FORM AND
FUNCTION
Answering the question of what makes design work through a Bauhaus lens. Exploring its principles of less is more and the beauty of simplicity using shapes and complex animations.
While at VFS, I worked for 4 months on my Motion Design Grad project. The project consisted of a 50-second explainer video about the Bauhaus. This animation is targeted toward 20 - 30-year-old Design students or design geeks who are beginning their journey of design. I wanted this explainer video to feel different from the rest, so I tried telling a story and giving its own personality using myself as the narrator.
ROLES
2D Animation
3D Animation
Modeling
Texturing
Lighting
Animation
Design
Storyboard
Script
SOFTWARE
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Cinema 4D
Red Shift
DELIVERABLES
50 second - 1 minute video animation with music and sound design.
5 poster mockups for social media posts.
50 second behind the scenes video showing work process.
IDEATION / CONCEPTING
I first began doing extensive research about the Bauhaus. I got as much information as I could by watching documentaries about the Bauhaus as well as reading several books like The Bauhaus Manifesto by Walter Groopous. Once I had enough research, I recorded myself to get all my ideas structured of what I wanted to say with this animation. I followed up by creating different iterations of thumbnails and sketches that worked with the voiceover.
ANIMATION
I first chose a placeholder song that I felt best fit the tone and style of the animation, making sure it had the right beats and rhythms that worked best for me. Once I had all the animation beats marked, I began to design directly in After Effects so I could start to block some basic movements and transitions following those animation beats. All of this was done at first in a black-and-white color palette. That way, I could create some interesting compositions using the thumbnails I had sketched. I discovered that jumping between the animation phase and the design phase was the best approach to making consistent transitions.
DESIGN
After the base animation was done and I had a strong animatic with the right timing, I began establishing an Art Direction. I started applying a simple color palette made up of the primary colors used in the Bauhaus, which are red, yellow, and blue, followed by a secondary palette made up of dark purple and beige. I applied these colors directly in After Effects while adding a very subtle texture to give it a little more depth and make it feel more dynamic.
3D ANIMATION
During this project, I wanted to challenge myself and find a way to mix 2D animation with 3D techniques. It is similar to what Vucko did in their Designing in Motion piece. I developed an efficient workflow between After Effects and Cinema 4D. Most of the animations in After Effects are done with nulls, so that way, I could open my After Effects file in Cinema 4D while keeping the animation data in each null. That way, I wouldn't need to re-animate a lot of stuff in Cinema 4D and make sure the animations and movements felt seamless in both. I was very intrigued by learning how to use Redshift, so I took my time to research and study how the node system worked through several tutorials.
RESULTS
The motion piece gained over 2,000 views on Instagram in its first week and was praised by other motion designers in the industry.
In the end, I'm very proud of the final result. This project was a great exercise of learning and failing. Not being scared of returning and starting over if something isn't working. I learned that the ideation phase is the most essential part of each project, and that's the phase I need to spend the most time in as a Designer.
CHALLENGES
The most challenging part of this project was creating visual imagery with abstract objects that worked with the story I was telling. Trying to visualize form and function through shapes took a lot of work. Testing which sketch or thumbnail best represented what I was trying to say became very demanding, and by the end, I had done many versions of designs and animations.
CREDITS
Creative direction: Rodrigo Villegas, Nida Fatima, Kyle Richtsfeld, Lucia Fuentes
Art Direction: Rodrigo Villegas, Kyle Richtsfeld
Music/Sound Design: Nikita Peplov
Animation: Rodrigo Villegas
Design: Rodrigo Villegas
Special Thanks to Jonathan Brioshci, Francisco Quiles, Lucia Fuentes, Mauricio Villegas, Ordinary folk and all DD53s