By Sam Chambers | Design Lead @ Motion Marble
The Importance of Inspiration
It’s crucial to stretch your creative legs in this industry. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Maybe it’s from seeing work in the wild or while stirring your morning coffee. Sometimes, it strikes at 3 AM after a vivid dream. After these moments, as a creative, it’s vital to act on them. The quieter moments are just as important as the busy ones. They allow us to play with new tech, learn from each other, and sharpen our creative brains. This ultimately helps us keep the bar high for our clients.
The Creative Process
My creative brain is constantly firing. I want to create visually striking content intertwined with a feeling or a story. One time, while driving, I had an idea about the experience of driving from the perspective of a car enthusiast. The thrill of getting behind the wheel of a beloved car is a privilege. The sensation of pressing the pedals, the noise, and the feeling of being in the pilot seat of a machine that’s your pride and joy is exhilarating. So, I challenged myself to produce a piece of work that illustrates that feeling. The term “Street Pilot” rang in my head. Once I had the name, the rest of the project began to take shape.
I thought of a story that was personal to my experience and represented it with sketches. I envisioned cinematic camera angles of a parked car starting from cold. The light illuminating the freshly cleaned bodywork before driving away. Perhaps after a long day, enhancing that feeling of freedom. From our office, we constantly see cars driving past and hear the roar of distant engines. Real-world, cinematic references weren’t hard to find once we knew what we were looking for.
Finding the Right Model
I went on the hunt for some 3D models and discovered an NA1 Honda NSX (credit linked) that was perfect for the project. After some model editing, scene building, and storyboarding, things began to take shape. But I wanted to push it further. I described my vision to the team, who got involved to produce animated illustrations (Hadyn) and some scenes in Unreal Engine with 2D overlays (Sam). Their unique creative personalities added a different dimension to the project. It transformed from a film about my sole experience to one that included theirs.
Research and Development
During our research period, both inside and outside of work, we developed a series of shots using some new techniques we’d learned. We then edited them together to follow a narrative. I built the project timeline with sound in mind. I imagined the echo of a distant engine, mentally humming the ambient noise of traffic, and comically mimicking the creak of a garage door opening. Timing everything to fit the scenes was crucial to bringing my vision to life. Spending time on sound design was essential to make our created world come alive.
A Nod to Honda
Honda has a rich history of iconic car ads. Their tagline, “The Power of Dreams,” encapsulated the feeling I wanted to convey through this animation. As a love letter to our industry and to demonstrate how we could produce a project like this for real, we added some Honda branding at the end. It felt like a real ad for the Honda driving experience.
The Final Product
We’re proud to share this short film. Thanks to Hadyn Thompson and Sam Wainwright for dedicating their time (sometimes even their own) to help shape this into something we can all be proud of.
Watch it on our Instagram!
Conclusion
Creating motion design is more than just a job; it’s a passion. It’s about telling stories that resonate. So, keep pushing your creative boundaries. Explore new ideas. Collaborate with your team. And always remember, inspiration is everywhere.
3D Model from Ddiaz Design on Sketchfab.
