The Ask
To create a opening video for the Honeywell Connect event. The main stage screen was 4000x960 pixels.
The Process
Style frames
First I drafted up some style frames for the project. The client already provided some brand elements for the event. We agreed to have the video be a mix of footage and graphics that will be displayed on an ultra wide display screen. Luckily, the first review was a hit and we were able to move straight into boards.
Design boards
After getting approval from the client, we moved on to boarding the entire project. I worked with an editor to select footage. He built out a premiere file for me to pull screenshots for to show to the client. Since they have a vast library of footage, it was important for them to see the visuals before we put everything into After Effects.
Animation
The bulk of the work in the beginning was converting the client assets into animated assets. A lot of the branding was already created by the client like the end card and abstract gradients. The challenge was replicating it in After Effects. What I did was animate the gradients by using wiggle expressions on the position keyframes for a 4 color gradient. A combined that with some blend modes and black and white gradients since some of the colors weren't coming out very natural compared to the reference file.
The editor I worked with cut the video in a raw timeline without any effects this way I could create my own Premiere file and import directly into Ae. I then was able to keep his timings and work with the clips he sent over in ProRes. A lot of this project was just finding interesting compositions to accompany the ultra wide screen.
My role: Design | Animation
Client: Honeywell Forge
Editor: Zack Bender
Creative Director: Anthony DiMaria
Agency: Manley Creative