Spotify
3D Animation
2D Animation
Motion Branding
Motion Design
CG (Computer Graphics)
Animation
Editorial
Character Design
Character Modeling and Animation
Illustration

Spotify Premium “Hyperlocal”

Hoping to expand its Spotify Premium subscription base by shining the spotlight on the richness, depth and sound stylings of musical artistry in specific localities, the creative team at Spotify asked us to produce spots promoting premium service in two cities: Chicago and Atlanta. Capturing the vibe and musical heritage of each place, our 15-second spots showcase city-centric sights and sounds in two very distinct animation styles.

Atlanta

Besides exploring Atlanta’s fantastic street art and hip-hop culture for inspiration, we tapped into an aura you can’t find anywhere else. That includes lots of IDGAF attitude and the collective consciousness of an entire generation that understands the contributions the South has made to the music industry.

Diversity, especially, has made ATL a trendsetting capital, as well as a cultural epicenter on the musical scene. Iconic elements  we included run the gamut from The Fox Theatre and the Dungeon Family, to Peachtree Street, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard singing to pews of people.

Play Atlanta
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Previsualization

Before jumping into fully-rendered illustrations, we studied the story script to shape a detailed shot list and created thumbnail sketches for each frame. This allowed us to make some important decisions ahead of time: We determined the scale for each shot, finessed how the progression should play out, and looked for natural places where we could shape interesting transitions. We also edited out any shots that seemed unnecessary. Once we were happy with the storyboard, we edited the sketches to music, timing the length of each shot, which ultimately streamlined the animation process.

Illustration

We chose two distinct animation styles for the Atlanta and Chicago spots. For Atlanta, we went with a 2-D style inspired by Atlanta street art. And for Chicago, we extrapolated that to 3-D for added dimension. Creating the illustrations for these, key elements in each city–such as environments and characters, informed the chosen accents, color palette and mood for each scene in the spots. Frames were illustrated in layers so that each element could be quickly isolated and animated, making for a very efficient and flexible workflow.

Seamless Transitions

These 15-second spots worked well using straight cuts, primarily.  But wherever we found opportunities to work in some transition magic, we 100% leaned into them.

Chicago

Anything but segregated, the music that flows through Chicago is as eclectic as its vibrant neighborhoods. You can hear reggae on the North side, drill out on the West side, or blues for the South side.

This eccentric vibe not only pulses through Chicago’s diverse music scene, but also blooms in an urban landscape full of artistic and sculptural expressions and influences.

Capturing all of this, our 15-second spot travels through the city and its musical history, with nods to the Kanye and Common rap battle, Buddy Guy, footwork dancing, the Soul Train, Summer festivals and the origins of House music.

Play Chicago
Play video
Color Blocking

To establish these spots as sleek, hip and trendy design pieces, we worked within a limited four-color palette for each, adding accent colors from the Spotify brand palette. All coloring was first mocked up over grayscale stills before shading in 3D.

From Animatic to Final

 

 

Proud ♥

When stars align, we have the unique opportunity to work on an amazing project with a client who is as invested creatively as we are. The creatives at Spotify were a dream-team of partners and collaborators with which to work.

Project Credits 
  • Executive Creative Director
    Erin Sarofsky
  • Executive Producer
    Steven Anderson
  • Producer
    Dylan Ptak
  • Creative Lead
    Duarte Elvas
  • Illustrator/Concept Artist
    Tricia Kleinot
  • Lead Artists
    Nik Braatz
  • Jake Allen
  • Artists
    Josh Smiertka
  • Ally Munro
  • Jordan Bergren
  • Sean Skube
  • Dan Moore
  • Matt Miltonberger
  • Finish
    Jamie Gray
  • Michael Burke
Client Credits 
  • Client
  • VP, Executive Creative Director
    Alexander Bodman
  • Group Creative Director
    Marie Roenn
  • Creative Director
    Heather Brodie
  • Senior Art Director
    Steven Conaway
  • Art Director
    Kelly Longaker
  • Senior Producer
    Zack Grant
  • Brand Lead
    Candice Greenbergy
  • Brand Manager
    Kathy Cho
  • Brand Strategist
    Susana Rivera

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