MMX ENVISIONING VIDEO
A colorful opportunity to tell a story
In 2021 we worked on an envisioning video for MMX, an opportunity to communicate to other teams what is the strategy for the next fiscal year. But this message is not only about products but also about us as human beings and our surroundings.
We decided to use this chance to release all our creativity to share a message about how Microsoft products connect people that are currently disconnected because of COVID. All spaces are diverse and range in three different scenarios. Each space speaks by itself in color and content.
My task was to manage the completion of this project and art direct all the assets that would be produced by the designers. Also, me and another artist took care of the 3D modeling and animation.
Mood Board
Before starting to jump into anything we wanted to be really sound about how the script connected with the visuals, so we brought many references as a team to decide what was the best choice not only from an aesthetic point of view but also that made sense in the short production timeline of three weeks we had.
I proposed three production scenarios based on these constraints and arranged a few options that could be viable.
We really wanted to bring 3D in a doable way so I brought the idea to combine 2D art with 3D and produce something very unique.
Storyboarding
Before closing with the scripting side of things we also wanted to make sure the visuals could influence the story in a way, this was very useful and made the production line more comfortable and solid.
Many different ideas were brought to the table and started slowly to bring shape to the final look and feel of the elements.
We decided to create the conceptual building where all these characters lived separately but at the end connected not only by their common struggle but also the desire to connect and succeed together.
By the end of the story, the characters are not only able to achieve this goal but also to connect physically in one open space to share their experience in a positive outcome of what could be finally the end of the COVID for 2022.
Characters
We also defined who the characters were going to be, we needed them to fit not only in the story but also how they connected with our products, being as inclusive as we could by reducing the amount of them we could use.
We decided to use a 2D aesthetic in order to meet the times. We really wanted the characters to speak not only with their bodies; but also by the spaces they are surrounded by every day.
The interior design
We started to produce the spaces for these characters, we divided the elements in the room into two categories, the furniture spaces and, personal objects. The second ones were more connected to the characters and their personalities, these were differentiated by using 2D animation with a posterized effect to create a traditional animation style, this not only helped to add style into the project but also to create contrast and hierarchy between the props in the space.
Also, the way the rooms are built is in a miniature style, everything is supposed to look small and also crafty, with walls like hand-made, establishing a connection of crafting with the characters and the team.
Because of the size of the elements, the depth of field from the camera lens is shallow which also helps to bring to focus the elements we need to for the story.
