Universal Production Music Visualizer
Client: Universal Production Music (UPM)
Objective:
My goal was to create a 10-15 sec visualizer of a new release track from Universal Production Music to promote the site’s extensive library to younger music producers.
The Research
Formerly known as Killer Tracks, Universal Production Music was founded in Hollywood, California, in 1989 with an original catalog of 30 CDs. Today, the UPM's catalog contains over 2,000 CDs of music from 21 global libraries.
My Audience
Younger music producers and creatives (25-35) looking for tracks to use in various projects.
Any potential recruiters or employers, as well as those interested in making connections for future freelance opportunities.
Final Animation
Initial Concepts
Highlighting contrasting textures and posterized video effects, I aimed to capture classic Americana imagery to complement the Southern/Western soundtrack I selected. Rich golden-yellow tones embody the warmth of the sun, paired with expansive skies and scenes from rodeos.
Direction 01: Grunge Western
Direction 02 : Pixel Desert
Building on the digital elements of my track, this approach applies a pixelized filter over a desert landscape, capturing the essence of the Southwest US.
This design direction follows a narrative arc, where cows are abducted by aliens to transition from the track’s western pop themes into digital elements. They’re transported to a spaceship rave, resulting with the UPM logo emerging in a crop circle.
This pitch was chosen by art directors/professors when all directions were presented as three different conceptual ideas, though it needed some refinement to the design and animation ideas.
Direction 03 : The Cows…They’re Dancing
Design & Concept Refinement
The idea of the alien rave party was too complicated, so I pitched the idea of changing it to a barn hoe-down rave.
I started by enhancing the frames with more color variety, incorporating UPM's brand colors to create a vivid contrast between the green fields and the pink space party. I also expanded the shot types for animation, including a mix of close-ups, wide shots, and varied camera movements to capture and maintain viewer engagement over a longer duration.
Color and Font
I chose the font 'Rockwell' for my tagline, 'Music is Universal.' Its serif style aligns with the Western aesthetic I'm evoking, reminiscent of vintage advertisements often seen in classic cowboy films.
Sticking with shades of pink, blue, and green, my color palette reflects the UPM brand colors, with variations in hue depending on the scene. For example, the final overhead shot of the logo in the field leans more toward green, contrasting with the vibrant, saturated tones of the barn-stomping DJ moments.
Animation
Animatic & Motion Test
I began by organizing all my frames and syncing them to the track, roughly animating basic movements and camera actions. Next, I focused on animating simple object effects to illustrate key examples of my animation style and approach.
Second Pass
During my second pass, I faced a substantial amount of animation work, challenging me to design animations that were effective yet simple. I crafted a unique dance cycle for the DJ Cow, inspired by popular dance animations from YouTube and TikTok. Each element in the scene syncs with the music, from the cows’ heads bobbing to lights swaying across the screen in rhythm with the twangy guitar.
Revisions Pass
Throughout this pass, I concentrated on synchronizing the DJ's movements more closely with the music, simplifying the dancing and bopping animations from the previous version. I also experimented with creating club lights, layering various effects to bring more vibrant color and energy to the barn rave scene.
As I worked toward the final version, I focused on integrating the lights more naturally into the scene by using sharper, less feathered shapes. This approach maintained the theme of stylized graphic lines and shapes throughout the animation.
