Owen Shackelford | 2024 Portfolio

This is my final project, concluding my time in the Motion Media Design undergraduate program at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This capstone project combines my passion for creating weird and grotesque illustrations under the artist alias of "Chefboytrolly" with the skills and knowledge I have attained as a motion graphics student, applying both toward a final project that tells the audience who I am, what inspires my creative drive, and describes my artist statement. Ultimately, this project is... me. Thank you to my professors and the friends I have met during this journey.

The project started as a promo for my work as an artist, but evolved into a mini biopic that both promotes my work outside of motion design and connects with audiences by sharing my backstory, artistic alias, inspirations, and the meaning behind my work. I began by writing my official artist statement, which involved deep personal reflection. Afterward, I wrote the script for my narration and created a moodboard to guide my design process, aiming to capture the balance between chaos and unpredictability. I also developed a stylistic reference board inspired by my favorite projects and creators.

Once the script was completed, I chopped it up into different quotes, which allowed me to free-write visuals to accompany each quote, resulting in distinct scenes. This approach facilitated a manageable workflow and provided a rough timeline to determine the duration of each scene. Following this, I was able to storyboard and plan out my compositions.

Above is the initial draft of my storyboard, showcasing some early ideas for how certain scenes would unfold and the imagery that matched their corresponding quotes. Due to time constraints, some of these concepts were later replaced with live-action shots to meet the project deadline.

The design board above showcases the final aesthetic of this project. Saturated pinks, greens, and purples make up the primary color palette, reflecting the main hues I employ in my illustrations. This board also highlights my enthusiasm for multimedia projects, integrating live action, claymation, cel animation, 2D and 3D animation, and stop-motion paper textures. These various methods help to illustrate the narrative of embracing chaos within an artistic medium.

The process above details the modeling and animation techniques used for the 3D scenes. Sketch and toon cel-shading were employed to provide objects with a cartoon-like appearance, featuring black outlines. Hand rigs were constructed for a single-hand model and duplicated for various scenarios within the composition. For creating fire effects in Cinema4D, an emitter and metaball were combined with cel shading. Each scene was laid out and the individual elements were then animated. A camera was created to move through the scene, and the 3D elements were rendered as a TIFF sequence before being edited and composited in After Effects.

A huge collaboration between Shannon Sullivan and myself! Tasked with putting together a rebranding package for any show or network of our choosing, we chose the MAX Original, WATCHMEN (2019). The two major elements of this project were the title sequence and the sizzle (which includes the toolkit for the rebrand).

The initial phase of this assignment involved conducting thorough research on our selected show. We explored various aspects, including fan reception, by examining fan forums to understand current audience sentiments. Additionally, we reviewed articles about the series and investigated any awards or achievements the show has garnered.

The next phase of our project involved an extensive analysis of the show's existing visual identity, including fonts, color palettes, and graphic styles. We examined the current promotional materials and title sequence to develop and refine concepts that align with our rebranding direction. Before initiating the design process, we engaged in self-reflection, asking questions such as, "What will our design treatment entail?" and "What is the overall tone?" These considerations were important in guiding our approach after evaluating the existing content.

Agreeing on our concept statement, we assembled a mood board to guide the design of our style frames for the title sequence. To plan the title sequence, we compiled the names of various actors and producers associated with the television series, creating a list of those we intended to include. This process also aided in determining the duration of each scene. Additionally, we found motion references from YouTube tutorials and included the links in our document for quick access.

Displayed above are some of the frames for our title sequence.  All of the above are designed and animated by myself. Additionally, I was responsible for compositing all the scenes and editing the sequence to synchronize seamlessly with the rhythm of the chosen track.

For the transition between scenes, I used practical paper rips through frame-by-frame stop-motion photography. I would then take these multiple photos and edit them in Photoshop creating a .png sequence. Above each photo of the paper rip was a solid layer that I would use to track matte animated scenes onto the paper surface.

Each animated scene was composed of layered elements, including the character in the foreground and ink splatters in the midground and background. By employing straightforward keyframing techniques to adjust the scale and position, I successfully created a compelling slow-motion effect for each credit sequence.

Below are the elements for our show package toolbox that I designed and animated. These elements include the streaming banner, Instagram posts, and IG/FB ads in a 4:3 and 16:9 ratio.

A project where I was tasked with choosing three different brands and creating a logo animation end tag for each of them. This logo end tag is for the energy drink brand REIGN. Through the use of 3D and 2D animation, I crafted this unique logo animation to capture the modern/active/hype traits of REIGN's brand identity.

I began my process by researching the brand to understand its established visual identity. This involved examining the brand's mission, notable quotes from the brand or its sales representatives, and the types of products the brand offers. This comprehensive research provided a thorough understanding, enabling me to create a unique animation that authentically captures the essence of the brand.

Landing on the idea of the logo forming from liquid metal, I decided to situate the logo in an environment where REIGN consumers might typically spend their time. Given that REIGN markets itself as an energy drink for active individuals, I envisioned a scene with dumbbells and free weights floating in a "gym-like" void around the logo. I modeled the logo in Cinema 4D, employing surface deformers combined with linear and random fields to achieve a wavy, liquid texture reveal. To enhance realism, I utilized Redshift for materials and rendering along with strategic lighting techniques.

Once all the elements were modeled, I proceeded to animate the scene. I keyframed the fields parented to the REIGN logo to move downward, enabling the logo to materialize from the liquid texture. Then, I keyframed the position and rotation of the individual weights/exercise equipment to float freely around the logo. For different cuts, I experimented with camera placement to capture various angles of the logo as it formed. The final scene required only a simple zoom-out from the camera to achieve the desired effect.

The final step for this logo end tag was using Red Giant's Magic Bullet Looks effect in Adobe After Effects to play with the compositing and color of the rendered footage.

A project where I was tasked with choosing three different brands and creating a logo animation end tag for each of them. This is a logo animation end tag for the fitness brand PELOTON. Through the use of minimalist 2D shape layer animation, I created this active logo end tag animation to capture the essence of the keywords: modern/minimalist/active, which are the primary traits of the PELOTON brand identity.

For each of my logo end tag animations, I approached the brand research process similarly to the method described for my REIGN logo animation. This involved key research elements such as notable quotes, brand history, product catalog exploration, and visual identity analysis.

This time wanted to test my 2D animation skills, utilizing only shape layers. The end tag was envisioned as a simple and modern design, reflecting the accessibility of Peloton’s products to their consumers. The animation begins with a spark of motivation to start working out. This spark transforms into the PELOTON sprocket, which begins to pedal. The pedaling motion transitions seamlessly into the logo with a match cut, symbolizing an active lifestyle and progress on one's fitness journey.

The pedal and sprocket were built using a combination of shape layers, enabling control through mask reveals and trim path animations to unveil different sections of the object at varying speeds. Other elements were animated using straightforward keyframing techniques for position, scale, and rotation adjustments.

To enhance the animation, I implemented multiple layers of Red Giant's Magic Bullet Looks effect. This technique was used to craft an object glow and achieve a faded atmosphere for the logo's resolution.