Frasers Plus

Sports Direct/ Flannels

Frasers Group sought a video to convey the excitement of their Frasers Plus payment service launch while educating the audience on the service's benefits in a short, engaging, and informative advertisement. Preferring a fictional setting over live action, we decided on a one-minute motion design spot.

For this project, my goal was to captivate the audience from the outset and transport them to another world. Despite the potentially mundane subject matter, I aimed for the visuals to evoke the same sense of awe I felt watching Star Wars for the first time as a child. This inspiration led me to set the Frasers Plus branding in space, using my virtual camera lens to create an immersive experience.

All the animations were built within After Effects, utilizing both the classic and advanced 3D renderer. Certain shots required extensive scripting, such as the animation for the 0% interest free offer. To achieve the imploding and exploding animation effect, I rigged all the digits to a slider controller that referenced two defined nulls, globally adjusting their positions based on a percentage between the starting and ending null positions. This approach streamlined the animation process, avoiding the need for manual adjustments to each digit's animation.

Finished Frames

Due to the size of this project, it was important to spend a greater time on planning and storyboarding. With a tight timeline of three weeks for completion, there was limited opportunity for revisions once i began animating. I began the process by sketching initial concepts on paper, followed by a rough "napkin" storyboard to outline the scene sequences.

Style Frames

Storyboard

Once the draft sketches were complete, I used Photoshop to 'style frame' my ideas for presentation to the client. This process took two days, but it was well worth the effort to convey the vision effectively and address any consistency issues overlooked in the initial drawings. It also provided an opportunity to experiment with colors and assess their compatibility with the client's branding. Their branding, while unique, leaned towards conservatism, necessitating thorough exploration of creative possibilities within the parameters the client found acceptable.

Animation

One of the shots I enjoyed creating the most was the 'falling shoe'. The client desired to showcase one of their flagship projects with a quick 'cameo' featuring a Nike 'Invigor' trainer. I scanned a shoe provided by them using the 'Polycam' app, generating a ready-made and textured 3D model of the shoe. I then imported it into After Effects using their new Advanced renderer. After a bit of relighting, the end result was surprisingly convincing despite minimal cleanup on the 3D model.

All the renders were comped in Davinci Resolve, working in SRGB as delivery was to web and in-store digital signs. A lot of gpu intensive effects such as glow and motion blur were added in post to reduce render time iteration.

I also set aside a couple of days to focus on the sound effects. To sell the impact of a lot of animations, it really needed some focused sound design to add to the emersion. It was one of the most fun points of the project; adding that extra something that really sold the 'space sci-fi' theme.