Creating a brand video in record time
Earlier this month, I helped my client, Blake La Grange, produce an explainer video to communicate the vision of his company, Kollege. It was a big undertaking in a short amount of time, but we pulled it off. Today I thought I'd share how we did it.
Blake had recorded a 4 minute voiceover and needed help creating animated visuals that would help tell the story. And he wanted to have it completed and launched within about 10 days, which was quite a challenge considering projects like this typically take at least 2-3 months. 😅
Here was my approach:
1. Define the aesthetic
The first step was committing to an aesthetic that was both visually captivating and achievable within the timeframe. This ruled out any sort of 3d or highly detailed illustration work. We ultimately chose a playful, hand-drawn direction that not only aligned with the brand but was also feasible in such a short amount of time.
2. Create a storyboard
Next, I listened closely to the voiceover and mapped out visuals that would tell the story effectively. Using stock images that loosely represented these visuals, I pieced them together into a storyboard, which gave the illustrator clear direction on what we were aiming for. Even though it looked super cheesy, it got the point across. You can see the storyboard version here.
3. Build the right team
The next hurdle was finding illustrators and animators who could work within this style on such short notice. I reached out to several people in my network. Most of them politely suggested the timeline was too tight, but I pushed on outside of people I had worked with. Eventually, I connected with an illustrator named Areeb who was both available and willing to take on the task. At this point we had 8 or 9 days to pull it together. I gave him the storyboard and some visual direction of exactly what we were looking for. He had some similar work in his portfolio, so I knew he'd be a good fit.
4. Collaborate with a composer
Simultaneously, while all of this was going on, we worked with composer Zander Howard-Scott to develop a fitting score for the video. Zander's music really helped elevate the final product and give it the emotion and feeling that it needed.
5. Production and delivery
Areeb delivered a set of about 40 looping animations and transitions, which I then cut together for the final edit. Despite the incredibly tight schedule, we managed to deliver the video on the morning of its release. To no surprise, it all came together and has successfully served its purpose. You can see the final product at Kollege.com
This project was a reminder of what can be achieved, even under pressure with a short amount of time to execute.
We did this all in 10 days ... just imagine what we could do with 20!
– Charles
Song of the day
You Don't Love Me by Wilderado