Script & Animatic
I collaborated with a copywriter to edit the script so it was coordinated with the visuals. We originally planned to use graphs and charts, but landed on a visual metaphor of using bikers traveling through a series of environments. Each environment would represent a different part of the system that needs to shift, like economics, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Translating sketches to illustrations
Once the animatic was locked, I translated the sketches into full environmental illustrations. The goal was to expand on the sketches and make elements more rendered and specific. For example, the original sketch for the scene below showed flooding. In the final illustration, I set it in a place in the Global South, using environmental cues like the style of transportation, the design of the houses, and the trees to ground it in a real-world context.
Value Studies
For the more complex scenes, I rendered the elements in black and white first to work out contrast and depth. Once the values were reading clearly, I brought them into color.
Styleframes
After environmental illustration was complete, I brought the stills together in sequence as styleframes to present to the client. Seeing the full journey laid out in order let the team review the visual direction as one cohesive story.
AIGA 50
The work our team did on this project earned a place in AIGA50 2023. Hosted by AIGA DC, AIGA50 recognizes the top 50 projects from designers across the DMV area.