Deep dives
Role: Creative Direction, Motion Graphic Design
Tools Used: After Effects, Photoshop
Context
Team Liquid’s Deep Dives series is a collection of long-form video essays exploring a wide variety of concepts in gaming. Each video tackles a different subject, ranging from game-breaking characters to the most iconic players in esports history.
The series required a visual treatment that could support the storytelling without overwhelming it. Each project presented a unique opportunity to do a deep dive of my own into the aesthetics that would best support the subject matter of the essay.
Creative Direction
I oversaw the creative direction and visual design of the motion graphics used throughout the series. Because each video focused on a different story, the graphics needed to feel tailored to the subject matter while still maintaining some level of consistency across the broader series.
This resulted in a broad range of visual styles and demanded a wide set of technical skills to achieved the varied look.
Execution
I produced assets myself and also collaborated with editors and designers across the team. Working directly within the edit allowed the motion design to evolve alongside the narrative structure of each video, ensuring that the graphics supported the pacing and clarity of the storytelling.
In addition to developing bespoke graphics for individual episodes, I also introduced motion graphic templates that could be reused across the series. These templates allowed the team to create new assets more easily and efficiently through the use of complex After Effects expressions.
Many of the animations were driven entirely by code, allowing me and my fellow designers to iterate quickly and produce the large number of required assets.
Results
Titles, infographics, archival imagery, and sometimes quirky animations were used throughout the videos to reinforce key ideas while encouraging viewer retention.
My work on the Hardest FPS video in particular exemplifies my technical skill. These intricate layered animations were packed with detail and expression-driven animations which resulted in a clean and stunning visual style.
The end results created a cohesive theme for the series, while catering to each essay topic.
Impact
The Deep Dives series was well received by our audience, generating interesting conversations within the various gaming communities. It can be extremely difficult to reach viewers outside of your core audience, but we did so successfully with this project.
For me, this video series was a perfect opportunity to combine hands-on motion design with creative direction. It was a rare and exciting chance to demonstrate creativity and technical design abilities.