Intro:

Normally a project that I create is a short looping piece that is more of an experimental expression than anything else. So this time I challenged myself to create a solution to a problem that needed to be solved in the form of a title sequence.

Creative Brief:

Echoes of Extinction – Title Sequence

Develop a 1 to 2 minute title sequence for a post apocalyptic tv series called “Echoes of Extinction”.

This project would be for a director for a film or a agency or production house to showcase my sensibilities for a title sequence project.

If this is for a real client (paid or pro bono) what are their specific objectives?

The sequence is for a futuristic apocalyptic film that captures the essence of the central theme of human endurance in a post apocalyptic theme or setting. The result should evoke a sense of desolation and hope, reflecting the film’s/show’s theme of survivors' resilience. Also the sequence should introduce the viewer to the story without giving too much away.

Inspiration:

The creative brief has themes of destruction and impending doom, yet the human ability to be resilient and return from the brink of catastrophe. 

Normally I used tools like internet research and Pinterest, YouTube to document ideas for this project. I like pulling from all influences including music, musical scores and soundtracks the most. I wanted this project to feel haunting/jarring yet hopeful at the end.

Process:

To start, I actually created this sequence from a shorter challenge project.

I took the pieces from a smaller execution and added and expanded on the themes (This includes the color palette, font and typography styles and other motion graphic elements). 

There were some ideas brewing, but I wanted to see what else was possible instead of just repeating the same things over and over again. So I asked ChatGPT to provide me with sample imagery for what I could use in the designs. 

Below is what it came back with: 

Imagery Notes/Desolate Landscapes:

Ruined Cities: Skyscrapers reduced to skeletons, crumbling buildings, and debris-strewn streets.

Survivors' Struggles:

Lonely Figures: Solitary silhouettes walking through vast, empty spaces.

Makeshift Shelters: Survivors' camps made from salvaged materials, showing creativity and resourcefulness.

Ruined Technology: 

Broken down robots, rusted vehicles, and remnants of advanced machinery.

Elements of Hope:

Growing Plants: Small patches of greenery or a single flower blooming amidst the ruins.

Atmospheric Elements:

Weather: Dramatic skies with dark clouds, thunderstorms, or a blood-red sunset. Occasional clear skies to symbolize hope.

Soundscape: Wind howling through empty streets, distant thunder, and occasional sounds of life like birds chirping or children laughing.

Quite Useful!!!!!!!!!

Music:

As a general rule I try and create original music for my projects when I can

(of course this takes a lot longer to get the project done). There are some tools that I use in Reason that help with creating music and scores for a project like this. So I developed the music first and once that was done I used that to inform what the imagery could start to look like.

Layout:

I then started to pull imagery that I found from all over the place and started to lay them out in time to the music/soundtrack. With a project like this I always think of music and visuals as a type of handshake what works together. So once that is in sync then it’s time to start laying everything out together in a timeline in Premiere Pro. I did this several times until I felt like the things seemed right and then moved over to After Effects.

Editing:

Once I brought things into After Effects, the work was to then decide how to make it interesting and reflective of the story that I was trying to tell. I thought about using a lot of graphics through the lens of analysis and surveillance.

For me this mimics a lot of the feelings one has watching natural disasters unfold while being powerless to stop them. (Hurricanes, Tornadoes, etc.).

The biggest challenge I faced was how to use Premiere Pro and After Effects in conjunction with each other. I was seeking a way to combine the two things so that they are used in sync (as I know there are quite a few ways to do this). In the end I quite simply copied and pasted from Premiere Pro to After Effects. It’s not the most efficient way per se – however until I find a better way this seemed to do the trick.

As much as I love After Effects, it’s a memory hog and will refuse to render the more you add to it. So I wound up doing a number of pre renders and then importing back into the project and going from there. Then I kept going back in and finding things that I wanted to change. So I went back and would make an edit and then have to re-export. I did this several times until I liked the end result.