THINGS YOU DIDN'T
KNOW ABOUT MOTHS
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NBC EXPLAINER
DESIGN CHALLENGE
Role
Designer + Animator
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Description
Short explainer animation for NBC News.
Programs
Photoshop + After Effects
This brief allowed me to adapt this NBC article by Lindsey Konkel into a short explainer video about moths for NBC.
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Moths are a subject I'm quite passionate about and I hoped to showcase their unique traits through this animation. (Contrary to popular belief, these fuzzy little guys are quite beautiful and shockingly vital to Earth's ecosystem!)
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My big challenge this time around was creating realistic, beautiful movement of moths within After Effects. Researching moths and their mannerisms was crucial to the development of this piece.
RESEARCH
Why Moths?
These mighty insects are incredibly important to the environment, so much so that they are frequently referred to as an "indicator species." This means that moth populations are often measured to determine how healthy the surrounding ecosystem is. They are also some of the most important pollinators on the planet!
Yet despite their significance, moths are often discarded as "boring," "ugly," and "annoying." Many individuals don't even realize that moths can be colorful and that they aren't strictly nocturnal! The public needs to fundamentally change how they perceive moths so that the species can survive and thrive.
How do Moths Move?
It's possible for moths to have a range of different movements and mannerisms depending on the species. (For instance, the hummingbird moth flies exactly like a hummingbird.) But most types of moths typically flutter and move about in a similar fashion. Below is a small sample of reference footage I assembled from my research:
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Target Audience
A diverse range of adults aged 25-54 are most likely to view this animation. NBC caters to a broad audience so the visuals must be universally understood.
Animation Goals
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The imagery must be designed to be clear, readable, and adaptable to a 1:1 format.
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The movement of the moths must be beautiful and realistic.
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Key words: "Clear," "Simple," "Engaging."
INITIAL CONCEPTS
Concept 1: Extraordinary Discovery
In this concept, the audience is taken on an immersive journey through an elaborate
and well organized series of pinboards and diagrams. The aesthetics hinge on the use
of patterns and well defined grids.
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Concept 2: Moon Garden
For this direction, the audience ventures through a moon garden (a garden designed to be viewed at night, typically full of white flowers) and views various moths interacting with the wildlife. The visuals will be calming and peaceful, colorful moths will be utilized to pop out against the white flowers.
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Concept 3: Comic Sequence
For this final concept, the narrative is displayed as a stylized and sophisticated comic sequence. ​The visual engagement will come from setting the story in a vibrant environment. Important words will be emphasized through onomatopoeia.
Notes
As I worked with my director we determined that the first direction worked best. Moving forward, it was crucial to ensure that the focus was always on the moths throughout the sequence. Additionally, considerable research needed be done on the movement of moths to accurately portray their mannerisms. It would also be beneficial to simplify the number of facts down in order to meet the deadline and the script must be finalized as early as possible.
LOOK DEVELOPMENT
Style Frame 1st Pass
I began by developing frames that would act as the essential story beats for the animation. It was important to lay out the structure of the design as much as possible before moving into animation development.
Notes
My art director and I agreed that the background was a bit distracting and should be replaced with something simpler. Additionally, the frames weren't quite reading well on mobile display and needed to become clearer.
Technical Development Showcase
Working with 2.5D within After Effects created unique challenges for developing realistic movement. Below is a showcase of assets I made to create more believable animation:
ANIMATION DEVELOPMENT
First Pass
Description
For the first pass I focused on making an outline to base my motion around while telling the story through movement. A considerable amount of time was budgeted into getting photography to feel dimensional.
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As I worked with my art director, we found that the subjects were getting lost against the background and that more unique visuals could be used to creatively portray the animation. Additionally, the moths needed to move more realistically.
Second Pass
Description
For my second pass, I focused on developing beautiful and accurate movement.
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While this pass came out much stronger than the previous one, there could still be more well developed natural movement and clearer visuals. Particular attention should be placed towards creating bold, accurate shadows.
Revision Pass
Description
For my second pass, I focused on developing beautiful and accurate movement.
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While working with my art director we determined that the final shot wasn't quite working with the overall tone of this piece and needed to be modified to something more appropriate for the project.
FINAL PASS
Real World Application
