Story On Paper - Final

Story on paper - Initial Ideas

what we up against

Jack discovered some possible competitor's work for this YCN brief, I found this one today so I'm going to keep a tab on our competition from now.
this one is produced purely digitally, the 3D elements were created using 3D Studio Max, and the compositing done in After Effects.
'I decided to set the ident in a pub scene, where the competitive streak in males of that age comes through in classic pub games such as pool and darts.'
I'm impressed with the quality of this animation, modelling in 3D and physic isn't easy, but the ident as whole seem to have something missing, the overall feel appear bland and did not get my attention while watching.
compare to the series of idents Jack discovered, this one seems less personal. where real video was used in the other idents they give something much more real for the viewers to relate to.

Noah Harris

Interview

Rob Carney meets the former Precursor man behind album typography, games intros and those animal-infested idents for E4

“I liked the fact that I could make a funeral wreath with flashing fairy lights rise up out of the boardwalk on the beach, and it would be an E4 logo.” Noah Harris’ latest batch of E4 stings are bizarre – brilliant, but bizarre.

Each of the spots brings an everyday environment – a barn, hotel, beach, loading bay and front room – to life in a fusion of stop-motion, 3D, motion graphics and farmyard animals. These 30-second spots feel like a stream of consciousness is being forced upon you, but it’s a stream where you want to kneel down and have a drink. “I wanted to do something that was both cute and dark. I like the juxtaposition, and wanted to create something quite surreal but very appealing,” he explains.

“Coming up with the ideas was a fun process,” Harris continues. “First of all there is an overall theme for the spot, which is the main environment, and then there are the hundreds of events that populate the space. Initially I came up with lists and lists of events which I then narrowed down. It was a case of thinking, ‘It would be amazing to actually do that on set’ – like the socks cascading out of the drawer and the pillow crawling up the wall in the hotel ident.”

There was another consideration: “E4 appeals to a young and very media-savvy audience. They’re pretty jaded with branding and advertising – it’s either condescending or it just passes them by. I didn’t want these spots to feel like branding. It’s also about confidence I suppose. E4 is a well-recognised brand on TV, so I could afford to be a little more flippant with its identity.”

Before going independent Harris was one of the founders of Precursor, with Tim Swift and Chris Angelkov. The multidisciplinary agency, based in Shoreditch, flourished for five years, winning clients like Microsoft, MTV, Five and Sony. Nevertheless the trio decided to pursue their own interests several months ago.

“Initially I found it difficult having to be my own creative foil,” says Harris. “I left an environment where there were two other strong creative brains to challenge or back up ideas. Suddenly it was just me. I found myself questioning my creative solutions more, which is a good thing I think, and part of the reason it was necessary to leave.”

Harris is currently planning a few personal projects that have had to take a back seat. A short film he wrote with a friend has just been funded, and a plethora of smaller jobs fuel his desire to design – even if the fee is non-existent.

We can’t finish the interview without asking about the yellow pig that crops up in each of the E4 idents. “Ah, the pig,” Harris laughs. “Well, my grandmother made it many years ago.” But why did it end up in the idents? “I felt the pig was a nice way of holding everything together – it gave a specific link across the idents, but it wasn’t such a focus for him to become a character. It also allowed some sadism. He looks cute, but he’s an alcoholic – spot the bottle of booze in the front room, and the drunken stagger in the loading bay. And he generally ends up dead.”

E4 identity 07

E4 identity 07
Idents / Bumpers / Full graphics package

Concept, design and direction: Noah Harris
Production: Hothead Films
CG: Busty Kelp
Audio: Si Begg

Hotel Ident / View Quicktime

Hotel Bumper 1 / View Quicktime

Hotel Bumper 2 / View Quicktime

Barn Ident / View Quicktime

Barn Bumper 1 / View Quicktime

Barn Bumper 2 / View Quicktime

Beach Ident / View Quicktime

Beach Bumper 1 / View Quicktime

Beach Bumper 2 / View Quicktime

Loading Bay Ident / View Quicktime

Loading Bay Bumper 1 / View Quicktime

Loading Bay Bumper 2 / View Quicktime

Front Room Ident / View Quicktime

Front Room Bumper 1 / View Quicktime

Front Room Bumper 2 / View Quicktime

Menu Background 1 / View Quicktime

Menu Background 2 / View Quicktime

Menu Background 3 / View Quicktime

Promo Endboard /

These E4 idents are good examples of using a combination of video, 3D and motion graphics. the visual language are consistent through the entire set, as the identity of E4 is emphasised through the use of purple and featuring the large scaled 3D logo.

The lighting and set build are done to a very professional level which is what we will try to achieve with our ITV2 project.

Bedbugs Odyssey

This short, Bedbug’s Odyssey is great fun. It was created in After Effects by Ned Wenlock, who had no story in mind when he started; he just completed one shot every day and made it up as we went along. Not bad results for not having a plan!

The Black Heart Gang

This beautiful short film - The Tale of How is from Jannes Hendrikz and Markus Smit - The Black Heart Gang They’re just a trio comprised of a video-maker, an illustrator, and a writer/musician and that, between them, have produced such well-crafted and involving work…
The BHG have also produced a series of 13 prints based on scenes from the film (which was originally written as a poem by Smit). The success of The Tale of How led them onto a similarly sea-bound spot for United airlines, in which a lobster conducts an animal orchestra.