Product Explainer Animation

Script & Storyboard. Motion Design. Character Animation. AI Voice Generation.

Project Description

They say you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, so when a client ordered a video to illustrate the problem-solving benefits of their product, I created chaos. Absolute, unbridled mayhem.

To ensure the destruction would not be in vain, it was imperative that the audience could relate to, and empathize with the characters. As it turns out, creating a loveable cast can be a double-edged sword. I was quite fond of them by the time they were animated to life, so I took no pleasure in meticulously planning the overwhelmingly traumatic series of unfortunate events that would soon befall them. As I choreographed the destruction of their home frame-by-frame, I often asked myself if I was doing the right thing.

However, like it or not, the purpose of supporting cast in a hero movie is to exalt and glorify the main character. And for its cinematic debut, the hero of this story deserved a catastrophe of epic proportions. Cynical viewers may find the ending predictable, but (spoiler alert) I was thrilled to bits when Tasksearch saved the day. I’ve always been a sucker for happy endings, though.

Client:

Tasksearch

CATEGORY:

CROWDSOURCING APP

KICKOFF:

FEB 2024

DELIVERY:

MAY 2024

Project Details

The ideation phase of this project started off with a meeting where the client explained their product, including features, benefits, target users and competitors. They also provided examples of similar video concepts and described their creative vision for the video that would support the launch of their app.

Two concepts became scripts, one of which nearly made it to final stages of production. This concept’s demise would be the animation of an underestimated storyboard element: the soccer ball. Yes, a ball crashing through the window had always been part of the script, but it wasn’t until the ball’s debut in a weekly review that the client recognized its true potential as the antagonist of this story.

I went back to the drawing board, as they say, and restarted the production process with a third, soccerball-centric concept which was a resounding success!

script

Dialog & Storyboard

More of a production brief than a manuscript for actors. The objective of this step is to verify the feasibility of every conceptual element.

set

Scene Design

Backgrounds and props were sourced from stock providers and customized in Illustrator. Layers were then exported to Photoshop because I prefer working with .psd files in After Effects.

cast

Character Design

Basic character templates were licensed and edited in Illustrator. New elements were created to provide a greater range of facial expressions and body movements.

voice

AI Voice Generation

After testing multiple platforms, ElevenLabs was the clear winner in terms of price, UX and variety of voices. I created a few tracks for each character and used Audition to compile the final audio file.

sync

Lip Sync Animation

After drawing each character a set of mouth poses and YouTube-ing a crash course in Adobe Animate, syncing the characters with their dialog was pretty straightforward.

move

Motion Design

After Effects is the behind-the-scenes hero of this story. Every flying tool, falling leaf and ball bounce exists as innumerable keyframes and layers in AE, as well as the camera work, "To Do List" overlay and logo animation.

sfx

Sound Effects

All sound effects were licensed from Envato Elements, even the crying baby which was also mixed with a 'radio fuzz' track in Audition.

edit

Clip Compilation

Clips and overlay elements exported from AE were imported to Premiere Pro for final assembly. Sound effects were timed and transitions were also added in Premiere.

The Final Cut

press play press play press play

Project Result

Our immediate goal is to complete the testing phase and achieve the certification, which will allow us to bring our product to market by the end of the year. We are actively engaging with waste to energy operators, concrete manufacturers, and the wider construction industry.