Advertisement for CCCTV, a TV Network
Since my theme is comedy, I wanted my motion graphic to draw on tropes and conventions from classic comedic cartoons and theatrical performance. All assets were illustrated in Adobe Illustrator and animated in Adobe After Effects.
The piece opens with a curtain drawing back, as it would at the start of a stage play, setting the tone before the action begins.
The next scene shows a leg slipping on a banana peel. The trajectory of the peel traces a rectangular path that transitions into a ramp. A bowling ball rolls off the ramp and lands exactly where the leg had been. Impact stars appear to emphasize the hit, then fall back down as two dizzy birds rise that continue circling, a classic visual cue for disorientation after being struck.
With the rising bird, the face of the man who was hit is also revealed, now looking thoroughly dazed. As the birds fly off, he moves to the left side of the screen and fades away, allowing for two comedy masks, one happy and one sad, to descend from above. Both masks begin to cry, one from laughter, one from sorrow, a nod to the traditional theatrical symbol of drama. The AMC logo fades in to the side to close the piece.
This was created as an advertisement for the TV network CCCTV, with a focus on the comedy genre, drawing inspiration from elements of drama, comedy, and entertainment.
Adjustments made in the final version
Due to the 10-second time limit, a few elements were adjusted from the original concept and storyboard to keep the pacing tight without sacrificing the comedic flow:
The curtain rises rather than draws open, a simpler animation that still reads clearly as a theatrical opening within a shorter timeframe.
The peel's trajectory transitions into a ramp rather than a misplaced shelf. Without enough time to clearly establish the shelf concept or animate it falling, the ramp communicates the same idea (something releasing the bowling ball) more efficiently.
The impact stars fall rather than spin and morph into birds, a quicker, more direct way to transition into the dizzy bird sequence within the available time.
The birds fly off while the dazed man slides to the side and fades out, allowing the comedy and tragedy masks to enter from above without adding extra transition time.