

This logo animation was created to show the design link between Altria and the AGDC University logo. The client wanted to show that the color blocks in the Altria logo are the same ones used in the flame of the University logo, with the idea that one logo would transform into the other one.
I tried a few different approaches to the animation before reaching the final you see here. One idea started with the blocks exploding and reassembling as the flame, another used a bright flash and the flame shape cutting away from the square. I wanted the feeling of separation and movement through space though, and finally landed on the idea of a cinematic movie opening inspired in part by the falling film strips in the New Line Cinema logo.
Though the movement appears quite simple, the setup was actually a little tricky to pull off. For one thing, the blocks of color are squared off in the Altria logo, while the university logo has them turned diagonally. In addition, the final shape of the blocks had to be cut out in the shape of the flame. I ended up using two different sets of blocks, and reverse-engineered their movement to have them move toward/away from each other along the same basic path. The first set scales down and disappears while the second set scales up to form the final shape. There are only a few blocks with trajectories that meet seamlessly, but it was just enough to make the whole piece appear to transition from the first set of blocks to the second set in the flame shape.
The block transform was achieved by putting the entire set of blocks into a cloner object, and using a plane effector to adjust the position, scale, and rotation of the blocks. I used a random cloner only on the z axis to add a bit of spacial separation during the move. Once I wrapped my brain around it, the execution was a breeze.
I used to make graphics and I still do. Some are old and some are new. Either way they’re here for you. Hip hip hooray and whoop-de-doo!
Though I am not personally a fan of CVT transmissions and would never own a vehicle that used one, I do find them to be a fascinatingfeat of mechanical engineering. pretty neat little xPresso rig set up to make the gears function properly.
This has been a controversial design concept, and I’m happy that Darpa chose Joe Ryan and I to create the mockup animation that was used to present and win a contract for several million dollars to develop this vehicle.
It’s hard to explain the benefits of a piece of engineering this large without showing what goes on inside. That’s exactly what I helped with. AMF provided some super complex CAD files that I was able to convert and bring into my 3D land. Then I turned it all into an interactive Android app for use at a trade show.
Michel Gondry once said, “I chose quantity over quality, because quantity lasts and quality fades.”
.
.
Or you can go ahead and
hire me right now