While I'm Here
Opening Titles
We were approached by our good friends at Foster Visuals to conceive and create an opening title sequence for their new series of documentary shorts. The films centre around personal stories of local heroes who are leaving behind powerful legacies in their communities. The idea behind the films is to document, commemorate and celebrate their legacy while these individuals are still here to tell their story. This project is a very personal one for director Brent Foster, and so we welcomed the challenge to create something that felt grand yet also intimate and heartfelt.
OUR APPROACH
After much creative development and experimentation, we arrived at a simple yet powerful visual; A series of highly detailed moving portraits of these heroes, like moments frozen in time, that are illuminated by the very landscapes they inhabit. Their life stories are represented in the character of their facial features - immortalized in suspended animation as they are enveloped by light emanating from the world that they helped shape.
OUR PROCESS
When brainstorming concepts for the While I'm Here title sequence we were very inspired by the unique visual storytelling throughout the series. We wanted the title sequence to reflect this and focus on the individuals profiled in the series along with the landscapes on which their stories unfold. We decided to use use high res production stills to create a camera mapped 3D model of each subjects face. For Apo Whang-Od (the woman features in the Last Mamabatok episode) we were able to get a 3D scan of her face using a Structure 3D Scanner. Since the previous episodes had already been shot before we had conceived this creative approach, we had to create models to match photographs of the subjects for those episodes. Onto these models (both scanned and hand-modeled) we projected landscape aerial footage from the documentary. The result is a nostalgic feeling of the subjects frozen in time reflecting on their legacy.
LOGO DESIGN
In addition to the sequence we were also asked to create the logo for the series. We developed various options, ranging from contemporary to more ornate & aged designs. We wanted the logo to convey both timeless-ness as well as a sense of accomplishment in a kind of “official” style – It’s as if the series itself acts as a sort of commemorating badge of honor for the subjects in each episode. We wanted the logo to carry that same sense of dignity, pride and respect.
EARLIER CONCEPT
Early in the process we also developed an alternate concept for the show open. This approach was a more graphical one. Here we played with geometric shapes that inhabited the stunning aerial cinematography. The more personal approach with the projections ended up winning out, but we still enjoyed exploring this alternative design.
CREDITS
Creative Director: Alon Isocianu
Art Director: Bert Mckinley
3D Animators: Hasan Dadah, Bert Mckinley, Alon Isocianu, Jacob Doforno
Compositors: Hasan Dadah, Bert Mckinley, Alon Isocianu, Jacob Doforno
Sequence Editors: Alon Isocianu & Lauren Galloway
Producer: Anna Junger
Client: Foster Visuals
Director: Brent Foster