National Geographic Breakthrough
The Problem: National Geographic was launching a new television docu-series that required content for a narrated segment.
The Action: I led the creative concept and execution of an animated graphics package.
The Result: The sequences aired nationally on the second season of the series, produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.
Creating a visual experience for National Geographic viewers
I collaborated with television production company Asylum Entertainment to develop these animated sequences for an episode about engineers bringing power to a Himalayan monestary. The many stakeholders of the project, including the director, multiple production companies, and National Geographic network, were thrilled with the final animations. The narration provided by Chris Pine sounded pretty great, too.
The Process
I began the process with a series of style explorations, providing options for production company and episode director. After a series of explorations and collaborative conversations, we landed on two particular styles that felt right for the episode, one style for each sequence.
We followed these explorations up with styleframes and storyboards based on the chosen styles.
I worked closely with our design and animation team to make smart stylistic choices for each sequence. We wanted each piece to have a unique aesthetic (an art deco style for the power grid explanation and a more textural grit for the journey to the monestary), while building a color palette and visual language that made them clear companion pieces.
The combination of 2D and 3D techniques brought dynamic, eye-catching transitions to elevate the animation. And the narration from actor Chris Pine didn’t hurt, either.