OUGD603: WIRED UNFINISHED SYMPHONY

Brief:

During Creative Convos week, an ex student Kieran from Condenast came in to set us a brief on behalf on Wired UK magazine. The task: We’d like you to create assets to promote the online long read ‘UNFINISHED SYMPHONY’ as found in WIRED UK Mar/ Apr ‘19. Consider this an advert for the article - an opportunity to promote the content previously exclusive to print - with the objective of sending an audience to the WIRED site to read on.

Considerations:

Promotion

Reflect brand

Assets are often repurposed to sit elsewhere

Draw people to the article

Deliverables:

Instagram post

Instagram story

Mandatory requirements:

Follow Wired uk aesthetic

Use brand typography

Do not share assets

Research: 

When initially researching, I wanted to find good examples of fast pace moving image that captured the audience’s attention whilst informing them on a subject matter. Some of the best examples I saw of doing this was from Kyra TV. This ‘new age TV network’ run by a group of young creative is leading the YouTube TV show scene, creating new concepts for for young presenters. In there most popular show, PAQ they introduce guests on the show with a couple of second set of photos of the guest mashed together with moving typography. This short but sweet moving image really stands out, moving quickly, using fast changing and flashing images with bold strong typography. The audience is quickly informed through range of imagery giving context to the guest.

Looking at wired instgram posts and stories:

To gain a better understanding of how wired promote their work, I researched into this going through Wired UK Instagram. On here I found some great examples of how their work is presented and promoted. Similar to Kyra TV, fast pace parts of the promotion enter and leave the composition allowing information to buy digested quickly before the more information is placed into the composition. These moving image pieces are constantly moving with all different sections having small animations, whether that's type being typed out or images flying in all direction, all coming together to create a clean composition that is still a second before the animation disperses again. This was really helpful showing me the aesthetic and level of promotion they use.

Ideas:

When generating initial ideas, I went straight to sketching giving me an idea of how I wanted the assets the be animated. From my research I intended to use techniques found on the wired social media pages as well as inspiration from Kyra TV. I wanted to be able to create the animations at a fast pace. To do this I intended on using sliding panels. These could then be animated from all directions to reveal the black text on the white background. This would be a fast and effective way of making the piece constantly changing with the effects which outcome which is simple but looks complex. I then intended for imagery to use this same technique to reveal imagery assets as well as fast flashing imagery. For the Instagram story I intended to use the same technique, but in a more simplified way. Her I would briefly show a few of the more exciting assets, just to give a taster. The Instagram post video is the main piece; these three mini stories support that post. 

Assets given to us:

Whilst developing this idea, the first aspect I thought about was the assets from the article and how these could be developed to enhance my video. To do this I edited some of the imagery slicing it up to create more interesting compositions when moving, as well as photo manipulation and adding white and black outlines the the imagery to make them pop more.

 Whilst developing this idea, the first aspect I thought about was the assets from the article and how these could be developed to enhance my video. To do this I edited some of the imagery slicing it up to create more interesting compositions when moving, as well as photo manipulation and adding white and black outlines the the imagery to make them pop more.

One of the assets has a vast amount of similar imagery. To bring this alive I felt it would be appropriate to create a gif out of this imagery, adding another layer of fast paced imagery to capture the audience’s attention. I felt this would work really well placed over another asset of imagery of a computer screen. This worked perfectly allowing the gif the be placed as if it was coming out of the screen.    

view gif here: 

I made the gif on Photoshop using the timeline tool, I then inserted this into premier. Originally the asset this was created from, was a large tile style piece with loads of these abstract paintings. I screen shot them, making them pixelated. Luckily this worked in my favour, as this created a glitch like aesthetic. Each image appears for 0.1 and contrasts nicely when placed on top of the slower pace of the other video.

Developing the idea, I thought about the typography, I considered using colour but felt it wouldn't be as powerful in comparison to black on white. This worked especially well due to the dominating Brutal font, being clear and legible, and easily visible on a phone screen. I spent time experimenting with different solutions and ways in which the imagery can come in, and at what pace. I tried to make the video seem ordered and equal. Making images enter at exit at the same time but from opposing sides of the shot. I felt his created an almost pulsing effect in the film. I tried layer images and playing around with splashes of colour. The gif embedded on the computer at the end of the advert works well, adding a new dimension to the piece. I used similar techniques for the Instagram story in less detail taking a more of minimal but intriguing approach.

instagram post asset:

This aesthetic is matched with Massive Attacks ‘Paradise Circus’ song. I tried to edit consistently with the beat moving assets in time with the some.  the video also works just as well without sound, an aspect I considered whilst designing as many social media users wont turn sound on.

instagram stories assets: 

watch the videos here : 

instagram post: https://vimeo.com/334521971

instagram stories: 
1. https://vimeo.com/334522820
2. https://vimeo.com/334523463
3. https://vimeo.com/334523767
4. https://vimeo.com/334526561

production:

In the production of making this I used premiere pro, as my video editing software. Using this as my animation tool as well meant I really needed to consider what was going where and and what time, to ensure it ran smoothly. This task was also matched with creating and making all the typography on the programme, which was time consuming. Having done video editing before, the music plays such a key role in setting the tone and pace of the video. It was challenging making all of the elements come together.

Evaluation:

Getting more of an opportunity to work on premier pro made this project so enjoyable. I really liked how straight forward this project was. Being given the assets and having free rain to be creative using moving image was key to the success. This helped develop my skills on this programme as well as create assets for social media, formats like square and long portrait to use to create video was also new for me. To improve this project, I would have ensured some of the typography was more legible, I say this as some of the type was vertical and making it hard to read in a short amount of time due to the pace of the video. I was working to a deadline which works really well for me, and the assets were finished in time. I would have made the Instagram story assets more complicated like the main post, but with other projects on and a time scale to work to a decided on taking a minimal approach with them letting the main post take centre stage.