The Direction

My plan for the project was to make a humorous mini-catastrophe, where Team SAI would invariably save the day. The perfect solution would promote the company's image while invoking a little laughter as well. I spent a few days brainstorming ideas that could tie the holidays and Team SAI's services together, and finally decided on a plot: Team SAI's logistical expertise saves the day when Santa's elves' supply of buttons for teddy bear eyes runs dangerously low and halts production. I sent a summation to Team SAI who then replied with an ecstatic "go for it!"

The Process

With an approved concept in hand, I began developing a cast of characters who would act out this suspenseful epic. To do this, I used the most powerful tools in any designer's arsenal: a few pencils and a big sheet of paper. I spent a day sketching and wire framing until I had achieved the style and texture of the world I wanted to create. I then began sketching out every scene, character, and prop that I would need to tell the story. I did a final once-over with ink and scrubbed the pencil away.

I scanned my creations into Photoshop to sharpen the levels and enhance the details, and then exported them into Illustrator and built a directory of scenes that would be recreated and brought to life. I developed a consistent color scheme, and determined the best aspect ratio for displaying this e-card across a wide array of internet bandwidths. Piece by piece, I illustrated every detail of every scene, giving special consideration to how pieces must move when animated. A few long days and sleepless nights later, the illustrations were complete.

I created the animation for this project with Adobe After Effects. Static scenes were rendered and imported as images, and dynamic assets that would be animated were imported as linked .ai files and converted to individual objects as necessary. I set up my video workspace and began building a directory of comps that would eventually make up entire scenes and sequences. From beginning to end, I stitched the movements and transitions together, and slowly the story began coming to life. The initial video was over two minutes long, but since I chose to use a larger aspect ratio, I knew file size would have to be as small as possible. I carefully edited the story down to nearly a minute in length.

Next, I began assembling a collection of audio files and sound effects, such as pounding hammers, slamming doors, and jet engines. I also did a quick series of voice recordings, which I then manipulated into a high pitched "waa-waa-waa" elf language. I translated their words with subtitles and matched everything up in After Effects. The final video was exported as an .flv file and presented through a Flash splash page.

The Result

Team SAI was once again delighted about the final product and quickly pushed the e-card into production, where it was then distributed to clients via an email link. The e-card met their goals and exceeded their expectations, but it also taught me a valuable lesson in creative direction and project management. For this case, I was responsible for every aspect of the project and am familiar with the requirements for each upcoming phase, but a larger design firm would more than likely have the many different tasks assigned to specialists who would then pass their work off to the next department down the line. For the project to get off the runway smoothly, every step in the process must be directed so that upcoming phases have everything they need to move forward. I also realized the importance of creating a complete, consistent concept that can be easily interpreted by others to create boundaries for the project when it's not entirely in my hands.