Retro video game inspired title sequence using Ease and Wizz and other aescripts tools by Jeremy Cox and Imaginary Forces. 

Behind the Scenes

Tools used

Author Notes

My original idea for the SXSW Gaming Awards open was to create a sort of puzzle, where abstract visuals are paired with recognizable gaming sound effects. My goal was to engage the audience through surprising connections between the audio and visuals, as well as trigger a sense of nostalgia for these games we all used to play. On top of the more obvious references, we have also peppered in plenty of deep cuts that, while only a few people might notice, will hopefully make them smile.

While designing the sequence, we were looking for a visual hook that would give the piece a unique aesthetic. I was trying to avoid going overly 8bit, as that felt like a cop  out. We landed on the idea of shooting the entire piece on sequential TVs, ranging from a black and white CRT to a modern LCD display. We animated the piece in Cinema 4D and After Effects. We used various  scripts and plugins, including Trapcode Form, Ease and Wizz, Paste Multiple Keyframes, as well as some new scripts of my own that I hope to release in the near future.
 
Once the animation was looking good, it was all shot off our various TVs using a Canon 7D. I used a ridiculous series of adaptors to connect our old TVs to a laptop. There is something very disconcerting about seeing an OS X desktop on a 5" black and white TV. It was especially interesting when we got super close to the screens and saw all the details and imperfections in the images. The only post was some minor color correction. None of the pixelation or scan line looks were faked.
 
Credits
Creative Director: Jeremy Cox
Executive Producer: Gabriel Marquez
Producer: Jon Hassell
Designer: Max Strizich / Kris Fortin
2D Animator: Sekani Solomon / Hayato Yamane
Editor/ Sound Design: Zach Kilroy

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