MSP Airport: Creating Momentum for Economic Growth

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Metropolitan Airports Commission who owns MSP Airport approached me to make an explainer video detailing the significantly positive impact the airport has on the Twin Cities' economy. My client had a script. They had some visual suggestions and direction. But they still needed the design, the visual language and the means to bring it to life. That's where I came in.

First, I took the script and sketched out the story using simple visuals; carefully plotting out the flow of motion to compliment the flow of ideas. This was also the best opportunity to problem solve visual challenges (like animated scene transitions) to transmit the information as clearly, smoothly and with enough detail so that the viewer can comfortably decode the message.

Next, I took those initial sketches and refined them into inked storyboards.

Then, I created an animatic using the storyboards to get a sense of the timing before proceeding with any of the final design or animation. Every step in the process was an opportunity to weed out material that rushed the visual flow or was deemed unnecessary by either myself or the client.

Once the journey was mapped out and approved I created several vector illustrations to nail down the visual style and color palette. Some of these illustrations were usable within After Effects and some needed to be recreated within that program and Cinema 4D.

I'm relatively new to Cinema 4D so this project was the perfect opportunity to begin working it into my After Effects workflow. Some sections required a bit of trial and error but luckily I always found the desired result.

Early airplane take-off animation test using Element 3D.

Early Earth arrows animation test.

One of the most complicated Duik rigging systems I've ever created.

These arrows might be easy as pie for veterans of C4D but for me they were Mount Vesuvius.