As a fan of fine art collage, I was pleased with this video. This project felt like a turning point in our storytelling strategy: the approach to writing, the art direction, the stop motion influences, and the efficiency of visual storytelling really came together.
Zendesk - The Service Solution
My responsibilities included:
- Technical direction of all motion and compositing.
- Worked closely with designers to create a textural faux-collage style that felt natural and didn't overwhelm the message.
- Animating motion graphics sequences, with emphasis on clear storytelling and eye trace.
- Alongside the director, developed and realized the transformational stop motion moments in the opening scenes.
- Created a foolproof cursor animation rig for the team to use in-house, saving time and standardizing hundreds of projects that came after.
I can't tell you now much I appreciate working with people who cringe a little when they hear someone say "explainer video". The brain trust of the creative team at Zendesk is formidable, and when we were tasked with explaining this top of funnel messaging, what we made felt more like a conversation with a friend than a corporate video.
Software is not a natural movie star.
When you create ads for shoes, one doesn't have to reach very far to find a captivating scenario. That's why it was critical that we find a way to demonstrate these features as plainly and as humanly as possible. In terms of animation, that meant little reveals that highlighted ease of use, visual metaphors that subconsciously supported the script, and sometimes it just meant keeping still for a breath to give an idea a pleasing moment to sink in.
