The Client - Potential Employers
The Project Overview
To design and animate a 5 to 7 second animation that is to be used as the opening introduction to
your demo reel. That identifies who you are and what you do.
The Target Audience
This animation is designed with the potential employer in mind. This will be seen by recruiters and
potential employers looking to hire a creative animator with an excellent sense of graphic design.
The ‘audience’ will have seen many of these types of reels and is looking for something that really
stands out as a unique combination of animation and design.
The Project Objective
To create an engaging animation that clearly identifies the artist (your professional name) and title;
which gives the viewer a clear sense for which job you may be applying. Sample titles may include;
“Animator”; “Motion Designer”; “Compositor”; “Animation Demo Reel”. Caution!!!! Do not use
something like “Motionographer”, or “Designimator”, or “Compositor/Animator/Motion Designer”.
These ‘clever’ titles tend to make your work look like someone who is brand new, and doesn’t know
the industry. It makes you look like an inexperienced beginner.
The objective for this animation is to intrigue the viewer enough to want to watch the rest of the
reel. People will make immediate judgments just by the title. It can color their entire perception of
your work, negatively or positively. Don’t try to do too much, or be too fancy. Don’t try to oversell
yourself. The best opens are the beautifully simple animations that are really well designed.
The Target Emotional Response / Tone
The response should be interest and excitement of what is yet to come. At its most basic level, it’s
got to interest them enough to NOT click away and look at someone else’s reel. Once again, the best
emotional response will be one of appreciation for the well-designed animation.
The Competitive Positioning
There will be hundreds of student reels against which you are going to be competing. Look at
professional demo reels. Notice how simple or complicated they are? Notice the length of time, and
the clarity in which they communicate the information. Personal logos do not enhance an open, as
very often they require time to interpret and understand the ‘symbol’ and takes away from the
importance of having them see your name.
Technical Specifications
In giving the required technical specs, remember that they do not have to be over-the-top,
amazingly spectacular examples of the potential of the technique. It just means that you need to
incorporate these ‘tastefully’ into your open. 3D text does not have to be big with fat bevels, and
shiny chrome. 3D text can be subtle and refined.
- 5-7 seconds - Fade up and fade out (can be done in After Effects)
- Including 3D text for name or title. Keep in mind everything you learned about title/action safe
- Animated camera
- Use of a deformer
- Use of spline for modeling or animation
- Lighting
Storyboards
My first critique was that they liked the action but to keep the same mix of camera angles throughout. Another comment was that my name at the end was a little hard to read so maybe add some more lights or consider a color change. Also use the rule of thirds to have more compelling compositions
I am a beginner at Cinema 4D so mistakes will happen. I had multiple cameras in the original file for this project and when I went to render I forgot to enable the Stage camera so it would switch between them as it rendered. It took about ten hours to render and by the time I figured out this was all I was able to salvage in order to meet the deadline before class. I guess it's one of those experiences that you learn from and will not make again. Always check to make sure everything is exactly right before you render!!!!!
