What inspires our motion team?

‘It all goes back to Channel 4’ - David Webb

Take a step back in time with me. Way back to 1982 to the launch of the new and edgy Channel 4. It was a bit too risqué for my mother, so I’d sneak a watch every so often and catch sight of Martin Lambie-Nairn’s whirling, multi-coloured 3D ident. Seven-year-old me thought it was as cool as a scene from Tron (the 1982 version, of course!).

As time and technology moved on, so did the way the logo manifested itself. Notable moments included the components woven into an environment in 2006, the radical deconstructed logo in 2015, and the metallic Channel 4 Giant in 2007. We’ve seen it evolve and be used in so many innovative ways, but that unmistakable 1982 Lambie-Nairn essence always shines through.

Personally, I have Martin Lambie-Nairn to thank for capturing my imagination at such a tender age. I grew up with his visionary idents, like the 1990s BBC globe balloon. They certainly struck a chord and helped trigger an interest for me in design, motion and 3D graphics.

‘Mr Sun is a beautiful piece of motion design trickery’ - Tim Nolan

I’m a big music fan – one with quite eclectic tastes – and very into live music.

On my must-see list of acts over the last few years was Greentea Peng  – a star on the rise – and her set at Green Man in 2021 was my highlight of the entire festival. Looking somewhat like a psychedelic modern-day shaman, she was so relaxed on stage and really commanded the Walled Garden stage.

If you get the chance, check out the video for one of my favourite tunes: Mr Sun. Not only is the song great, but the video is a beautiful piece of motion design and uses video editing trickery to follow Peng on a psychedelic journey from one reality to another. From innovative transitions, continual perspective and motion tracking, to green screen and masking techniques, this video brings the story to life.

My discovery of the music video director, Felix Brady is something that has and will always inspire my video editing approach. I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

‘The more I watch it the more subtle details I notice’ - Parissa Motamedi

A long time ago, 1981 to be exact, two of Disney’s key animators, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, released a book called The Illusion of Life. The book detailed the Disney animation philosophy and illustrated what they considered to be the 12 key principles of animation. These were principles such as squash and stretch, exaggeration and timing. While the principles were based on frame-by-frame cell animation, they’re still in use by modern motion designers today.

The above piece is called Re-Invent. It was created for the Legal Innovation Hub by Bulgarian designer Atanas Giew. It’s a simple piece where the typography physically emulates the content of the message. The message is communicated very simply, through nothing more than text and block colour. The animation is well-paced, with no element feeling rushed or too slow. There’s constant movement throughout, making everything feel smooth and purposeful. The more I watch it, the more subtle details I notice. The hidden complexity of  the video becomes apparent.

Atanas uses some of the 12 principles of animation in his work to make the motion feel natural, as well as to direct the viewer to where he wants them to look. A great motion designer who impacts and inspires my work daily.

There are no limits to inspiration

As you can see, inspiration can be drawn from anywhere – from timeless idents to psychedelic music videos. Motion design can inspire emotion that connects with viewers on a human level - you just have to open your mind and see what fills the gaps. At least that’s what our Motion Team does to create magic!

Set a meeting with the motion team to see the designs and 3D wizardry that could help inspire your business: get in touch with us today.