbacher>. 3 Baudenbacher, Beat, telephone interview with author, August 12, 2014. Professional Perspectives Beat Baudenbacher 239 Figure 18.1: TACTILE DESIGNS BY GUATAM DUTTA, SCAD MFA. 240 Tactile Design Boards Chapter 18: Tactile Design Boards Tactile tac·tile [tak-til, -tahyl] adjective 1. perceptible by touch: Tangible 2. of, relating to, or being the sense of touch1 Tactile design describes creative work that incorporates a sense of touch. The sensory experience of touch can either be literal or inferred. Especially with screen-based media, touch is almost always imagined and implied. In this way, tactile design triggers the viewer’s perceptions to enable them to experience tangible and organic qualities. The perception of material, texture, and physicality is enough to inspire an emotional response in the viewer. The beauty and power of tactile design lies in the ease with which it can be approached. The organic qualities of tactile design invite a sense of touch. Paper craft, fibers, sculpture, tactile illustration, 3D modeling, and 3D printing are some of the methods that can be used for this project.2 Analog and Digital The organic nature of tactile design is expressed through texture and material. The feeling of tactility can be achieved through analog or digital techniques. Analog materials inherently possess organic qualities. Digitizing analog objects and textures with a camera or scanner can preserve physical sensibilities. Alternatively, designs crafted in a purely digital production environment can still come across as being tactile. However, this approach requires an understanding and practical ability to create digital assets in an organic fashion. In other words, digital tools need to be used with enough variation and diversity to convey a sense of tactility and uniqueness. A hybrid combination of analog and digital materials and techniques can be very effective. Texture Texture can greatly influence the style and meaning of tactile design. Textures can be used to exaggerate and exemplify a particular idea or message. Stone feels hard and heavy, whereas fur feels soft and warm. Smooth, polished wood communicates a different sense than rough porous concrete. The sense of touch conveyed by texture can add depth and dimension to an image. The feel of grit and grain can spark our sensory imagination. When digitized, textures can be composited into Photoshop files using blending modes. Experiment with your textures by trying various blending modes and adjusting the layers’ opacity. 3D artists seek to embody their models with realistic textures so they will feel more alive. The eye is drawn to natural textures because they are unique and beautiful. An option for this project could be to create custom textures for 3D models to express the feeling of tactility. A fun class activity or exercise is Tactile Design Boards 241 Figure 18.2: TACTILE DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY SARAH BETH HULVER, SCAD BFA. 242 Tactile Design Boards to go on a “texture hunt.” Arm yourself with a digital camera, and see how many interesting and unique textures you can discover in your neighborhood. You will probably be surprised by how many beautiful and useful textures you pass by every day. Compositions come to life when texture is used to inspire our natural senses. Materials Your choice of material will also influence tactile design. There are a number of ways to bring your tactile elements into a digital production environment. Flat elements can be scanned and composited digitally. If your design is more dimensional or sculptural, it can be photographed. Once photographed, you can use selections to isolate elements for compositing. If your design is more elaborate, you could compose entire scenes and photograph different shots. A descriptive term for this kind of setup is a tabletop production. Once your assets are digitized, you can enhance, modify, or manipulate them. Any of these methods can be used to create style frames and a design board. Figure 18.3: TACTILE DESIGN FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY JACKIE KHANH DOAN, SCAD BFA. Paper is a popular choice, as it can be used in many different applications. It is a versatile material that can be crafted into any number of forms. Paper is relatively inexpensive and easy to work with. You can find paper in a variety of thicknesses and densities to best match your concept. Semi-transparent paper can be affected by light to create interesting effects. Thicker papers can be cut or folded to construct shapes and objects. Papier-mache is a process that combines paper with wet paste to create sculptural forms. Glue, tape, scissors, or a blade can be used to build a tabletop production out of paper. Paper can also be fashioned into props or even costumes and wardrobes for live action and mixed media installations.3 If you have a background working with fibers, this project is an excellent opportunity to blend your skill sets. Textiles, fabric, and cloth can be embellished or woven to create objects, characters, and other visual elements. If you are not familiar with fibers, this could be an opportunity to collaborate with an artist from a different discipline. Fibers are extremely tactile and can be utilized to create unique design styles. Modeling clay is another material that can be utilized for tactile design. The malleable nature of clay allows you to organically shape different forms, objects, and characters that can be photographed for compositing in your design. Modeling clay is available in many different colors and consistencies. You can also press unexpected physical textures into clay to create interesting impressions. Found objects can be really fun to work with. A found object is any object that you find and repurpose for your design style. Everyday objects can be utilized in tactile design. It is up to the designer to envision how to use objects to advance a concept. Spend some time observing ordinary objects, and imagine how they can be transformed into something interesting for a motion design piece. Tactile Design Boards 243 Figure 18.4: EXAMPLES OF FIBER-DRIVEN DESIGN BY PAIGE STRIEBIG. Tangible materials offer an opportunity to step away from the computer. Take a trip down to your local art supply store and explore analog tools and materials. Have a look through assortments of hand-made paper and various hand-held tools. Hand-made work can be refreshing for designers and viewers alike. There is an important idea to remember about working with analog material: it can be very laborious and time-consuming. Be sure to plan your project carefully, as these materials and 244 Tactile Design Boards methods can be very unforgiving. If your design process goes awry, see what kinds of beautiful distortions you can come up with.4 Materials should be used with integrity, meaning they are used in context with their essential characteristics. For example, metallic materials could be used for mechanical or robotic elements. Conversely, materials can be used in counterpoint to an idea. For instance, Figure 18.5 shows a relatively inexpensive or common material being used to personify a divine concept. Figure 18.5: PAPER CUP HINDU GODS, BY GAUTAM DUTTA, SCAD MFA. Tactile Design Boards 245 These tactile illustrations portray Hindu gods in a beautiful and approachable manner. The choice of material contrasts the gravity of meaning behind “divine beings.” The relationship between material and subject matter creates dynamic tension and interest. 3D-Printing Another option for this project is to create models in 3D software and print them. 3D-printing is an emerging technology that will only become more accessible. This process offers an interesting opportunity to generate analog objects from a digital origin. Once printed, you can position and compose your elements for photography. This method is especially useful for creating tactile assets for motion productions. Tactile Design in Motion There are a number of production methods that are well-suited for tactile design. Stop-motion animation, 2D animation, 3D animation, frame-by-frame animation, and live-action can all employ tactile design. Many of these techniques seamlessly mix analog and digital elements in post-production. Some artists and studios specialize in creating miniature sets and tabletop productions. Once elements and scenes are shot, they are invariably modified and composited further in post-production. 246 Tactile Design Boards Creative Brief For this project, you will create a tactile-driven design board. Tactile design expresses qualities related to our sense of touch. Tactile projects for motion design include stop-motion, live-action animation, compositing analog and digital elements, and purely digital productions that possess tactile and organic qualities. • Concept keyword: select a keyword as a starting point for concept development. Refer to the sample keywords in Chapter 16, pages 221–222 for suggestions. • Deliverables: refer to specifications for deliverables for Concept Development, Image-Making and Design, and Narrative Needs in Chapter 16, page 222. Essential tactile design skills to consider for this project: • The ability to concept for a tactile design style • The ability to create tactile design elements • The ability to use tactile design to communicate ideas and emotions • The ability to integrate tactile design in storytelling Specific techniques to consider for this project: • Analog—creating assets entirely by hand • Digital—designing purely in a digital workspace while establishing a tactile aesthetic • Hybrid—compositing analog assets within a digital workspace Figure 18.6: TACTILE DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY DOMINICA JANE JORDAN, SCAD MFA. Tactile Design Boards 247 Figure 18.7: Process photos, courtesy of Lucas Zanotto. 248 Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto Lucas Zanotto was born in the Alps of Northern Italy. He has lived and worked in Milan, Barcelona, Berlin, and Helsinki. Lucas combines analog and digital media to create motion design that is deceptively simple and captivating. He has also translated his unique design and animation style into the interactive realm with art driven apps. I liked including photography and lights and filming, putting it all together. I like to mix these different media. I started doing different freelance jobs and then got signed by Film Technarna. I started doing pitches and directing. At that point, I was proud enough to start thinking of myself as a director. I think animation and motion are good jobs because there are so many screens that need content. An Interview with Lucas Zanotto What is your art and design background? I studied architecture for two years because I liked to draw. But that was not exactly what I was looking for, so I changed to product design. I got really into that, and I saw design was my thing. I went to school in Milan, got a product design diploma, and worked in that area for a couple of years. I worked on designing products from toasters, to tennis rackets, to skis, to medical objects. I really enjoyed it, and I am still a fan of that area because it involves modeling, forms, shapes, colors, and textures. But, it was very marketing-driven. It seemed like the marketing process was designing more than the designer itself. So I started making some short films, putting together friends and people interested in making short movies. I was also playing around with flash and animation. I saw that animation was exactly what I wanted to do. It involved software and a certain amount of “nerdism,” as well as graphic design and stop motion. How has your experience with product design influenced your motion design? I think the path to come to the final product is the same in every design area. You start with research, coming up with a concept, shaping the concept, planning, production, and fine-tuning. I learned a lot about the steps of production. Of course, I learned about model making, improvising things, materials, textures, and mechanisms. I think this hands-on, analog, and crafty process is reflected in the work I do now. I also bring the minimalistic feel from product design into my work now. How do you develop concepts? Most of the time I receive a script and initial ideas from an agency. They will refer to work I have done before that they like. I try to put a new twist or add an idea or perspective change that gives the idea something new. Repeating work does not drive me a lot. I like Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto 249 combining techniques to bring something new out. I try to sketch the idea down in some way with style frames or explanatory texts. Where do you find inspiration? It’s everywhere. Often, it is playing with my kids, building stuff. We may be building a cardboard boat, and then I think about a background, then a big set with confetti flying from the top, and then you put a character in the boat. You filter out of your daily life the stuff you are interested in already. Can you describe your tabletop productions? It’s a punk approach I would say. It’s always budget-based. So in my earlier stages, I did a lot of improvisation. It’s about improvising with the stuff you have, and making the best of it. Improvising a soft box with sheets. That’s one thing I really like, that if you see it from outside, it looks really punk. But if you just see the frame, it looks super clean, graphic, and illustrative. Suddenly you jump out of the set, and it’s all these messy lights, messy things hanging, maybe not so fancy. That’s always a cool effect. Of course, it’s always nice to shoot on a Red camera, have fancy lights, and a cinematographer who really knows about lights and cameras. If you have the budget, it’s great. But if there is not budget or a low budget, you need to improvise. It depends a lot about the level of a project. A big brand, with an agency and production company needs to be storyboarded properly. You have to make an animatic beforehand, so that everybody approves and agrees. Then you go on set and shoot it live. On set, you need a bit of freedom. With live-action, a ball never bounces the same. You plan a storyline and a certain length. You match it together somehow to work the best. 250 Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto What is the story with your interactive motion design projects? I am making high quality, simple apps for kids. It started with the Drawnimal app. I was playing with my daughter, and she was learning letters. I thought it would be great to combine a tactile and interactive experience. In one or two days I sketched the concept and how it would work. That was the exciting part. Then I had to find a developer. It took a while to find the right developer. Then I found a good sound designer. We kicked it off and tried some first tests. Now it’s amazing, we got featured on the homepage of the Apple website. I think it got a lot of PR because it brought your kid back to crayons, and got them thinking outside of the screen. It kicked-off very well. It’s a great project that gave me a lot of PR, and I got new animation jobs from it. What do you enjoy most about motion design? I enjoy the thinking part, and putting new ideas together. I also like the doing part: being on set. I am not the biggest fan of postproduction. If I can outsource that part, I am happy. But, I do like character animation. I enjoy playing with timing. If you weren’t a designer what would you be? I think I would like to do something with wood, a carpenter or something like that.5 Notes 1 “Tactile.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 23, 2014. <http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tactile>. 2 Klanten, Robert. Tactile: High Touch Visuals. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2009. 3 Klanten, Robert. Papercraft: Design and Art with Paper. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2009. 4 Klanten, Robert. Tangible: High Touch Visuals. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2009. 5 Zanotto, Lucas, telephone interview with author, July 10, 2014. Figure 18.8: Process photos, courtesy of Lucas Zanotto. Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto 251 Figure 18.9: Process photos, courtesy of Lucas Zanotto. 252 Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto Figure 18.10: Process photos, courtesy of Lucas Zanotto. Professional Perspectives Lucas Zanotto 253 Figure 19.1: DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY JOHN HUGHES, SCAD BFA. 254 Modern Design Boards Chapter 19: Modern Design Boards Less is more. This phrase is used quite often in art and design discussions. The Modernist Movement sought freedom from the constraints of realism. In the realm of fine art, it began with the Impressionists. They rejected and departed from contrived and formulaic styles. Post-Impressionism continued the tradition of abstraction. What followed was a series of “isms,” including Cubism, Fauvism, and Surrealism. Modernism culminated with the Abstract Expressionists and ended around 1945. Out of these movements, a philosophy and practice of simplification and reduction emerged. In the world of commercial art and design, Modernism was expressed by the Bauhaus. Designers like Saul Bass, Paul Rand, and Milton Glaser expanded upon the tradition of modern design. Simplicity and Reduction Clean, bold, simple, and functional are some of the keywords associated with modern design. The goal of this assignment is to figuratively say the most with the fewest words. You can think of the stylistic challenge as a visual haiku. Try to create the strongest impact with the minimal amount of lines, shapes, or forms. Creating minimal yet effective design is no small task. You need to really think about your concept and how to express essential qualities visually. With this design style, there are no flourishes or embellishments to hide behind. The design needs to stand on its own and communicate a concept with clarity and power. One of the objectives of this exercise is to practice reducing visual elements. Find the essence of what you want to express, and strip away anything that is extraneous.1 Modern Design Boards 255 Figure 19.2: DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY JORDAN LYLE, SCAD BFA. 256 Modern Design Boards Naïve Sensibilities The publishing company Gestalten released a book titled Naïve. It is a collection of design and illustration that blends the modern style with content that speaks to a sense of innocence and youth. This kind of style has the potential to connect with a viewer’s “inner child.” For commercial art, this style is very sellable. For motion design in particular, the playful nature of the naïve style works very well. When the naïve look and feel is applied to serious subject matter, it can create compelling contrast and tension.2 Vector Artwork It is by no means a requirement to work with vector artwork for this assignment. However, vector graphics can be very effective for creating modern design styles. Geometric shapes like circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles can be created very quickly. You can also create illustrative and typographic elements within software like Adobe Illustrator. Your style frames can be created purely within Adobe Illustrator, or you can copy and paste elements into Photoshop. One advantage of working between Illustrator and Photoshop is the ability to add textures by using blending modes. You can also take advantage of more refined brushes and gradients in Photoshop. Creative Brief For this project, you will create a modern design board. Modern design relies on reduction and simplicity to express a message or function. The naïve sensibility inserts a sense of innocence in unexpected contexts. Both of these aesthetics are effective for motion design. Challenge yourself to limit your design choices in order to visualize the most essential qualities of your concept. • Concept keyword: select a keyword as a starting point for concept development. Refer to the sample keywords in Chapter 16, pages 221–222 for suggestions. • Deliverables: refer to specifications for deliverables for Concept Development, Image-Making and Design, and Narrative Needs in Chapter 16, page 222. Essential modern design skills to consider for this project: • • • • The ability to reduce a concept to its most essential elements The ability to visually say more with less The ability to tell a story with limited assets The ability to create contrast between a concept and its visual form Figure 19.3: STYLE FRAME FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY DANIEL URIBE, SCAD BFA. Modern Design Boards 257 Figure 19.4: DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY CARESSE HAASER, SCAD BFA. 258 Modern Design Boards Professional Perspectives Bran Dougherty-Johnson Bran Dougherty-Johnson is an independent Motion Designer with over 15 years of experience designing, illustrating, and animating for clients both large and small. His studio focuses on visual essays—infographic and explanatory animated films for mission-driven clients—as well as other commercial work, including advertising and PSAs. Bran has a background in filmmaking, visual arts, and graphic design. He has worked with design studios like the Attik, Buck, Brand New School, and Imaginary Forces among others, as well as for agencies like Ogilvy & Mather, Ammirati, and BBDO. Bran wrote for the industry blog Motionographer for a number of years, focusing in part on business practices and labor issues in the fields of motion design and visual effects. He organized the first unofficial salary survey of professional Motion Graphic Designers. Bran also created and organized the collaborative filmmaking project PSST! Pass it on… that involved over 200 international artists, animators, designers, and musicians and ran from 2006–9, publishing three collections of work. Bran Dougherty-Johnson’s Design Manifesto: 1. Always tell the truth. 2. Make things you want to see in the world. 3. Design is a process, not a product. 4. Design is first how it works, then how it looks. 5. Don’t dumb things down. Make them clear. 6. Small is beautiful. 7. Grow. Design. Work. In that order.3 An Interview with Bran Dougherty-Johnson What is your art and design background? Both my mom and dad are artists, and I was always encouraged to make art, and to look at and appreciate art from a young age. They were also active in anti-war and political demonstrations in the ’70s, and political demonstrations for social issues and artists’ rights. So both of those influences were prominent when I was growing up. When I went to college, I studied film production alongside philosophy, painting, and writing—a real liberal arts education. But I also approached film as a work skill, something I could maybe use to get a paying job. When I graduated from school, I moved to San Francisco and started interning and then working at a post-production editorial company. That was the beginning of Avid and digital non-linear editors. Alongside that I was encouraged to learn Photoshop and After Effects at my job. I had always loved titles, the design of the Star Wars titles, James Bond films like Dr. No and Goldfinger. But I had never planned to do this—I didn’t even really know it was a career. But then, being exposed to commercial work and to different studio reels, I saw Professional Perspectives Bran Dougherty-Johnson 259 Figure 19.5: Happiness outdoor projection. Created by Bran Dougherty-Johnson. that it was a different way to make films with animation, type, and moving imagery. Tomato’s reel was one I watched over and over again, at the time—it was amazing, eye-opening. Then, once the company I was working for saw that I could do it, I became the graphics guy at my job. I moved back to New York, worked at lots of different companies and have been doing this for 15–16 years now. You didn’t need an entire film crew and a set and actors. If you had a computer and the software, you could experiment and play around—and that was really fun for me. One of the other things I studied in college was electronic music. So having that background of sequencing notes and rhythms and MIDI definitely helped me in terms of the idea of editing, the idea of manipulating images the same way you do sound. What drew you toward motion design? I think that when I graduated from college, it was just the right time and the right place for me to pick it up, as film was shifting over to digital. Film title design had been around, but with the ubiquity of computers and programs like After Effects and Photoshop, now anyone could do it with a desktop computer. How has studying film affected your approach to motion design? I think that the main skill I took out of filmmaking was the editing process. Either how to chop up a story or how to sequentially tell it, so your audience grasps what you’re getting at. Motion design is so much about editing. You need to present the story or information in a manner that your audience can understand. The 260 Professional Perspectives Bran Dougherty-Johnson Figure 19.6: Corporate Welfare for Hollywood? Visual essay. Created by Bran Dougherty-Johnson for ADAPT (Association of Digital Artists, Professionals, and Technicians). Professional Perspectives Bran Dougherty-Johnson 261 editing process creates that hierarchy of sequence, of information and meaning in a viewer’s mind. What was your motivation to create PSST! Pass it on…? The first one I did was in 2006. It was pretty small. I asked people whose work I liked, or who were my colleagues and friends to participate. It was just a collaborative fun thing. Then, it snowballed for a couple of years and got huge. The idea that all these motion design studios were rivals with each other was antithetical to me, and I hated it. Pass it on… was a way to get designers from different studios to talk with each other and to collaborate on a different level. That was one of the subversive ideas behind Pass it on…. We collaborate as individuals, and we all let our own voices come through. Don’t worry about the branding of your company. By the third one it was crazy how many people wanted to do it, and it kept on getting bigger. Pass it on… 3 had 18 films and 185 people working on it. It became a monster of a project. Everyone was doing it as a piece of personal work, as something to have fun and experiment with. And I think as an idea of a kind of free-form, experimental, and collective set of work, it’s been pretty “influential.” Since then, I’ve seen lots more collaborative projects in the same kind of spirit. So that’s a nice legacy. work to the public. I like to work on these kind of visual essays and informational films. They’re a good synthesis of what motion design can accomplish—you can tell a story or explain an issue with characters, type animation, info-graphics or charts and still make it interesting, entertaining, and good-looking. How do you approach design for motion? Once I have a concept or a script to work on, I try to distill it and clarify it. I try to make iconic, easily digestible and recognizable imagery. So I’ll storyboard each scene, figuring out what images, characters, type, or icons need to be on the screen to tell the story at that point in time. In motion design, you are drawing, editing, and visualizing what goes on-screen. So it all needs to be cohesive and structured so that it makes sense from scene-to-scene, and so that it also informs and resonates with the viewer. Do you have any suggestions for young designers? Don’t be limited by what already exists. The whole world is open. You can invent a totally new idea of what motion design is. Motion design can be about anything you want it to be. It’s really about stories. It’s really about making connections between images and ideas.4 Notes How are you working these days? I prefer to work directly with clients and to direct, design and animate projects on my own. That means I wear a lot of hats, but it also means I have a lot of control on those particular projects. I’ve been doing a fair amount of work with non-profits and mission-driven organizations to make films that explain their 262 Professional Perspectives Bran Dougherty-Johnson 1 Klanten, Robert. The Modernist. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2011. 2 Klanten, Robert. Naïve: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design. Berlin. Die Gestalten Verlag, 2008. 3 “About.” Brandoughertyjohnson.com. Accessed August 12, 2014. http://brandoughertyjohnson.com/about. 4 Dougherty-Johnson, Bran, telephone interview with author, July 18, 2014. Figure 19.7: First Years commercial. Created by Bran Dougherty-Johnson for Urban Child Institute. Professional Perspectives Bran Dougherty-Johnson 263 Figure 20.1: CHARACTER-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY GRAHAM REID, SCAD BFA. 264 Character-Driven Design Boards Chapter 20: Character-Driven Design Boards Character design is one of the many facets of motion design projects. Characters have the potential to emotionally connect with viewers. Viewers can relate and empathize with beings, even abstract or illustrative ones. Character design can also contain metaphors for big ideas or feelings. An effectively designed character can break through walls of apathy to snare a viewer’s attention. Once a character connects with a viewer, it becomes a device to help deliver a concept through a story. Exaggeration of Essential Qualities Because motion design is a relatively short form of storytelling, a character’s personality is often exaggerated. Characters can be reduced to simple elements or traits that exemplify their nature or message. In your concept development, identify the core ideas and emotions you want to communicate. Let your keywords define and shape the expressive qualities of your characters. The visual traits of your characters such as line, form, and color should be guided by your concept. You can also explore and exaggerate opposing meanings of your keywords to help develop contrast. The Process of Character Design Character design is a specialized discipline. Professionals dedicate their time to developing characters for animated films, television, video games, or other types of character-driven media. For the purpose of this assignment, we will touch on the process of character design. Understand that the suggested steps and processes can be expanded upon in great detail for larger character-design projects. Character design may be out of your comfort zone. You may not consider yourself to have strong drawing skills. However, proper concept development, reference, and research combined with some courage and grit will pay dividends. Consider this project as an opportunity to expand the range of your aesthetic and produce a quality portfolio piece. Written Character Profile A good place to start with character design is to create a written character profile. Because there is such a condensed timeline for motion design, the essential qualities to include are emotional characteristics, behaviors, and mannerisms. Writing a back-story can also help to flesh out the needs and personality of your character. For longer format media, a character profile would need to be much more detailed. Initial Sketches and Character Thumbnails Spend time working in your sketchbook. The initial sketches should be free and loose. Use this time to explore possibilities, and do not forget to have fun. A written character profile can give you starting points for your sketches, but allow your character to Character-Driven Design Boards 265 Figure 20.2: DREAMCATCHERS—ALF CHARACTER FOR AN ANIMATED SERIES PITCH. PROGRESS SKETCHES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. DRAWN BY NATH MILBURN. ANIMATED SERIES DEVELOPED BY NATH MILBURN AND ANDREW MELZER. PRODUCTION STUDIO: FORT GOBLIN. unfold in the process of drawing. Do not be afraid to create a lot of quick sketches. Once your design begins to take shape, create a few refined character thumbnails. Character thumbnails are still sketches, but they are closer to the realized look and feel of your design. 2D Layout Sheet A 2D layout sheet is a tool that helps to visualize the different views and proportions of a character. The standard views are front, profile, back, and three-quarter. You may not need to create a 2D layout sheet for this design board. However, this step is an indispensable facet of character design for longer format, character-driven media. Action Poses Like the 2D layout sheet, you may not need to create separate action poses for your design board. However, action poses are a standard part of the character design process. They help to visualize the gestures and movement of a character. Action poses created from sketches can be translated directly into style frames for your design board. 266 Character-Driven Design Boards Translating Character Design into Motion Once you have designed characters, they must be prepped for motion. This process can be executed in a number of ways depending on your visual style. 2D characters can be colored, layered, and rigged for 2D animation. 3D characters need to be modeled, textured, and rigged for 3D animation. Tactile characters can be rigged for stop-motion or live-action animation. For style frames, the degree of character preparation varies, depending on the scope of your design board. Creative Brief For this project, you will create a character-driven design board. Character design is a specialized skill that allows ideas and emotions to be expressed through stylized beings. Characters can be used in any form of a motion design project. They typically create a connection with the viewer and lead them through the story. Try to use a variety of camera distances and angles for this design board, as it will add a cinematic quality to your project. Figure 20.3: ENTRY LEVEL—JONZY CHARACTER FOR AN ANIMATED WEB SERIES. DESIGNER: JARED MORGAN. TURNAROUNDS: NATH MILBURN. ANIMATED SERIES DEVELOPED BY NATH MILBURN AND ANDREW MELZER. PRODUCTION STUDIO: FORT GOBLIN. Character-Driven Design Boards 267 Figure 20.4: STRAY PETS ANIMATED SERIES. DEVELOPED BY NATH MILBURN AND ANDREW MELZER. PRODUCTION STUDIO: FORT GOBLIN. 268 Character-Driven Design Boards Figure 20.5: CHARACTER DESIGNS FOR COKE “HAPPINESS FACTORY” COMMERCIAL. CREATED BY PSYOP FOR THE COKE COLA COMPANY. DESIGNER: KYLIE MATULICK Character-Driven Design Boards 269 Figure 20.6: CHARACTER DESIGNS FOR CRICKET COMMERCIAL. CREATED BY PSYOP FOR CRICKET. DESIGNER: KYLIE MATULICK. 270 Character-Driven Design Boards Figure 20.7: CRICKET “ANTHEM” COMMERCIAL. CREATED BY PSYOP FOR CRICKET. CREATIVE DIRECTOR: KYLIE MATULICK. • Concept keyword: select a keyword as a starting point for concept development. Refer to the sample keywords in Chapter 16, pages 221–222 for suggestions. • Deliverables: refer to specifications for deliverables for Concept Development, Image-Making and Design, and Narrative Needs in Chapter 16, page 222. Essential character design skills to consider for this project: • The ability to concept and design characters in relation to a creative brief • The ability to express emotions through character design • The ability to think sequentially with characters • The ability to create compelling characters that connect with viewers Character-Driven Design Boards 271 Figure 20.8: CHARACTER-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY YEOJIN SHIN, SCAD BFA. Specific techniques to consider for this project: • Analog characters—characters created by analog methods 272 Character-Driven Design Boards • Digital characters—characters created by digital methods • Hybrid characters—characters created by a combination of analog and digital methods Professional Perspectives Daniel Oeffinger Daniel Oeffinger is a multi-disciplinary designer and animator. He likes to get his hands dirty in every aspect of production, from art direction and illustration to animation and compositing. Bold colors, graphic illustration, and a passion for storytelling are his favorite things to bring to the table. Daniel graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2006. After a few years of freelancing in New York City, he took a staff job at Buck NY, where he is currently employed as an Associate Creative Director. Daniel also teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.1 An Interview with Daniel Oeffinger What is your design background? I went to the Rising Star Summer program at SCAD before I graduated high school. It was awesome. I didn’t apply to any other colleges, I went straight to SCAD. I started studying web design and graphic design. I quickly morphed into motion. Web was more technical, and motion graphics combined everything I loved into one awesome thing. The broadcast design revolution was ongoing while I was in school. Brand New School started getting really big and popular. MK12 and the big industry giants were really inspirational. The other students I was in school with were awesome, and that drove me more than anything. I graduated in 2006 and came up to New York to freelance. I worked as a freelance designer and animator for four years. I took a staff position at Buck in 2009. What do you enjoy about working at Buck? Everything is driven from illustration, as well as design. It isn’t all about Helvetica and proper layout. It is more about illustration and street art, which is exciting. It is an awesome crew to work with. Everybody is excited to be there. It is refreshing to go into an atmosphere where it is so positive and creative. It is like being back in school again, where everybody is doing what they love. What are your thoughts on freelance vs. staff? Freelance is awesome for some things, but you never get to grow too much. When I was freelancing, I was always playing it safe. You are brought in to put out fires, or do a quick turnaround on a lot of jobs. You have more creative flexibility, or at least you’re not afraid to throw out crazy ideas when you are staff. How do you approach concept development? My basic process is to spend the first day—if we have that much time—purely ideating. We like to build mood boards. We reference illustrators, photographers, and painters as a way to let ideas percolate. When you look at stuff, some of it clicks in your head as you’re thinking about the creative brief. Mood boards are like a scratch pad of ideas. Once we have that, we will come back to it the next morning and see what is appropriate to the brief … what’s fitting. After a day of looking at images and piecing things together, that usually lends itself to some animation ideas right Professional Perspectives Daniel Oeffinger 273 Figure 20.9: Various character designs by Daniel Oeffinger. 274 Professional Perspectives Daniel Oeffinger there. If it is a heavy storyboarding job, then it’s more about what kinds of actions and metaphors are being bought up. In that case, we go straight to pen and paper and make thumbnails. My thumbnails are rough, but I bring them to life in Photoshop and Illustrator. We’ll bring all of our work together and see what’s working and what’s not. Sometimes we’ll team up on concepts that are close together. If two artists have concepts that are very similar, we’ll assign them to the same concept so they can build style frames together. It’s a very loose process. Where do you find inspiration? I pull a lot from modern illustration. That stuff changes so much. I like to look at naïve illustration. Where characters aren’t rendered fully anatomically correct. There is something whimsical and bulky about it. I like the stuff that is a little bit off, not super polished. Figure 20.10: Concept art for Grimbergen commercial. Created by Buck. Designer: Daniel Oeffinger. Professional Perspectives Daniel Oeffinger 275 Figure 20.11: Devil’s Cut exploratory. Created at Buck by Daniel Oeffinger. Do you have suggestions for young designers? Having a stand out design portfolio does help. But take the time, and put in the effort to make something that is unique and your own. Don’t purely emulate. When you’re in school, use the time to be experimental. Stay away from motion graphic trends. Do you have any design heroes? When I was in college, it was probably the same as a lot of people—G-Munk. He is always making short films and staying relevant. He is still a design hero. 276 Professional Perspectives Daniel Oeffinger If you weren’t a designer what would you be? I would love to make video games.2 Notes 1 “About/Contact.” oeffinger.com. Accessed August 21, 2014. <http://www. oeffinger.com/About-Contact>. 2 Oeffinger, Daniel, telephone interview with author, July 17, 2014. Figure 21.1: INFOGRAPHIC-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY NATHAN BOYD, SCAD BFA. 278 Information-Graphics Chapter 21: Information-Graphic/Data Visualization Design Boards It can be difficult for viewers to understand and digest large amounts of data. The ability to translate information into functional and beautiful visual forms is vital for designers. The need for information graphics and data visualization in motion design is growing rapidly. Communication design relies on smart solutions that can simplify and deliver messages. The challenge of this assignment is to express complex ideas through symbols, icons, illustrations, and typography.1 Information Graphics and Visual Hierarchy Information graphics and data visualization are dependent upon systems of visual importance. A designer is responsible for creating a graphic language that communicates efficiently with viewers. Visual principles such as color, value, scale, and depth can be used to direct the viewer’s eye. For example, variations in stroke size and line thickness can create depth and direct movement in an image. The purpose of information graphics is to connect viewers with information in a short amount of time. To do this, your design style must be clear, concise, and consistent. Visual Language Simple geometric shapes are often used for information graphics and data visualization. There are collective historical and psychological meanings associated with shapes like circles, squares, and triangles. A circle communicates wholeness or unity. Triangles are energetic and direct movement. Squares are stable and strong. Designers need to be aware of the inherent emotions and messages that simple shapes can communicate. Even lines have the potential to convey a lot of information. Icons, symbols, and illustrations can be very useful for information graphics. The challenge of this project is to reduce and simplify ideas or objects into recognizable graphic elements. Typography is also a key element in information graphics, delivering content and helping define your design style. For type, use variations in size and font weight to establish your visual hierarchy. Visual Metaphors In many cases, information is rendered and displayed graphically. However, another option for this project is to approach Information-Graphics 279 information graphics and data visualization through the lens of visual metaphor. Information can be expressed through more tactile or unconventional representations. Everyday objects can be repurposed and composed to signify information. These more tangible elements could represent visual analogies for data. Just be sure you design a logical system that communicates your information effectively. Unexpected visual metaphors can be pleasantly surprising, communicating a message by capturing the viewer’s attention. Cinema-Graphic The term cinema-graphic describes the process of applying cinematic techniques and effects to graphic elements. This includes qualities like depth of field, lighting effects, atmospheric particles, and/or cinematic camera movements. You can give depth and dimension to graphics that would ordinarily feel flat. Cinema-graphics are by no means exclusive to information graphics or data visualization. Typography can be enhanced and integrated into various design styles using cinematic principles. However, the graphic style of this assignment provides opportunities for these techniques. User interfaces or HUDs— heads up displays—designed for visual effect shots often employ cinema-graphic styles. These treatments help to composite information graphics with live-action. 280 Information-Graphics Aesthetic One of the biggest challenges in making successful information graphics is maintaining a sense of beauty. Too often, information graphics fail because they are visually too busy. The human eye can only process so much data at a time. One of the benefits of time-based media is that information can be delivered through sequential moments. Time-based media allows viewers to process information in manageable pieces as they are guided through a motion design piece. Keep this fact in mind as you design your style frames. You do not need to communicate all of your information at once. Your design style will benefit from a healthy amount of negative space. This principle is especially important, as aesthetic beauty will help to connect viewers with the information you are presenting. Usage Projects can range from entire pieces based on information graphics and kinetic typography to interface design and user experience. With the rise of digital media, the need for motion designers continues to grow. In addition to traditional, linearbased motion design, the demand for interactive motion is expanding. You may be creating motion info-graphics for broadcast, title sequences, special effects shots, user interfaces, or interactive apps. Regardless of the medium, solid design is the foundation for beautiful motion. Figure 21.2: INFOGRAPHIC-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY SEKANI SOLOMON, SCAD BFA. Information-Graphics 281 Creative Brief For this project you will create a design board in the style of information graphics or data visualization. The goal of this assignment is to graphically represent information in an accessible and appealing manner. Although this project requires source information from which you will craft a design style, be sure to develop a narrative. Your design board should still tell a cinematic story. • Concept keyword: select a keyword as a starting point for concept development. Refer to the sample keywords in Chapter 16, pages 221–222 for suggestions. • Deliverables: refer to specifications for deliverables for Concept Development, Image-Making and Design, and Narrative Needs in Chapter 16, page 222. 282 Information-Graphics Essential information-graphic skills to consider for this project: • The ability to express ideas through symbols, icons, illustrations, and typography • The ability to establish hierarchies of visual importance • The ability to create effective visual metaphors • The ability to translate information into beautiful visual forms Specific techniques to consider for this project: • Analog—information graphics created using analog or organic materials and methods • Digital—information graphics created using purely digital materials and methods • Hybrid—information graphics that combine analog and digital materials and methods Figure 21.3: INFOGRAPHIC-DRIVEN DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY CHRIS FINN, SCAD BFA. Information-Graphics 283 Figure 21.4: OFFF Cincinnati 2014 main titles. Created by Autofuss for OFFF Festival. Creative Director and Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK). 284 Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) is a Graphic Designer by foundation who has over a decade of experience functioning as a Design Director for the motion graphics industry. He’s also remained passionately involved in the global design community, giving lectures around the world about his process and experiences. He’s collaborated with distinguished international brands via his work at top tier outfits BUCK, Prologue Films, Transistor Studios, and Bot & Dolly and has designed UI and Holographic sequences on the feature films TRON and Oblivion with Joseph Kosinski. His work is characterized as a hybrid of science fiction themes informed by a psychedelic visual palette.2 An Interview with Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) What is your art and design background? I graduated from Humboldt State in Arcata, California. I worked really hard in school. I was really inspired, and I was always hustling. I had a burning desire, and I always tell students to hustle while you can. Push it as hard as you can; this is your one opportunity to do it for yourself. I learned Flash and After Effects and started making interactive Flash pieces. When I graduated college, I entered a Flash piece into the New Media and Vision Awards in San Francisco, and it won Best in Show. I was really lucky, in that two of the creative directors of the interactive company that I looked up to the most wanted to hire me as a designer. I teamed up with all of the guys that I was idolizing in college. All the people that I loved, I ended up working with. I had to up my game to their level. I moved to London, and it was the most inspired time in my career. Those two years out of school were where I really learned everything. From there, at a conference, I met Kyle Cooper who gave me a job at Imaginary Forces. That was my real motion graphics training. From there, I freelanced for years and years and years. I got another big break at another conference where I met Joseph Kosinski. He brought me in to work at Digital Domain, which led to me working on TRON: Legacy and Oblivion with him. I moved to San Francisco to work at Bot & Dolly, and BOX happened, which unexpectedly blew up the Internet. I go from one place to the next with an open mind and an open heart. Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) 285 Figure 21.5: Tron UI graphics. Created by Crater Lake Productions for Joseph Kosinkski and Universal Pictures. Design Director and Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK). 286 Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) Figure 21.6: Oblivion UI graphics. Created by Digital Domain for Joseph Kosinkski and Disney Enterprises. Design Director and Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK). Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) 287 BOX—The Concept The piece was essentially grounded on the principles of stage magic, invoking five of the basic categorizations of illusionary. These categories greatly informed the conceptual and aesthetic foundation and were fused with a graphic design aesthetic heavy in minimalistic form and illuminated geometry. This direction was Figure 21.7: BOX design and performance piece. Created by Bot & Dolly for the Future. Design Director and Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK). 288 Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) then placed into a projection-based physical installation, where all the “magic” was captured live and in-camera, filmed documentarystyle with no post effects or treatment; in essence the immense technology behind the curtain being completely masked from the viewer by the methods used to capture the performance. This quote by science-fiction writer and inventor Arthur C. Clarke perfectly summarizes the film’s foundation: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”—Arthur C. Clarke The Design Approach The design approach for the film was to have the graphics be informed by black and white optical illusion art as the primary visual catalyst. It made sense that visually, if the piece was to be founded on the principles of magic and illusionary, the graphics would also fit into this theory of illusion in design. . . . This aesthetic was applied to all the artwork within the BOX and its evolution throughout the piece as the principles are explored, interchanging between shaded volumetric graphics and selfilluminated geometry. Secondly, the lighting design and filming style was greatly informed by the film noir aesthetic of the ’40s and ’50s, utilizing a black and white palette and highly stylized, minimal lighting to paint a very theatrical image; as it made sense from a design aesthetic to pay homage to that period for a piece founded on such a timeless art form as magic. Lastly, the final piece of the puzzle was to score a soundscape that contributed to the psychedelic nature of the design; to essentially build an emotional arc throughout the piece as it transitions from mysterious objects within the BOX, through a brightly lit and exposed technology demo, and ultimately culminating as fully realized performance art. . . . A myriad of analog synthesizers were used by the master himself, Soviet Rouge, which fit perfectly with the conceptual cues and visual palette of the piece.3 How do you approach concept development? I am 100 percent a visual person. I am really voracious on Pinterest collecting references. Looking at references spark my ideas. In filmmaking, I will collect images that I love, and then take those key frames and weave them together into a narrative. I will eventually write the story, but I start with the key frames first. I will stare at those key frames and think about ways to explore an awesome visual. With design, it’s the same thing. I collect references like crazy. I love to share my references. When I collate a project, I share the mood boards and everything that I was looking at. I think it’s part of the cycle, and part of the process of design. What you were looking at and what inspired you. Sometimes it’s completely different than what you intended to do. When we were referencing and researching for TRON, we were looking at drawings of organic, natural organisms for high-tech, digital holograms. That’s the beauty of it in a lot of ways. You can really flip things upside down with references to inspire a thought. That’s really how I often work. I will find an image that I love, and that will inspire a lot of different things. Where do you find inspiration? Obviously nature. I love Burning Man. I am obsessed with infinite fractals, sacred geometry, and Islamic symmetry. I also like to consume films on the iPad or go to the theater. I study the masters—Chris Cunnigham, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, and Kubrick’s work—as nobody does it better than the masters. Do you have suggestions for young designers? Find what you love and run with it. This is your time, when you will have the most energy. The people who really want it are the ones who become pioneers in the field. It takes a certain commitment and effort to get there.4 Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) 289 Figure 21.8: Logo Remix Project Adobe. Created by VT Pro Design for Adobe. Director and Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK). 290 Professional Perspectives Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) Notes 1 Klanten, Robert. Dataflow. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2008. 2 “About.” Gmunk.com. Accessed August 19, 2014. <http://gmunk.com/>. 3 “BOX.” Gmunk.com. Accessed August 19, 2014. <http://work.gmunk.com/BOXDEMO>. 4 Munkowitz, Bradley G (GMUNK), telephone interview with author, August 13, 2014. Bradley G Munkowitz (GMUNK) 291 Figure 22.1: ILLUSTRATIVE DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY ANA CRISTINA LOSSADA, SCAD BFA. 292 Illustrative Design Boards Chapter 22: Illustrative Design Boards Illustration has tremendous potential in motion design. Illustration offers an extreme range of stylization that can enhance and express a concept or a message. You can also emphasize ideas and emotions. Illustration can be treated figuratively or abstractly. Motion design can bring an illustrative style to life through animation and cinematic camera movements. Analog and Digital Illustration can be rendered in many forms and mediums. You can have analog, digital, or hybrids of both analog and digital. Traditional illustration was created purely with analog materials, ranging from pencils, pen and ink, watercolor, paint, markers, collage, and photography. Digital methods are mainly translations of these same types of materials and techniques. The ease and efficiency of digital production tools allows designers to work fluidly between both types of media. A sketch or drawing done by hand can quickly be digitized and modified in software like Adobe Photoshop. Illustrative Design Boards 293 Various Styles There are many varieties of illustrative styles. You can create illustration by hand using any number of traditional tools and mediums. Tactile illustration blends sculptural and illustrative qualities. Digital illustration can be clean, precise, and graphic. You can also produce the look of more natural strokes using custom brushes in Adobe Illustrator, while still maintaining the advantages of working with vector graphics. Digital brushes in programs like Photoshop or Painter can be pushed pretty far in terms of achieving an organic look and feel. You can achieve a painterly or stylized aesthetic with a wide range of value and depth using these tools. A combination of analog and digital media can produce all kinds of interesting results. From photo-illustration to the integration of hand-made elements with digital materials, there is really no end to the possibilities for creating unique visual 294 Illustrative Design Boards styles. Elements can be photographed, scanned, and composited to create dynamic style frames. Digital tools allow designers low-risk experimentation of color, distortions, blending, and duplication. Another option is to use 3D software to help develop assets or whole scenes for your illustration style. If you possess modeling skills, you can create figurative or abstract elements. The more advanced your skill-set, the further you will be able to create entire scenes within a specific style. Custom materials, textures, and lighting will help to define the look and feel of your design board. The stylistic direction you choose should enhance and express the concept you develop for your design board. In other words, form should express function effectively. After your concept has taken shape, prepare to move into the design phase of production. Figure 22.2: ILLUSTRATIVE DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY DOMINICA JANE JORDAN, SCAD MFA. Illustrative Design Boards 295 Creative Brief For this project, you will create an illustrative design board. Illustration has a wide range of visual possibilities and mediums. Any project that utilizes motion design can potentially use illustration. Specific types of projects that can use illustration in motion design include animated movies, title sequences, commercials, motion branding, video game cinematics, and interactive motion. Be sure to develop a unique visual aesthetic for your illustration style and to be consistent with it throughout your design board. • Concept keyword: select a keyword as a starting point for concept development. Refer to the sample keywords in Chapter 16, pages 221–222 for suggestions. • Deliverables: refer to specifications for deliverables for Concept Development, Image-Making and Design, and Narrative Needs in Chapter 16, page 222. 296 Illustrative Design Boards Essential illustration skills to consider for this project: • • • • The ability to define a visual style to enhance a concept The ability to express emotions and ideas through illustration The ability to think sequentially with illustrative elements The ability to work between analog and digital mediums Specific techniques to consider for this project: • Analog illustration—illustration made with analog tools and methods • Digital illustration—illustration made with digital tools and methods • Hybrid illustration—illustration that combines analog and digital tools and methods Figure 22.3: ILLUSTRATIVE DESIGN BOARD FOR A STUDENT PROJECT BY JACKIE KHANH DOAN, SCAD BFA. Illustrative Design Boards 297 Figure 22.4: Various style frames created by Matt Smithson. 298 Professional Perspectives Matt Smithson Professional Perspectives Matt Smithson Matt Smithson is the man behind Man vs Magnet. A fine artist by training, Matt strives to bring a unique visual style to every project that comes across his desk. A tactile, almost handmade quality characterizes much of his work, and he approaches every project as a new adventure. Matt enjoys the challenge of working closely with clients to develop their own voice, and continues to find inspiration in found objects, otherworldly landscapes, and the notion that the human mind is driven by sleep and circumstance. Matt received a Young Gun Award for his work from the American Directors’ Club, and his video “The Girl Effect,” produced for the Nike Foundation, was included in the Cooper Hewitt Museum’s National Design Triennial—an exhibition showcasing the work of contemporary designers as they address human and environmental problems with renewed vigor. Over the past few years he has worked with clients of all shapes and sizes, non-profit organizations, do-gooders, and individuals trying to make a difference. He tries not to take himself too seriously and has been known to disappear into the wilderness for long periods of time.1 An Interview with Matt Smithson What is your art and design background? I graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Studio Art, where I focused on painting and printmaking. After graduating, I completed a Masters at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I wanted to combine drawings, paintings, and these things that I make, with storytelling. And, it seemed like motion graphics was the best place for that. It was a perfect way to combine all my weird ideas and drawings with motion and animation to make experimental and fun shorts. How do you use dreams and stream of consciousness in your process? I have a lot of oddball dreams. Like automatic writing, I shut my brain off and allow the words and images to flow naturally. This process creates stories, phrases, or sometimes only a single word that I transform into drawings and animation. The art becomes an interpretation of a dream or a sentence. It’s a great starting point. When I was in school, I used every project and opportunity to further explore using my dreams as a source of inspiration. It worked in my favor, because it allowed me to figure out my own voice. I wasn’t trying to follow trends, but focused on creating a style of my own. When I graduated, my work really stood out, and it helped me get a job. I was signed as a director at Curious Pictures and Not to Scale right out of school. It took a while to start getting work as a director under my belt, but I really liked having the opportunity to have creative control over the projects I worked on. I liked that freedom, because it allowed me to keep using this process and to draw from the same source of inspiration. Professional Perspectives Matt Smithson 299 How was your transition from graduate school into being a director? There were some things that were really new to me when I first started. I hadn’t been exposed to, and wasn’t really prepared for, some of the real world business stuff. Some things caught me off guard, like managing budgets and dealing with clients. I watched how other directors were dealing with these things, and I got some experience by directing small jobs. Producers were there to help with scheduling and keeping jobs on track, but I had to learn quickly how to explain and sell my concepts to clients. When I was in school, we didn’t learn these skills, so I needed to learn them in the field as I gained more experience. All in all, it wasn’t a difficult transition. There were just a lot of things I needed to learn right from the beginning. What is the story with your drawings on pages of old books? I like working on their paper because it feels less intimidating than starting on a fresh canvas. I was always looking for the Figure 22.5: Drawings and mixed media by Matt Smithson. 300 Professional Perspectives Matt Smithson right books. There are certain books that have the perfect paper, and they can be really cheap. I was always the creepiest guy in Strand Bookstore—which says a lot, because Strand has some creepy dudes. I would be the guy in the back of the store shuffling through old art books, collecting paper, trying to find the perfect ones. For me, drawing is an outlet. Commercial work is not the same. When I came to the realization that every commercial job was not necessarily going to be a creative outlet for me, it was a relief of sorts. I needed to balance the work I was doing for clients with personal projects in order to fulfill my need to be creative. I was so much happier after that. The drawing and personal stuff is a huge outlet, and it’s great when it can cross over. However, whatever I am experimenting with in my drawings will probably find its way into an animation for a client. How do you approach concept development? I always start with writing down ideas. Every script is a puzzle, and I comb through it to see where the pieces come together to make it interesting. If we are developing a script, it’s about first identifying the audience, and then figuring out a way to keep them interested and entertained. The goal is always to create a final product that fulfills, or exceeds the client’s expectations, while still challenging us creatively. We like to have fun! Where do you find inspiration? It comes from all over the place. I love to explore what other artists are doing, but it’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work you can be exposed to on a daily basis. Back in the day, before the Internet even existed, artists like Picasso or Miro were surrounded by the work of others, but not nearly on the same scale. It seems like today, we are bombarded by creative work from every direction, and at times, it can be distracting. I feel like it is important to find a balance between outward inspiration and your inner eye. I am drawn to art and to things that haven’t been made for a particular client or job, things that have been made by a person who was simply inspired to make something. For example, I love Zines, which tend to have an analog and homemade look and feel, where people just make things to share. Are there certain types of projects you like to work on? I like the idea of working on projects that promote a good cause. They are a lot of work and a lot more stressful, because I feel like there is more weight on my shoulders, but they are nice to work on because they are trying to make the world better. If I had my choice of any project, I would love to work on surf videos, documentaries, or projects for clients like Adult Swim, where they support artists and their creative vision. What would you do if you weren’t a designer? I would love to work in a big, historic library where I could spend all day sorting and organizing books, exploring, and reading. There are patterns that emerge on the shelves, and the covers of books are all so different. I love the numbers on the spines and library cards, and the quiet mindlessness of having only one simple task on my “to-do list.”2 Professional Perspectives Matt Smithson 301 Figure 22.6: Drawings and mixed media by Matt Smithson. 302 Professional Perspectives Matt Smithson Notes 1 “About.” Manvsmagnet.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http://www. manvsmagnet.com/2210049>. 2 Smithson, Matt, telephone interview with author, August 7, 2014. Illustrative Design Boards 303 Chapter 23: Finding Inspiration Life Mood Board—Creative Brief Author’s Reflection After my first year teaching full-time, I wanted to rebrand my professional identity. I started looking for fonts that would work for a new logotype. Then, I thought about how I had been teaching my students about process and the importance of not jumping straight to outcomes. So I decided to do a mood board for my personal rebrand. While I was searching through some of my favorite design blogs for inspiration, I noticed that I was hesitating before saving images to my reference folder. I discovered this voice inside my head that wanted to know why I was choosing images. It was like this internal editor that was demanding justification for each image I considered saving. I became very curious about this voice. I felt resistance to having to justify why I was inspired. I made a decision that I would save any image to my reference folder that moved me in any way. What followed was a liberating experience. At first, I encountered my internal editor quite often. I had to consciously remind myself that it was okay to be inspired. I did not need any reason other than being moved intellectually or emotionally to save images to my reference folder. It became a 304 Finding Inspiration challenge against my internal editor. I would spend 10, 20, or 30 minutes at a time searching for inspiration. Eventually, I gave up on the rebrand project and spent a couple of weeks exploring art and design blogs. This process helped me to fall in love with being inspired. Through looking at the work of other artists and designers, I learned to appreciate creativity at a deeper level. I also discovered my own personal aesthetic. After collecting around 1,500 images, I decided to honor my personal aesthetic by creating a life mood board. I used the software iPhoto to lay out a book of images that I found inspirational. This process helped me to discover even more about my personal taste. Of course, many of the images were not surprising. I had always been drawn to very tactile and textured images. I liked creating very organic styles that blended analog and digital techniques. But what really surprised me were the images to which I would not have thought I would be drawn. I had simple, clean, modern design styles in my massive inspiration folder. I had images of vintage 3D typography signage. I had images of objects arranged in organized manners, which I discovered is called knolling.1 I had no idea that I was drawn to these different styles. The range of my personal taste had expanded before my eyes. iPhoto has the option to order printed books. So, I ordered a book of my life mood board. It sits on my desk in my studio. I look at it when I need to be inspired or reminded that process is just as important as outcome. Creative Brief This assignment is all about honoring your personal aesthetic and taste. I typically make this assignment last the entire length of a Design for Motion class. It gets kicked-off at the beginning of the course and is not due until the end. It is not an outcome-driven assignment, although many students find valuable outcomes in the process. presentation happens about one week after the assignment is kicked-off. I will ask the students to prepare a PDF file of five images from their life mood board reference folder. They will have up to five minutes to show these images to the class, sharing how the images resonate with them. Having this presentation early in the course is helpful for a couple of reasons. First, it ensures that the students are actually engaged in the process of creating a life mood board. More importantly, it is an excellent way for students to introduce themselves to the class. Presenting examples from their life mood boards is like getting a snapshot of their personalities. Process Search for and gather images that resonate with your personal aesthetic. There is only one requirement for how you select your inspirational images. The images should move you in some way, emotionally or intellectually. Try to turn down the volume of your internal editor and enjoy the process of exploring. If you are not having fun while looking for inspiration, then you are probably too concerned with outcomes. Presentation I typically have students prepare an in-class presentation of a limited selection of images from their life mood board. This Deliverable There is no set number of how many images need to be in a life mood board. It can be as long or as short as you want. I require my students to submit a PDF version of their life mood boards at the end of the course. I do not require my students to print their life mood boards, although some choose to do so. Finding Inspiration 305 Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson Gentleman Scholar is a production company. We are a band of like-minded storytellers and solution-driven artists, held together with advanced technical understanding. Together we have extensive experience in strategy, live-action production, animation, digital, and print. Above all we believe in hard work, honesty and that nothing is more important than loving what you do. We have shared the same vision since forming Gentleman Scholar in 2010: to create a collective of artists who share their love for creation and an eagerness to push the envelope. Today, our family is an ever-growing representation of just that. From the technically savvy to the narratively inclined, our team represents the best of the design universe. And frankly, we like them a lot.2 An Interview with Gentleman Scholars William Campbell and Will Johnson What is your art and design background? William Campbell: I have a background in photography and cinematography. I got into animation for the independence of it. With film, it took so many people to see a vision come to life. With After Effects, I was able to see my vision come to life with my own hands. It felt closer to photography or painting in a traditional art kind of way. I think that attracted me to bring more traditional art and techniques into this field. Will Johnson: When I was younger, I was really into architecture, and I was following that path. I didn’t realize how many avenues could follow the structure of architecture and incorporate fine art, style, and personality as well. So I ended up following a techno-graphic, graphic design, flatter, type-infused, design-driven format. I fell in love with the idea of bringing a message to life in animation. I became obsessed with keyframes. Where did you guys meet? Will Johnson: We met at SCAD and immediately became mortal enemies. It was the competitiveness that we both had. Campbell’s work was really awesome, and we went at each other during presentations and critiques. We ended up somehow working together, again, once we left SCAD. At Superfad, we were forced to work on a project together that we both got to art direct. It was for Target: a 2D–3D artistic representation of slam poetry called Art Connects. Once we realized we could use each other to benefit and strengthen our own core values, we immediately took off. We ended up graduating from Superfad and moving on and wanting to experience something on our own. 306 Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson Figure 23.1: Motion Poems—Working Order visual poem. Created by Gentleman Scholar for Motionpoems. Creative Directors: William Campbell and Will Johnson. Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson 307 William Campbell: We both envied each other’s work in a way that we were definitely competitors. The competition made us stay separated, but once we came together, it pushed us to get better. It’s a difficult balance, but it’s something we try to reinforce at GS. That competition can be healthy. How we can help everyone to push each other forward, but still promote teamwork. At Superfad, we both pitched on the Target piece, and the client wanted to blend both of our design boards together to make one spot. So, the client forced us to work together for the first time. Figure 23.2: Jeem TV—Discover rebrand anthem. Created by Gentleman Scholar for Al Jazeera Children’s Channel. Directors: William Campbell, Will Johnson, and Laurent Barthelemy. 308 Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson Where do you find your inspiration? Will Johnson: It is taking more to blow people away, and wow people, than ever before. We are taking inspiration from good storytelling, and things that speak to us in a clean, simple way. A lot of the inspiration comes from a good discussion about the core value of an idea. William Campbell: Most of our inspiration comes from each other, and the entire team. All of the amazing things the people around us do. As inwards-facing as that is, seeing them being excited makes me want to find something I am excited about. How would you describe the culture of your studio? Will Johnson: We wanted to create a place where you could work with fun, smart, invigorating people. If you’re having fun, you’re going to put energy into the work you’re doing. That work is going to get better. More cool, fun people are going to come, and want to work there. The work has evolved, but the core idea of filling the rooms with cool inspirational people has not changed. Plus, we are in the pit, working on projects; we grind just as hard as everybody. William Campbell: We stay in touch with what’s happening. We never want to be the kind of bosses who are distant. We stay really connected and a part of the culture. We have also been students of other companies. Every company we have gone to, we have taken a little piece of. We have astutely combined them into the kind of place we want to work. Do you have any suggestions for young designers? Will Johnson: Don’t be afraid to fail. If you’re so fearful of failing or doing the wrong thing, you will never learn how to do the right thing. Be a little bit looser with what you are trying to accomplish. If you don’t know how to do something, try it. Don’t stop at an obstacle. William Campbell: Sometimes we tell designers to make a bad set of frames, just make a quick set of frames in a day. That relieves the pressure you have on yourself to make something. Then you can actually free your brain, and let your creativity flow.3 Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson 309 Figure 23.3: Travelers & The Dominion—Canada commercial. Created by Gentleman Scholar for Fallon Minneapolis. Creative Directors: William Campbell and Will Johnson. 310 Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson Figure 23.4: Target—Surprise & Delight commercial. Created by Gentleman Scholar for Target. Creative Directors: William Campbell and Will Johnson. Professional Perspectives Gentleman Scholar—William Campbell and Will Johnson 311 Notes 1 “Always be Knolling.” Youtube.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=s-CTkbHnpNQ>. 2 “About.” Gentlemanscholar.com. Accessed August 25, 2014. <http:// gentlemanscholar.com/about/>. 3 Campbell, William and Johnson, Will, telephone interview with authors, May 11, 2014. 312 Finding Inspiration Chapter 24: Looking Forward Motion design has come of age. The business model of designdriven production has firmly taken root across a range of creative industries. Motion designers are needed in many capacities and for many different platforms. From traditional post-production artists to original content creators, opportunities for motion designers continue to expand. As problem-solvers and digital media generalists, motion designers are poised to be the next generation of creative leaders. We are armed with a strong foundation in art and design principles and embrace both analog and digital technology. As screens become even more prevalent in our daily lives, the demand for screen content increases. The overlap of motion design and interactivity offers entirely new avenues and directions for creative professionals. Motion designers are like the mythological Hermes: able to travel across many realms and boundaries. We need the introspection and drive of traditional artists and designers to craft our individual visions. We must also be able to collaborate and work seamlessly within a team, like members of a film production. We wear many hats, and this multi-talented quality makes us attractive to employers. Amidst the shifting tides of media needs and platforms, the challenge will be to stay relevant over the course of a career. Adherence to beautiful art and design is a time-tested course that will continue to pay dividends. Flexibility and the willingness to adapt as technology changes will also be needed. Above all, stay curious and keep learning. Cultivate a passion for the exploration of culture and experience. Your journeys will feed your creativity and add to the tradition we are building together. Looking Forward 313 Project Credits Reasonable attempts to locate the full credits and names for all contributors to the projects featured in this book have been made. Any errors or omissions will be corrected in future editions of this book. Beat Baudenbacher U2/Grammy Awards/“Get On Your Boots” Credit List CD/Designer: Beat Baudenbacher CD/Designer: Elliott Chaffer CD/EP: David Herbruck Senior Producer: Melissa August Designer: Daniel Dörnemann Animator: Geoff Bailey Animator: Dennis Cheung Animator: Chris Foster Animator: Emily Gobeille Animator: Ann Kruetzkamp Animator: Sébastien Larreur Animator: Alexandra Stefanova Animator: Ben Yonda Animator: Scott Lakso Bates Motel /Show Open Credit List CCO: Beat Baudenbacher CD: Daniel Dörnemann 314 Project Credits CD: Geoff Bailey EP: David Herbruck Senior Producer: Scott Lakso Associate Producer: Will Arnold Designer/Animator: Kazuyuki Ishii Animator/Compositor: Curt Saeui Animator/Compositor: Dave Rogers Music/Sound Design: Eyeball House at the End of the Street Film Title Credit List CCO: Beat Baudenbacher Creative Director: Elliot Chaffer Director: Elliot Chaffer Director of Photography: Christopher Webb Designer: Daniel Dörnemann Kid Font and Drawings by: Zephyr Hawk Animators and Compositors: Emre Veryeri, Jean Delaunay, Balere Amiralut Production Designer: Lisa Soper Music: Theo Green Client: Filmnation Typography Overview Credit List Karma: Beat Baudenbacher, Daniel Dornemann, Greg Tate Bates Motel: Daniel Dornemann, Kazuyuki Ishii ABC—Daniel Dornemann, Josh Lynne, Alan Dague-Greene Ginga—Beat Baudenbacher, Josh Lynne Patrick Clair True Detective Titles Credit List Opening Title Sequence: Elastic Director: Patrick Clair Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall Design/Animation/Compositing: Antibody Senior Designer: Raoul Marks Animation and Compositing: Raoul Marks, Patrick Da Cunha Producer: Bridget Walsh Research: Anna Watanabe Additional Compositing: Breeder Compositing: Chris Morris, Joyce Ho Production: Candace Browne, Adam West Client: HBO Main Title Music: “Far From Any Road” by The Handsome Family Halt and Catch Fire Titles Credit List Produced by: Elastic Creative Direction by: Antibody Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall Director: Patrick Clair Art Direction: Eddy Herringson Animation and Design: Raoul Marks Logo Design: Paul Sangwoo Kim Production Manager: Bridget Walsh Typography Consultant: Jennifer Walsh Visual Researcher: Pat Da Cunha Music: Trentemøller Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus Credit List Design and Direction: Patrick Clair Written by: Scott Mitchell Production Company: Antibody Film Lab Client: Australian Broadcasting Corporation Ubisoft Montreal Watch_Dogs “Blackout” Credit List Design and Direction: Patrick Clair Production Company: Antibody Film Lab Lindsay Daniels The Killing Credit List Production Studio: Sarofsky Director: Erin Sarofsky Executive Producer: Louise Krakower Head of Production: Rachel Steele Lead Designer/Co-Director: Lindsay Daniels Editor: Josh Bodnar Line Producer: Eugene Mazzola Production Manager: Halley Bonoma VFX Director: Matt Crnich Senior Designer: Gene Park Designer: Aaron Kemnitzer Designer: Nik Braatz Compositor: Chris Ryan Director of Photography: Mike Ozier 1st AC: Mark Anderson Gaffer/Grip: Neil Bestwick Media Manager: Joel Phillips Location Scout: Doug duMas Prop Master: Jason Puccinelli Makeup: Jennifer Popochock Body Double: Yulia Hancheroff Body Double: Snezhana Kelly Clients: Fuse Entertainment, FTVS, AMC Project Credits 315 Dexter Titles Credit List Production Studio: Digital Kitchen Creative Director: Eric Anderson Live Action Director: Eric Anderson Producer: Colin Davis Designers: Lindsay Daniels, Anthony Vitagliano Cinematograper: Sergio Argüello Editors: Eric Anderson, Josh Bodnar Animators: Anthony Vitagliano, Nick Campbell Compositor: Miah Morehead Exec. Creative Director: Eric Anderson Exec. Producer: Mark Bashore Music/Sound: Rolfe Kent Valspar Credit List Production Company: The New Blank Creative Director/Director: Bobby Hougham, Sevrin Daniels 3D Modeling/Animation: Cody Cobb, Brian Demong, John Schuchard Compositing Team: Bobby Hougham, Sevrin Daniels, Cody Cobb, Lee Grambush Design Team: Lindsay Daniels, Bobby Hougham, Sevrin Daniels Editorial: Chloe McLennan Score/SFX: Andrew Bird Executive Producer: Ross Fenter Karin Fong Rubicon Titles Credit List Design and Production: Imaginary Forces Creative Director: Karin Fong Designers: Karin Fong, Jeremy Cox, Theodore Daley Animators: Jeremy Cox, JJ Johnstone, Andy Chung Editors: Jordon Podos, Caleb Woods, Adam Spreng Design Assistant: Joey Salim 316 Project Credits Design Interns: Daniel Farah, Leo Marthaler Executive Producer: Anita Olan Producer: Cara McKenney Coordinator: Emily Nelson Music Company: Duotone Audio Composer: Peter Nashel Music Editor: Sally Swisher Client: AMC Senior VP of Original Programming: Joel Stillerman VP Original Programming: Jeremy Elice Manager Scripted Development: Tara Duncan Executive Producers: Henry Bromell, Josh Maurer, Jason Horwitch Director (Pilot): Allen Coulter Associate Producer: Leslie Jacobowitz Boardwalk Empire Titles Credit List Designed and Produced by: Imaginary Forces Directors: Karin Fong, Michelle Dougherty Executive Producer: Anita Olan Producer: Cara McKenney Designers: Karin Fong, Lauren Hartstone, Michelle Dougherty Editor: Caleb Woods VFX Supervisor: Jeremy Cox Compositors: Jeremy Cox, John Stanch 3D Animator: Nate Homan 3D Tracker: Joerg Liebold Additional Animation: Matt Lambert Storyboard Artist: Wayne Coe Initial storybards: Arisu Kashiwagi, Brett Krauss, Joan Lau, Rob Bollick Matte Painter: Amy Paskow Design Assistant: Andy Chung Design Interns: Alex Huang, Karin Soukup Coordinator: Kacie Barton Live Action Line Producer: Jennifer Pearlman Directors of Photography: Aaron Phillips, Russ Swanson 2nd Unit Director of Photography: Wes Carrier Music: Brian Jonestown Massacre Client: HBO Magic Trip: Feature Documentary Sequences Credit List Main Title, Character ID’s, Maps, Acid Trip sequences ( VA Hospital, Wickieup, Stark Naked and the Truckers) within feature documentary Designed & Produced by: Imaginary Forces Creative Director: Karin Fong Art Director: Jeremy Cox Executive Producer: Anita Olan Producer: Cara McKenney Designers: Karin Fong, Jeremy Cox, Daniel Farah, Joey Salim, Theodore Daley, Lindsey Mayer-Beug, Eve Weinberg Animators: Jeremy Cox, Daniel Farah, Joey Salim, Theodore Daley, Leo Marthaler Design Assistant: Andy Chung Design Intern: Alex Huang Editor: Adam Spreng Camera Operator: Wesley Carrier Coordinator: Kacie Barton Production Company: Jigsaw Productions Feature Documentary Director: Alex Gibney / Alison Ellwood Producer: Alexandra Johnes Herman Miller “Get Real” Credit List Designed & Produced by: Imaginary Forces Directors: Karin Fong, Grant Lau Designers: Karin Fong, Grant Lau, Dan Meehan Editor: Mark Hoffman Animators: Grant Lau, Dan Meehan Producer: Ken Wallace Coordinator: Jason Lang Agency: Fairly Painless Advertising Creative Director: Peter Bell Art Director: Julie Lang Photography: Herman Miller Archives and Robert Neumann God of War—From Ashes Credit List Production Company: Imaginary Forces Director: Karin Fong Producer: Jon Hassell VFX Supervisor: Jeremy Cox DP: Trent Opaloch 2nd DP: Dallas Sterling Line Producer: Adam Lawson 1st AD: Travis Gold Designers: Theo Daley, Grant Lau, Karin Fong, Jeremy Cox Production Designer: Bruce McCloskey Costumes and Makeup: Quantum Creations Editor: Zach Kilroy Ash VFX: Allan McKay Compositing: Jeremy Cox, Chase Massingil Additional Compositing: Brian Houlihan, Adam Levin, Andy Chung 3D Animation: Nate Homan, Joshua Delaney Concept Art: Alan Williams, Max Strizich, Steven Lee, Lindsey Mayer-Beug Matte Painter: Marco Iozzi Color: Damien Van Der Cruyssen, The Mill Project Credits 317 Gentleman Scholar Motionpoems—Working Order Credit List Production Company: Gentleman Scholar Creative Directors: William Campbell and Will Johnson Executive Producer: Lindsay Bodanza Head of Production: Rachel Kaminek Art Directors/Lead Designers: Jordan Lyle, JP Rooney Producer: Nikki Maniolas 3D Animators: Tim Hayward, Ben Grangereau, Ryan Kirkwood, Tyler Mele 2D Animators/Designers: Sang Shin, Peter Lee, Heather Aquino, Calvin Prieto Executive Producers: MotionPoems, Todd Boss, Egg Creative, Jennifer David “Working Order,” a poem by Dora Malech. Used with permission. © Dora Malech, 2012. This poem originally appeared in The Iowa Review. Original Score: Singing Serpent Music Original Sound Design and Final Audio Mix: Ben Freer, Eleven Sound Client: Motionpoems Additional Credits: Voice Over Actor: Anthoula Katsimatides Casting Director: Carrie Faverty, Sound Lounge Jeem TV—Discover Credit List Production Company: Gentleman Scholar Directors: William Campbell, Will Johnson and Laurent Barthelemy Executive Producer: Lindsay Bodanza 318 Project Credits Head of Production: Rachel Kaminek Line Producer: Rich Kaylor DP: Tom Banks Post Production Company: Gentleman Scholar Executive Creative Directors: William Campbell and Will Johnson Creative Director: Laurent Barthelemy Executive Producer: Lindsay Bodanza Head of Production: Rachel Kaminek Producers: Jake Hibler, Nikki Maniolas Technical Director: Tim Hayward Storyboard: Vincent Lee Editor: Jason Webb Lighter: Ryan Kirkwood Animators: Slavik Anishchenko, John Velazquez, James Lane Modelers: Diego Melgar, Chris Nolan, Andy Kim, Juan Carlos Cuadra, Derrick Sesson Generalist: Ben Grangereau Design/Matte Painters: James Levy, George Fuentes Character Design: Stephanie Davidson Texture Artists: Heather Aquino, Sang Shin, Silvia Yom Compositors: Ryan Kirkwood, Scott Crawford Sound Design: Patrick Navarre Client: Al Jazeera Children’s Channel Travelers & The Dominion—Canada Credit List Post Production Company: Gentleman Scholar Creative Directors: William Campbell and Will Johnson Executive Producer: Lindsay Bodanza Head of Production: Rachel Kaminek Producer: Nikki Maniolas Art Director: Tommy Wooh Designers: Heidi Berg, Heather-Lynn Aquino 2D Animators: Tommy Wooh, Heather-Lynn Aquino 3D Animators: Tyler Lancaster, Kevin Ferrara 3D Modelers: Juan-Carlos Cuadra, Robert Kim, Kevin Ferrara 3D Generalists: Kevin Ferrara, Robert Kim Compositor: Tommy Wooh Agency: Fallon Minneappolis Target—Surprise & Delight Credit List Production Company: Gentleman Scholar Creative Director: Will Johnson, William Campbell Executive Producer: Rachel Kaminek Producer: Tyler Locke Art Directors/Lead Designers: JP Rooney, Sang Youb Shin Animators: Heather Aquino, Jordan Lyle, Tommy Wooh, Shawn Lee, Macauley Johnson 3D Animation: Tim Hayward, Ben Grangereau, Tyler Mele Gmunk Adobe Logo Remix Credit List Production Company: VT Pro Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Design Directors: Bradley G Munkowitz, Michael Fullman Technical Director: Michael Fullman Director of Photography: Kevin Gosselin, Joe Picard Process Photography: Sam Cividanis, Christian Bruno Graphics Animators: Michael Rigley, Michael Fullman Editor: Bradley G Munkowitz Process Editor: Sam Cividanis Music: Keith Ruggiero Colorist: Prince Wesley Hare BOX Credit List Production Company: BOT & DOLLY Executive Producers: Bill Galusha, Nick Read Executive Creative Director: Jeff Linnell Creative and Technical Director: Tarik Abdel-Gawad Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Lead Graphic Designers: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jason English Kerr 3D Artists: Scott Pagano, Bradley G Munkowitz, Jason English Kerr, Conor Grebel 2D Artists: Conor Grebel, Ben Hawkins, Pedro Figuera Director of Photography: Joe Picard Lighting Designers: Joe Picard, Phil Reyneri Projection/Touch Designer: Phil Reyneri Robotics Animation: Tarik Abdel-Gawad, Brandon Kruysman, George Banks, Michael Beardsworth Robotics Operator: Michael Beardsworth, Brandon Kruysman Prop Fabrication: Matt Bitterman, Ethan Dale Script Supervisor: Ian Colon Sound Engineers: Joe Picard, Michael Beardsworth PAs: Sean Servis, Dakota Smith, Nico Mizono, Eric Wendel, Patrick Walsh Editors: Ashley Rodholm, Ian Colon Music/Sound Design: Keith Ruggiero Sound Mix: Joel Raabe Performers: Tarik Abdel-Gawad, Iris, Scout OBLVN Light Table UI Credit list Production Facility: Crater Lake Productions Oblivion Director: Joseph Kosinski Oblivion Producer: Steve Gaubs Oblivion Assistant Producer: David Feinblserbr Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Lead Graphic Designers: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jake Sargeant Graphic Designers: Joseph Chanimal, Alexander Perry Lead Graphics Animators: David Lewandowski, Joseph Chanimal Graphics Animator: Alexander Perry Project Credits 319 OBLVN Bubbleship UI Credit list Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Lead Graphic Designers: Bradley G Munkowitz, Joseph Chanimal Lead Graphics Animator: Navarro Parker Graphics Animator: Joseph Chanimal OBLVN HUD GFX Credit list Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Lead Graphic Designers: Joseph Chanimal, Bradley G Munkowitz Graphic Designer: Alexander Perry Lead Graphics Animators: Navarro Parker, Alexander Perry Graphics Animator: Joseph Chanimal OFFF Cincinnati Credit List Director: Autofuss Creative Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Director of Photography: Joe Picard Producer: Andrew Devansky Fabrication Advisor: Andrew Devansky Editor: Ashley Rodholm Colorist: Carey Burens Music: Harald Boyesen Anton and Irene by: Peter Clark Yuko Shimizu by: Kirsten Ritschel Lobulu by: Ryan Chen Digital Kitchen by: Nate Costa James White by: Jason Kerr Sougwen Chung by: Rowan Ogden and Kenny Johnson Cocolab by: Conor Grebel GMUNK by: Bradley G Munkowitz GMUNK typography by: Brian Gossett OFFF Cincinnati 2014 by: Ian Colon Lightbox Fabrication: Barry Bradshaw 320 Project Credits DMX Master Control: Michael Beardsworth Key Grips: Dakota Wilder, Branson Stowell Tron Solar Sailor Credit List Production Facility: Digital Domain Executive Producer: Lisa Beroud VFX Supervisor: Eric Barba Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Designers: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jake Sargeant Graphics Designers: David Lewandowski, Adam Swaab, Joseph Chan Graphics Lead Hex Sphere Animator: David Lewandowski Graphics Lead DNA Animator: Adam Swaab Graphics Animators: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jake Sargeant, Joseph Chan Graphics Lead Compositors: Stefano Trivelli, Jan Cilliers, Salima Needham Graphics Compositors: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jake Sargeant Graphics Code Artist: Josh Nimoy Graphics Code Artist Support: Andy King Graphics Technical Support: Jonathan Gerber, Doug Wilkenson Disc Game Scoreboard Credit List Production Facility: Digital Domain Executive Producer: Lisa Beroud VFX Supervisor: Eric Barba Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Designers: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jake Sargeant Graphics Lead Animators: Bradley G Munkowitz, Jake Sargeant Graphics Code Artist: Josh Nimoy Portal Concept Art Credit List Production Facility: Digital Domain Executive Producer: Lisa Beroud VFX Supervisor: Eric Barba Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Compositor: Bradley G Muckowitz Graphics Code Artist: Josh Nimoy Throneship Glass Credit List Production Facility: Digital Domain Executive Producer: Lisa Beroud VFX Supervisor: Eric Barba Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Animators: David Lewandowski, Dylan Nathan Sam’s Disc Hologram Credit List Production Facility: Digital Domain Executive Producer: Lisa Beroud VFX Supervisor: Eric Barba Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Animators: Bradley G Munkowitz, Dylan Nathan Graphics Lead Compositor: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Code Artist: Keith Pasko Light Table Graphics Credit List Production Facility: Digital Domain Executive Producer: Lisa Beroud VFX Supervisor: Eric Barba Graphics Design Director: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Designer: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Animator: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Lead Compositor: Bradley G Munkowitz Graphics Code Artist: Josh Nimoy Lauren Hartstone The Pacific Credit List Production Studio: Imaginary Forces Art Directors: Peter Frankfurt, Steve Fuller, Ahmet Ahmet Executive Producer: Anita Olan Head of Production: Ben Apley Producers: Cara McKenney, Kathy Kelehan Designer: Lauren Hartstone, Arisu Kashiwagi 2D Animators: Chris Pickenpaugh, Jessica Sun, Brian McGee, Annabel Coleman, Robert Henry, Shuyi Wu, Jeremy Cox, Chase Massingill Illustrators: Steve Fuller, Ahmet Ahmet Editors: Corey Weisz, Danielle White Inferno Artist: Rod Basham Assistant Editor: Ben Turner Coordinators: Emily Nelson, Michele Weintraub, Lizzy Benbow, Kim Dates, Heather Dennis Design Assistant: Andy Chung Director of Photography for Charcoal Shoot: Stacey Toyama Sudafed “Open Up” Credit List Design and Production Company: Gretel Executive Creative Director: Greg Hahn Live Action Director and Creative Director: Lauren Hartstone Agency: JWT Google: Times Square Credit List Design + Production Company: Gretel Executive Creative Director: Greg Hahn Associate Creative Director and Designer: Lauren Hartstone Technical Director: Ken tanabe Designers: Steve Fuller, Adam Grabowski Project Credits 321 Animators: Gerald Soto, Dorian West, Andy Chung, Adam Grabowski, Aldo Gonzales, John Loughlin Client: Google Creative Lab Writer–Director: Will Hyde Design Director: Carlos Stevens Director of Photography: Martin Ahlgren Will Hyde Sprint “Now Network” Credit List Co-Directors: Will Hyde, Jeffrey Plansker Design Director: Will Hyde Director of Photography: Andrew Shapiro Agency: Goodby, Silverstein and Partners Agency Creative Director: Christian Haas Kylie Matulick Happiness Factory Credit List Directors: Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick Executive Producer: Justin Booth Clibborn Producer: Boo Wong Assistant Producers: Kate Phillips andViet Luu Flame Artists: Eben Mears (lead) and Jaime Aguirre Lead 3D Artist: Joe Burrascano Animation director: Kevin Estey Technical director: Josh Harvey 3D Animators: Kyle Mohr, Miles Southan, Boris Ustaev, Dan Vislocky 3D Artists: Chris Bach, Clay Budin, David Chontos, Tom Cushwa, Josh Frankel, Jonathan Garin, Scott Hubbard, Jaye Kim, Joon Lee, Paul Liaw, Joerg Liebold, David Lobser, Dylan Maxwell, Naomi Nishimura, Ylli Orana Storyboard Artist: Ben Chan Matte Painter: Dylan Cole Editor: Cass Vanini Music: Human Executive Producer: Mark Altshuler Sound Design: Amber Music & Sound Design Executive Producer: Michelle Curran Sound Designer: Bill Chesley Producer: Kate Gibson Audio Post-Production: Audio Engine, NY Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam Creative Directors: Hunter Hindman, Rick Condos Account Team: Stephen Corlett Producer: Darryl Hagans and Tom Dunlap Samsonite “Matador” Credit List Client: Samsonite Director: Will Hyde Design Director: David Viau Director of Photography: Kevin McKnight Agency: Connelly Partners Agency Creative Director: Nick Bontaites Phantom “Descent” Credit List Client: Vision Research Writer–Director: Will Hyde Director of Photography: Stephen McGehee Pioneer “Kuro” Credit List Client: Pioneer America Co-Directors: Will Hyde and Justin Leibow Agency: TBWA Chiat Day Agency Creative Directors: Becca Morton, Gage Clegg Sony “Eye Candy” Credit List Client: Sony Worldwide 322 Project Credits Assistant Producer: Matt Kendall Executive Creative Directors: Al Moseley, John Norman Agency Executive Producer: Tom Dunlap 2D animation: Song Kim, Dylan Spears, Melvina Wong, Kendra Ryan Digital Design Company: Grand Union Twinings “Sea” Credit List Advertising Agency: AMV BBDO, UK Production Company: Psyop/Smuggler Director: Psyop Psyop Creative Director: Kylie Matulick Executive Producer: Neysa Horsburgh Producers: Mark Knockles, Jenn Dewey, Amanda Miller, Hillary Thomas Associate Producers: Minh Ly, Anu Nagaraj 3D lead: Kyle Cassidy Animation Lead: Dan Vislocky Compositing Leads: Danny Koenig, Julie Lenoble Compositor: Cris Kong Storyboards: Vinny Dellay, Josh Weisenfeld, Storyboard colorist: Danelle Davenport Editorial: Brett Nicolletti Lead Design: Paul Kim Additional Design: Andrew Park, Georgia Tribuiani, Kenesha Sneed Modeling and Texturing: Rie Ito, Ibtisam Ahmed Rigging: Sean Kealey Pre-Vis Animation: Blake Guest, Dan Vislocky Animators: Dan Vislocky, Minor Gaytan, Chris Meek, Jacob Frey, Sashdy Arvelo, Yvain Gnabro, Todd Akita 3D: Katie Yoon, David Chontos, David Barosin, Barry Kreigshauer, Hao Cui, Roman Kaelin, Eric Rosenthal, Andreas Berner Rotoscoping: Stephen Holbrook Water and particle effects: Kiel Gnebba, Wayne Hollingworth, Brian Alvarez Cloth Effects: Victor Garza Robert Rugan Durex “Get It On” Credit List Production Studio: Superfad Executive Producer: Geraint Owen Head of Production: Amy Selwocki Producer: Mike Tockman Director: Robert Rugan CG Lead: Mike Wharton CG Animator: Dave Thomilson Art Director: Andrew Johnston Compositor: Adrian Winter Danny and the Wild Bunch Credit List Director: Robert Rugan Writer: Robert Rugan Cast: Nora Zehetner Cast: Rob Tepper Executive Producer: Adam Schlossberg Proder: Molly M. Mayeux Cinematographer: Peter Konczal Makeup: Faye Lauren Sound: Joel Raabe Visual Effects: Dave Thomlinson Th1rt33n Credit List Production Studio: Superfad Creative Director: Robert Rugan Producer: Christina Roldan CG Supervisor: Michael Wharton CG Animators: Bill Burg and Angel Negron Project Credits 323 Lighting/Materials: Michael Wharton and Bill Burg Compositor: Daniel Pernikoff Executive Producer: Geraint Owen Film Director: David van Eyssen Erin Sarofsky Captain America: The Winter Soldier Main on End Titles Credit List Production Company: Sarofsky Main Title Director/Lead Designer: Erin Sarofsky Producer: Erik Crary CG Supervisor: Andre Zazzera Co-Visual Effects Supervisors: Matthew Crnich/John Filpkowski Illustrator/Concept Artist: David Mack Co-Editors: Josh Bodner/Steven Piet Executive Producer: Rachel Stelle CG Artists: Patrick Coleman, Duarte Elvas, Tinizsi Gadegbeku, Nick Hopkins, Alex Kline, Xiu Sheng Liang, Cameron Spencer, Tnaya Witmer Associate Producer: Michael Burke Digital Artist: Jenine Early Technology Consultant: Mike Moe Stereo Consultant: Rob Engle Production Manager: Halley Winer Production Coordinator: Katie Bates Production Assistant: Brent Austin Girl Rising Titles Credit List Production Company: Sarofsky Director: Erin Sarofsky Executive Producer: Rachel Steele Director of Photography: Steven Piet B Camera Operator: Brian Schilling Steadicam Operator: Janice Arthur 324 Project Credits First Assistant Camera: Mike Bove Line Producers: Anna Jung Production Coordinator: Halley Winer Post Producers: Erik Crary and Michael Burke Visual Effects Director: Matthew Crnich CG Director: Andy Zazzera Editor: Steven Piet Illustrator: Tricia Kleinot Animators/Compositors: John Filipkowski, Nik Braatz, Kyle Romaneck, James Lee, James Reid, Alex Kline, Nick Hopkins Post Production Assistants: Tom Jurgensen, Kalin Fields, James Nicky, Chase Bickel Matador Titles Credit List Production Company: Sarofsky Creative Director: Erin Sarofsky Executive Producer: Rachel Steele Producer: James Babiarz Visual Effects Director: Matthew Crnich Lead Artist: Patrick Coleman Animators: John Filipkowski, Tnaya Witmer, CJ Cook, Duarte Elvas, Joe Lawrence Illustrators: David Mack, Brent Austin Shameless Titles Credit List Production Company: Sarofsky Director: Erin Sarofsky Co-Director: Lindsay Daniels Executive Producer: Louise Krakower Head of Production: Rachel Steele Line Producer: Brooke Hopkins Assistant Producer: Halley Winer 1st Ad: Matt Waters VFX Director: Matt Crnich Editor: Lee Gardner Senior Designer: Gene Park Designer: Nik Braatz Danny Yount Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Titles Credit List Production Company (titles): Prologue Films Title Designer: Danny Yount Executive Producer: Kyle Cooper Animators: James Choi, Evan James, Gary Mau, Stephen Schuster, Danny Yount Editor: Danny Yount Designers: James Choi, Stephen Schuster, Danny Yount Score: Jon Ottman Six Feet Under Titles Credit List Production Studio: Digital Kitchen Director: Danny Yount Editor: Eric Anderson Designers: Danny Yount, Mason Nicoll Animators: Scott Hudziak, Janice Harryman Creative Director: Paul Matthaeus Producer: Lane Jensen Cinematographer: Christian Loubek Rock N Rolla Titles Credit list Production Company: Prologue Films Design and Animation: Danny Yount, Ilya Abulhanov, Alex Hanson Illustrator: Chris Sanchez Film Compositor: Anthony Mabin Executive Producer: Ian Dawson Alan Williams The Walking Dead “Survive and Drive Sweepstakes” presented by Hyundai Credits List Produced by: Imaginary Forces | New York Executive Producer: Gabriel Marquez Directors: Dan Gregoras and Alan Williams Producer: Jon Hassell Production Coordinator: Tess Sitzmann Editor: Zach Kilroy Art Director/Illustrator: Max Strizich Storyboards: Wes Simpkins 2D Animation: Andy Chung/Lu Liu/Waleed Zaiter Cel Animation: Peter Ahern Sound Design: Marshall Grupp at Soundlounge Lucas Zanotto Amazon Kindle Credit List Production Company: Troublemakers.tv Director: Lucas Zanotto Executive Producer: James Hagger Production Manager: Aurélie Chevalier Production Assistant: Charles-Philippe Bowles Director of Photography: David Quesemand Camera Assistant: Charlotte Bonfort Art Director: Anne Delepoulle Make-Up: Emmanuelle Rico-Chastelle Grading: Media Lab Actress: Anita Gillier Music Company: Studiokamp Music and Sound Design: David Kamp Agency: DDB China Miximal & Drawnimal App Credit List Production Company: Yatatoy Project Credits 325 Director/Design/Animation: Lucas Zanotto Sound Design: Ulrich Troyer Software Development: Niels Hoffman Geile Weine Credit List Director/Design/Animation/Music: Lucas Zanotto Sound Design and Mix: Ulrich Troyer Client: Geile Weine 326 Project Credits Google—uProxy Credit List Director/Design/Animation: Lucas Zanotto Music and Sound Design: David Kamp Producer: Passion Pictures Client: Google Index 2D layout sheets 266 3D: information-graphic/data visualization design boards 280; tactility 241 3D software 195–201; 3-point light setup 198; design board 196, 199; design essentials 171; illustrative design boards 294; matte painting 210–11; multi-pass render 200; style frames 194; video game cinematic 202 3-point light setup 197, 198 Anderson, Wes 289 animation 2, 11 answering the needs of a project 52, 70 The Artist’s Way (Cameron) 79 aspect ratio and size 151, 211, 218–19, 219 assets 171, 172, 175, 208–11, 209 asymmetry 115 atmospheric perspective 10, 132, 132–3, 133, 210 author’s reflections 20, 27, 70–1, 96, 304–5 awareness and time management 72 abstract compositing 183–5, 184, 192, 193 action poses 266 Adobe After Effects 102, 103, 201 Adobe Illustrator 210, 257, 294 Adobe Photoshop See Photoshop advertising, field of 11 aesthetics see visual style Albers, Josef 130 Alpha Channel 198–9 ambient light 197 ambiguity 71, 72, 90 amplification vs. reduction 217 analog: illustrative design boards 293, 294; lighting 197; matte painting 205; sketchbooks 173–4; tactile design boards 241 backing-up data 174 backlight 197 baseline in typography 226 basic transformations 188 Bass, Saul 7, 35 Baudenbacher, Beat 105, 233–9, 234, 235, 236, 237 Binder, Maurice 7 bird’s eye view 144 black and white 127, 128 blending 190, 190–1 blogs 96 blurring 208 BOX 288, 288–9 branding 76, 130, 212, 304–5, 308 Page numbers in bold refer to images. Index 327 brushes, digital 294 business success 35, 65 camera angles and movement: cinematic conventions 143–5; design boards 22, 27; DOs & DON’Ts lists 89; matte painting 206, 210; storyboards 152, 153 cameras 171, 174, 197–8 Cameron, Julia 79 Campbell, Joseph 102 Campbell, William 306–11, 307, 308, 310, 311 Carson, David 35, 238 casting type 228–9 certainty 72, 115 change, dramatic 102 change and composition 3 character-driven design boards 264, 265–72, 272 characters 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 274 cinema, matte painting for 205 cinematic techniques 141–8, 150, 280 cinematography, field of 11–12 Cintiqs 174 Clair, Patrick 106, 106–11, 109, 110 Clarke, Arthur C. 289 client relationships 56 close-up shot 142 cohesion see unity Colette, John 8–9 collaboration: Clair, Patrick 108; client relationships 56; Fong, Karin 65; Gentleman Scholar 308; Matulick, Kylie 121; PSST! Pass it on… 259, 262; Sarofsky, Erin 35 color: composition 130; process and pitch books 42; style frames 16; value 127, 128 color correction and color grading 34, 188, 189, 210 color perspective 10, 132, 133, 210 328 Index commercial art: art and design 1; naïve sensibilities 257; processto-outcome spectrum 70 commercial projects: compositing 184; Daniels, Lindsay 75, 76; Dougherty-Johnson, Bran 263; Fong, Karin 64, 65, 68; Gentleman Scholar 310, 311; Hartman, Chace 164, 167; Hartstone, Lauren 44, 48; Hyde, Will 176, 179, 180; Matulick, Kylie 118, 120, 122, 124–5; pre-visualization 4; Smithson, Matt 301; style frames as stylistic guides 16–17; typography 225; Williams, Alan 98 communication 42, 56 competition 24, 308 compositing 182; 3D 201; abstract compositing 183–5, 184, 192; basic transformation 188; blending 190, 190–1; color correction and color grading 188, 189; concrete compositing 183, 184, 191; duplication 186–8, 187; exercises 191, 193; feathering 185–6; hue, saturation, and value 188; matte painting 205, 209–10; mattes 185, 186; retouching 188; tactile design boards 243; typography 229 composition: color 130; contrast 128–30; depth 130–1; design boards 27; graphic/motion relationship 2; image-making 112–17; matte painting 206–7, 211; storyboards 153; stylistic creative briefs 221; thumbnail sketches 148; typography, integrating 229; value 127–8; varying 3 computers 174 concept development 58–60, 59; Baudenbacher, Beat 235; Clair, Patrick 108; creative briefs 51–2, 60; Daniels, Lindsay 73; design for motion process 4; development 60; DOs & DON’Ts lists 88–9; exercises 160–3; Fong, Karin 63; form and function 17–18; free writing 79–82; Hartstone, Lauren 43; Herman, Greg 215; matte painting exercise 211; Matulick, Kylie 121; mind aps 84–8; Munkowitz, Bradley G. 289; Oeffinger, Daniel 273, 275; process books 39–40; process-to-outcome spectrum 70–1; Sarofsky, Erin 31; Smithson, Matt 301; strength of concept 19, 20; style frames 16; stylistic creative briefs 222; Williams, Alan 97; word lists 82–4; writing for 101; Yount, Danny 138–9; Zanotto, Lucas 249–50 concrete compositing 183, 184, 191, 193 consistency in typography 226–7, 229 content creators 65 context 244 continuity 152 contrast 129; colors 130; composition 128–30; concept development exercises 90; design boards 27; keywords 83–4; mattes 185; perspective 133; shapes of stories 102; style frames 16; and tension 2; visual style 6, 7 cool colors 130 Cooper, Kyle 63, 285 creative borders 89 creative briefs: compositing exercises 191, 193; concept development 51–2, 58–60, 70; concept development exercises 90, 161; design boards 23; information-graphic design board exercise 282; life mood board exercise 305; matte painting exercise 211; modern design board exercise 257; stylistic creative briefs 217–22; tactile design boards 246; type-driven design boards 221 creative directors 24 creative leads 40 creative process: free writing 79–82; initial shape of a concept 89–91; Matulick, Kylie 121; Rugan, Robert 156; sea glass metaphor 117 creative writing 11, 101 creativity 9, 18, 20, 79 culture and typography 225 culture of design 8–9 Cunningham, Chris 289 Daniels, Lindsay 20, 74, 75, 77 deliverables 4, 163 depth 130–1, 131 depth of field 131, 210 design boards 6, 23–30, 25, 26, 28, 30, 50; 3D software 196, 199; character-driven design boards 264, 265–72, 272; cinematic elements of 145–8; Hartman, Chace 164, 168; Herman, Greg 214; illustrative design boards 292, 293–7, 295, 297; information-graphic design boards 278, 281, 283; modern design boards 254, 255–8, 256, 258; number of style frames for 220; tactile design boards 240, 241–6, 242, 247; thumbnail sketches 150; typography 224, 225–31, 228, 230, 232; visual style 7, 22, 221 design decks 4 design-driven production: creative roles in 3; design boards 24, 26–7; designing for 18; project types 3–4; scripts 105; style frames 15 designer’s tools 170, 171–5, 294 desktop technology 7, 8–9, 174 development see concept development digital technology: 3D software 195–201; backups 174; cameras 171, 174; compositing 185–6, 188, 190; graph editors 102; history of style frames 8–9; illustrative design boards 293, 294; image-making 129–30; matte painting 205; mood boards 95; resource library 175; sketchbooks 174; tactile design boards 241, 243; translations of analog practices 173; under painting 207–9 directing 11–12, 45 distance 146, 208 dolly shot 145 DOs & DON’Ts lists 88, 88–9, 89, 162 Dougherty-Johnson, Bran 259–63, 260, 261, 263 Index 329 dramatic change 102 drawings see sketches and drawings dreams 299 duplication 186–8, 187 dutch angle 143, 143–4 editing, field of 11 efficiency 93–5 emotion: color 130; distance 146; information-graphic design boards 279; mood board 92; project needs 52; type-drive design boards 229 enjoyment of the process 19, 20, 90, 95, 309 establishing shot 146 exaggeration 265 exercises: character-driven design boards 71–2, 266; compositing 191, 193; concept development 160–3; illustrative design boards 296; information-graphic design boards 282; life mood board 305; matte painting 211; modern design board 257; stylistic creative briefs 221–2; tactile design boards 246; type-driven design boards 221 experimentation 9 extreme close-up shot 142, 143 extreme wide shot 141 fads 96 feathering 185–6 Ferro, Pablo 7 fiber 243, 244 fill light 197 film, field of 11–12 fine art 1, 4, 255 finishing touches on the design board 29–30 Fischinger, Oskar 7 330 Index flow in motion design 25–6 focal point 90 focus in motion design 25–6 Fong, Karin 61–7; commercial 64–5, 66; presentations 39; storyboards 163; title sequences 62, 67; writing 101 form and function 17–18, 294 found objects 243 frames, storyboard 151–2 free writing 79, 79–82, 80, 82, 102, 161 Gentleman Scholar 306–11, 307, 308, 310, 311 Gladman, James 217 GMUNK see Munkowitz, Bradley G. golden section 116, 117 graph editors 102, 103, 104 graphic design, field of 10 graphic/motion relationship 2 hand-drawn storyboards 150–3, 151, 152, 153, 163, 220 hand-made elements 172 Hartman, Chace 164, 164–8, 167, 168 Hartstone, Lauren 43–8, 44, 46–7, 48, 58 heads up displays 280 Herman, Greg 212, 212–15, 214, 215 hero frames 147, 221 high angle shot 143 history and typography 225 hue 188 Hyde, Will 176, 176–80, 179, 180 icons 279 illustration, field of 10 illustrations 279 illustrative design boards 292, 293–7, 295, 297 image gathering 95, 97, 99, 171, 193, 304–5 image-making: color 130; composition 112–17; contrast 128–30; Daniels, Lindsay 76; depth 130–1; depth of field 131; matte painting 205, 210, 211; perspective 131–3; spatial planes 131; stylistic creative briefs 218, 222; under painting 208; value 127–8 information-graphic/data visualization design boards 278, 279–83, 281, 283 initial shape of a concept 89–91 inspiration: Baudenbacher, Beat 238; Clair, Patrick 108; Fong, Karin 63; Gentleman Scholar 309; Hartman, Chace 166; Hyde, Will 178; life mood boards 304–5; Matulick, Kylie 123; Munkowitz, Bradley G. 289; Oeffinger, Daniel 275; Rugan, Robert 156–7; Sarofsky, Erin 34; Smithson, Matt 301; Yount, Danny 139–40; Zanotto, Lucas 250 intellectual needs of a project 52 interactive design 12, 250 internal editor 79, 81, 304 Internet 95, 171; see also Pinterest iPhoto 304–5 Johnson, Will 306–11, 307, 308, 310, 311 Jonze, Spike 289 kerning 226 key light 197 keywords 83–4, 86–8, 218, 221–2, 229 kinetic typography 225 knolling 305 Kubrick, Stanley 289 laptop computers 174 layers 171–2, 209 layout 30, 42, 92, 226, 266 leading in typography 226 lighting 92, 197, 198, 207, 210 line and value 128 linear perspective 132 low angle shot 143 Lye, Len 7 mapping, material 195 mark-making tools 172–3 materials 195, 243–4, 244, 245, 246 matte painting 204, 205–11, 206, 207, 208, 209, 213–15 matte passes 201 mattes 185–6, 186 Matthaeus, Paul 138, 139 Matulick, Kylie 118, 118–26, 120, 122, 124–5, 126 McLaren, Norman 7 medium shot 142 metaphors 279–80 methods and formulas in composition 116–17 mind maps 31, 84–8, 85, 86, 87, 88, 162 modeling and 3D software 195 modeling clay 243 modern design boards 254, 255–8 Modernism 255 moment in time concept 20, 21 mood boards 92, 92–6, 94, 162, 218, 304–5 motion: composition 115; graphic/motion relationship 2 motion design: art and design 1; matte painting for 205–6; process 4; roots of 7 multi-pass rendering 199–201, 200 Multiply 201 Munkowitz, Bradley G. 276, 284, 284–90, 286, 287, 288, 290 mystery and motion 115 Index 331 naïve sensibilities 257 narrative: design boards 6, 22; design for motion process 4; DOs & DON’Ts lists 89; hand-drawn storyboards 150; linear vs. non-linear structure 101–2; needs of a creative brief 52; storyboards 152–3; stylistic creative briefs 222; velocity 102, 103, 104; visual style elements 7; written treatments 101–2, 105 nature, value in 128 negative space see positive space and negative space non-destructive workflows 171–2 notes on storyboards 153 Oeffinger, Daniel 150, 273–6, 274, 275, 276 opacity 16 outcome 4, 70; see also process-to-outcome output size 198 over the shoulder shot 144 Painter 294 pan 145 paper 243, 245 personal rebranding 304–5 personality of typefaces 229 perspective 10, 131–3, 132, 133, 210 photo printers 8 photography: assets 172; cameras 174; digital cameras 171; field of 10, 34; Hyde, Will 178 Photoshop 8–9, 172, 201, 210, 211, 294 Pinterest 97, 99, 139–40 pitch books 4, 8, 39–42, 41, 221 pitches 24, 171 portfolios 39–40, 45, 65 positive space and negative space 16, 42, 113–15, 280 post-production models 9 332 Index practicing process-to-outcome 220–1 prepping assets 171–2 presentations 39–42, 45, 101, 305 pre-visualization 4, 151, 163 problem solving 166 process: Baudenbacher, Beat 235; Matulick, Kylie 120; processto-outcome 71; Zanotto, Lucas 248, 251, 252, 253 process books 39–40, 42; compositing exercises 193; concept development exercises 160, 163; mind maps 85, 86, 87, 88; purpose 4; stylistic creative briefs 221, 222; thumbnail sketches 149, 150; word lists 83, 84 process-to-outcome 68–72; concept development exercises 160–3; creative briefs 94–5; DOs & DON’Ts lists 89; graphic representation 68; stylistic creative briefs 217–18, 220–1 product design 249 production and design boards 24, 26–7 production teams: design boards, function of 27; design-driven production 3; designing for 18; storyboard notes 153 professional identity 304 professional perspectives: Baudenbacher, Beat 233–9; DoughertyJohnson, Bran 259–63; Fong, Karin 61–7; Gentleman Scholar (William Campbell and Will Johnson) 306–11; Hartstone, Lauren 43–8; Herman, Greg 212–15; Lindsay Daniels 73–7; Matulick, Kylie 118–26; Munkowitz, Bradley G. 284–90; Oeffinger, Daniel 273–6; Patrick Clair 106–11; Rugan, Robert 154–8; Sarofsky, Erin 31–7; Vega, Carlo 53–6; Williams, Alan 97–100; Yount, Danny 134–40; Zanotto, Lucas 248–53 professionalism 42 projection, material 195 projection mapping 10 projects: answering the needs of 52, 70; design-driven production 3–4; technical specs 52; types of 3–4; see also commercial projects; exercises proportioning systems 116–17, 117 PSST! Pass it on. . . 259, 262 Quantel Henry system 8 rebranding 304–5, 308 reduction 217, 255, 257 rendering 198–201, 200 RESfest 9 resource library 175 retouching 188 Rugan, Robert 154, 154–8, 156, 158 rule of thirds 116, 117 sans serif typography 226 Sarofsky, Erin 31–7, 32, 33, 36–7 saturation 188, 208 scanners 171, 174–5 schedule and deadlines see time management screen content 10 scripts 102, 105 sequential art, field of 10 serif typography 226 simple shape of stories 102, 103, 104, 162–3 simplicity 238, 255, 257 sketchbooks 84, 173, 173–4 sketches and drawings 206, 206–7, 211, 265–6, 300, 302 Smithson, Matt 298, 298–302, 300, 302 software see 3D software; digital technology spatial planes 131 storyboards: compared to design boards 23, 29; concept development exercises 163; Fong, Karin 163; hand-drawn storyboards 150–3, 151, 152, 153; Hartstone, Lauren 45; history of style frames 8; with style frames 220 storytelling: Baudenbacher, Beat 233; Clair, Patrick 108; concept development exercises 163; design boards, function of 27; in design for motion 29; Hartman, Chace 166; narratives 105; storyboards 152; Williams, Alan 100; Yount, Danny 139 stream of consciousness 80, 299 style see visual style style frames 2, 14, 14–21, 15, 19; 3D software 194; aesthetic 18; aspect ratios and size 219; composition 113, 114, 116; contrast 129; within design boards 27; establishing shot 146; history of 8–9; image sources 171; Matulick, Kylie 121; modern design 257; number of, for design boards 220; purpose and importance of 4, 23–4; Rugan, Robert 155; single moment of time 21; Smithson, Matt 298; strength of concept and illustrative style 17; thumbnail sketches for 149–50, 150; typography 231; visual pattern 16 stylistic creative briefs 217–22 subject matter and tactile design boards 246 symbols 279 symmetry and asymmetry 115 tabletop productions 250 tactile design 243, 266, 294 tactile design boards 240, 241–6, 242, 247 teamwork see collaboration technical specs of a project 52 technology 7, 8–9, 10, 171–5 templates, process and pitch books 42 tension: color 130; composition 3, 128; concept development exercises 90; contrast 2, 84; design boards 27; DOs & DON’Ts lists 89; shapes of stories 102; tactile design boards 246 textiles 243 texture 16; matte painting 210; mood boards 94; scanned textures 172; tactile design boards 241, 243 Index 333 thumbnail sketches 148–50, 149, 150; characters 266; concept development exercises 163; matte painting 206–7, 207, 211; stylistic creative briefs 221 time management 71, 72, 220 tipping points 90–1 titles and title sequences 77; Baudenbacher, Beat 237; blending 190; Clair, Patrick 106, 110; compositing 189; Daniels, Lindsay 74, 76; Fong, Karin 62, 67; Hartstone, Lauren 46–7; mattes 186; Munkowitz, Bradley G. 284; Sarofsky, Erin 32, 33, 35, 36–7; Yount, Danny 134, 136, 137, 139 tone 92, 138 tools, designer’s see designer’s tools tracking in typography 226 transition frames 147–8, 148, 150 trends and fads 96 two shot 144 typography 225–31; Baudenbacher, Beat 234, 235, 236, 237, 239; custom typography 227; information-graphic/data visualization design boards 279, 280; mood boards 94; process and pitch books 40, 42; serif and sans serif 226; type-driven design boards 224, 228, 230, 232; type-driven style frame 231; typefaces 225 uncertainty see ambiguity under painting 207–9, 208, 210, 211 unity and design boards 28–9 usage considerations 280 user experience, field of 12 UVW mapping 195 varying composition 3 vector artwork 257 Vega, Carlo 53–6, 54, 55, 57 velocity 102, 103 vignette use 34 visual design 28–9, 60 visual effects, field of 11 visual hierarchy 279 visual language 279 visual metaphors 279–80 visual patterns 15–16, 16, 29, 193, 217–18 visual style 6; design boards 22, 23, 24, 27; design for motion process 4; elements of 7; illustrative design boards 294; information-graphic/data visualization design boards 280; life mood boards 304–5; modern design boards 255, 257; mood boards 96; process and pitch books 40, 42; style frames, importance of 16–17; typography 229; see also stylistic creative briefs Vogler, Christopher 102 Vonnegut, Kurt 104 Wacoms 174 warm colors 130 wide shot 142 Williams, Alan 97–100, 98, 99, 100 word lists 82, 82–4, 83, 84, 161–2 written character profiles 265 written treatments 101–2, 105, 162–3, 220–1 Yount, Danny 134, 134–40, 136, 137, 138, 139 value 127, 127–8, 188, 208, 210 Van Dyke, John 135, 138 334 Index Zanotto, Lucas 20, 248, 248–53, 251, 252, 253

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