Motion Graphics Deconstruction: Apple iPhone 5s Advert 24/11/2013

As mentioned in a previous blog, I've tried to ensure each motion graphic I deconstruct is as different as possible. I chose the advert for the iPhone 5s for its effective and simple style.

The most obvious example of motion graphics in this advert is the molten metal, in fact this is the only motion graphic used. When watching the animation you can see there is again no text present until the very end. The typography is simple and clear, only showing the name of the product. With many phone adverts, the main aim is to obviously sell the phone, sometimes they have a voice over naming the various new elements of the phone, or they have visual representations whether it is imagery or text. This advert however keeps the viewer guessing, this creates interest and encourages the potential customer to do some research and hopefully buy the product.

As said above, the advert doesn't really advertise any key elements to the phone, it instead builds up to the end. This plays on curiosity and creates a sense of intrigue to the viewer, another good way to sell the product. It is a very smooth and relaxing advert, the movement of the molten metal conveys this. The movements are true to how liquid naturally moves, although there is no change in speed throughout. The camera pans with the different areas of the metal as it moves in a variety of different ways, carefully moulding it's way to form the back of the iPhone. The smooth movements are pleasing to the eye, and are achieved very well, making it an overall pleasant advert to watch.

The staging is simple throughout, as said, the camera pans alongside the metal for the majority of it, staying at a consistent speed. The camera stops moving when the phone is revealed and that is about all it does. I have found a trend with the motion graphics where they keep the backgrounds as simple as possible, the main focus then appears brighter in comparison and therefore the product can't be distracted from.

There is a song that accompanies the advert, it is also quite a 'smooth' song, it doesn't change tempo or volume, the vocals also seem to say fairly monotone throughout. This therefore compliments the product and animation rather than drawing attention away from it. I also find the use of vocals and songs to be better for the selling of products. Songs are a lot more catchy and easier to remember, this ensures the song is stuck in my head (and I'm sure many other people's heads too), this helps to make the product memorable and increase sales. The music isn't in sync with the advert, as there isn't any actions or story for it to be in sync to. Although it does get to a more upbeat point of the song when the final product is revealed and Apple logo makes its appearance.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: Honda Advert 24/11/2013

After surfing Youtube trying to find a different motion graphic I came across this pretty clever advert. I remember thinking how cool this was when I first saw it on TV, so here's my analysis.

This is an advertisement for the Honda car company, instead of just advertising just one particular product, this advert is different. It advertises the manufacturer as a whole. It achieves this by showing Honda's most iconic and popular vehicles being made by two hands. The hands represent the Honda engineer or designer, and is done in a very modern and interesting way, it is used to show how ideas and designs can be produced from something very simple and small.

This style of motion graphics is a combination of real-time video, 3D models and special effects techniques. The various models throughout the animation appear to be real, but there are also elements that are 3D models. This is done in order to make the transformations of the vehicles believable and appear to be done by the hands, the advert aims to be as realistic as possible. Examples of motion graphics that can be seen throughout (apart from the vehicle transformations) are quite subtle, from smoke coming out of the back of the bikes and cars, to the inflation of the squashed car.

The staging in the advert is very simple and gives a very modern feel. When viewing car adverts, their main aim is to advertise not only the car, but to show they have the most original ideas, they're all about innovation. The camera and lighting stays the same throughout the clip. The white background of the desk is simple and in keeps with the theme. It also is used to make the hands and the vehicles stand out, helping to maintain the viewer's focus on the main information. The hands are also another factor that don't move, this gives the impression that the viewer is perhaps looking down onto the scene through the eyes of the designer. This method helps to make the advert stand out as it is an unusual camera angle for an advert.

This advert is slightly different in the way it's set up compared to previous deconstructions, there isn't writing throughout the advert, there also isn't written indications of what the information is representing. The text only appears at the very end with the 'Honda' name and it's tag line. Instead, the vehicles replace the text's job, a lot of people would likely recognise at least one of the models shown so they could relate it to Honda. If they didn't know what the advert was about, the original and interesting idea is used to inform them about Honda's history and the way it develops it's ideas, potentially creating new customers.

Finally, there is a variety of sound used throughout the advert, mainly consisting of the real sounds of the vehicles and the clicking sounds where the hands change the object, for example altering the bolt to create an engine. There are also areas where songs and music are used, these are perhaps used to represent the years in which that particular vehicle was produced. The sounds are also very in-sync throughout the animation and are notably very clear and sharp, this is to keep the animation as realistic as possible.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: CBBC TV Ident 2/11/2013

This week's blog is a follow on from my previous post where I deconstructed two short motion graphic examples from Bioware and EA. In this post I will be deconstructing a short TV ident from CBBC. TV idents are used to inform the viewer about which channel they are watching and are commonly used in the transition between two programs, or before the beginning of one. These motion graphics are an important part of advertising as the content they show represent the channel.

I chose the above animation as it is a good example of a motion graphic targeted to a specific audience. CBBC is well known as a children's channel, therefore the animation needed to be appropriate for the age range. If the viewer was unaware what CBBC was, the ident is able to provide an idea of the channel it represents, the most obvious indication being the green blob-like character.

The music is made up of a variety of instruments including guitars and drums, the use of sound is to accompany the movements and to create a more appealing ident. The sound isn't in synch with the animation and is also non-diegetic. The use of music within a TV ident is useful for bringing attention back to the screen. The choice of music was important as the animation itself is fast paced; opera music wouldn't have suited for that reason (it would also have proved very unappealing to children).

The colour theme of the motion graphic is kept bright and simple. The colours are very bold with the red background making the green of the character stand out. This is another way the motion graphic keeps the focus on the CBBC logo. The brightness is also visually appealing and as mentioned earlier is associated particularly with children and cartoons.

The camera stays static in the motion graphic, the background moves slowly whilst the kung-fu blob moves quickly around the screen. It is made to move from the background to the foreground and makes use of the entire screen area, again this makes the animation more interesting and creates depth.

Children's channels are frequently associated with cartoons and humour, so it makes sense for the idents to follow the same trend. The character is simple and 2D, with large cartoon eyes, this style makes it child-friendly. It has a personality which adds to comic value and keeps the children's theme present. The personality is shown through the movement and expression of the eyes (the brows are down to show determination and its serious attitude). The animation shows good examples of easing in and out with the kung-fu, this makes it appear 'true' to how it would really move and is also an example of anthropomorphism. The blob splits in two separate characters to create a miniature fight scene, again making the short clip more humorous and appealing to children.

Finally, the blob is branded with the 'CBBC' logo, the writing itself does not move, but again with the use of bold colours it stands out. Instead of just having the writing moving around the screen the blob is the main focus of the ident. This is an important and intelligent way of informing the viewer of the channel/service as children don't particularly find text interesting, therefore they associate the character with the channel instead. The most important part of motion graphics is ensuring that the product or service that is being advertised is clearly seen, this animation achieves just that.


By Kimberley Collins