QVC Graphics Blog

QVC Graphics Showreel 2011 from michael lomon on Vimeo.

Some highlights from this years animation/motion graphics output, with a bit of 8-bit fun filled frolicks in the intro.

Featuring work from..
Nick Haldane and Michael Lomon

Winter Solutions Endboard

An icy feel for this wintry endboard that gives a Harry Potter feel to proceedings.
All created in After Effects and good old Photoshop.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Christmas 2011

Animation/Modelling/Design: Nick Haldane/Michael Lomon

Every year, QVC features a range of Christmas related promos which tend to follow a certain graphical style in line with that particular years theme.

As a starting point, we were referred to the QVC US style guide from 2010. Their promos heavily featured live action shots with knitwear patterns and naturalistic Christmas present labels used for title screens. Whilst incorporating their label ideas into various title screens, we felt we could really expand on the notion of knitwear and create something ambitious in the two weeks we had before deadline.

So here it is! Nick and I split the workload, both handling various modelling and animation tasks in 3DS Max before creating a batch of textures, tasty lighting and camera moves.

Whilst we hit a range of technical barriers and limitations (mostly render crashes), We are both pretty happy with the results - which took on a 50's B-Movie/Gerry Anderson feel somewhere towards the end. Unexpected but welcome!

Festive Cooking & Dining

Festive Cooking & Dining

Christmas is here at last with this endboard for an early seasonal promo.
Its based around the idea of a lovely cozy German Christmas market.
Made in 3DS max, with snow particles and inside light glow added in After Effects.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Snakes & Letters Sting

Snakes & Letters Sting

Hot off the press, a brand new sting for a brand new game.
All done in 3DS Max, including the snakes which took a little while to model but turned out reasonably reptilian-esque.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

QVC Craft - July 2011

Animation/Design: Michael Lomon

A bit of painterly particle work to introduce QVC's craft product presenters. Bit of a challenge keeping things looking natural and 'organic' - but for a feel of free flying paint splashing around the presenters - I think we achieved a fun look. With a little more time and hardware, it would be great to further integrate flowing, liquid-esque
graphics with live action shots and on screen text.

All artwork/animation done in After Effects

Hoopla Sting

Hoopla Sting

Who loves Hoopla? I certainly do and to celebrate Hoopla coming to QVC we made a lovely 3d model of the Hoopla set. Has the word Hoopla ever been written so many times in a paragraph. Who the Hoopla knows.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Crafting on Trend

Crafting on Trend

New promo for Craft. No real concept for this. Just tried to shove as much of the product in as possible.
In other news, Mike Lomon and myself came second in the summer party boat race. To be fair we were by far the fastest and had it not been for a poor start in the final would have won by miles.
Robert Facey has now paid me back.
I managed to help big Dave Lumsden fulfill his dream of flying solo.
I remain the best at ping pong in graphics probably.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Exilim Camera

Exilim Camera

Producer: Steve Lowe
Animation/Design: Michael Lomon

More ogoing 3DS MAX training as I work - this was an attempt at modelling and skinning (not as nasty as it sounds) a realistic approximation of the Exilim EX-H30 Camera.
Whilst a fair few details were skipped - the final renders just about get away with it I think!

All artwork/animation done in 3DS MAX
3.5 Days design/animation work

Summer Surprise

Summer Surprise

Producer: Marc Lawrence

Animation/Design: Michael Lomon

Experimenting with 3DS MAX - we went for a paper 'curling' look for a quirky take on Summery goodness.

Notice the bits of summer iconography surrounding the title such as the ice cream and surfer.

Would be great to revisit this style and explore a few different angles and animation on a longer Promo.

All artwork/animation done in Illustrator/3DS MAX/After Effects.
2.5 Days design/animation work

Mumbo Jumble Sting

Mumbo Jumble Sting

New sting for QVC's latest morning competition "Mumbo Jumble". Made in 3DS Max with some exciting particles at the end.

In other Graphics news; we will be boycotting the upcoming QVC Pub Quiz. Despite being reigning champions, we never received a trophy and feel that we can not defend our title under such spurious circumstances.
Also Robert Facey still owes me £20 from a Ping-Pong bet incurred over two weeks ago. I hesitate to use the term welcher but would advise caution when wagering with the above mentioned.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Mid Season Clearance

Producer: Paul Burns
Animation/Design: Michael Lomon

Simple but colourful animation to add a bit of drama to QVC's sale. We kept things broad as there are so many product ranges involved. A tight palette helped keep the piece flowing.

All artwork/animation done in After Effects
3.5 Days design/animation work

Best of British

Best of British
Sometimes we end up re-jigging a bit from out initial concepts. Having originally gone for a more illustrative, eccentric approach to 'Britishness' - we decided on a cleaner, more iconic style.

1.5 Days design/animation work

Animation/Compositing/Design: Michael Lomon

Experience 3D Technology

Everythings gone neon for this Promo Spot - Bit of 3DS Max text compositing going on - all other elements created in After Effects

2D/3D Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

QVC Garden 2011

QVC Garden 2011

For an 'organic' feel we went for a rotoscoping technique around some time lapse flower footage and added a few filters for an ever evolving watercolour effect.

Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

Easter Surprise Sting

Easter Surprise Sting

New sting for Easter surprise. All made on 3DS Max.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Crafting on Trend Event

Crafting on Trend Event

Hot off the press, a simple wee promo for the upcoming four hour Crafting on Trend Event.
In other exciting news; Graphics under the nom de plume ROADWARRIORS won the QVC pubquiz. Expect to see us winning the Rounders and 1st prize in the QVC exhibition this summer. Of almost equal importance Marc had a baby, I believe it was a girl and probably weighed about 16 lb.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Craft Gets Dimensional - Scene Breakdown

Craft Gets Dimensional - Scene Breakdown

Scene from a recent craft promo showing how a 3D modelled pattern cutter was composited into an After Effects project. Its basically Tron with craft.

3D Model/Animation: Nick Haldane
Compositing/Other Graphics: Michael Lomon

PICK Me Up 2011: A few of our favourite things...

from the marvelous Pick Me Up 2011 exhibition at Somerset House...

Brilliant prints and collages from Eda Akaltun

Hard hitting collage graphics from Revenge Is Sweet

fabulous colour palettes from Victo Ngai

April Monthly Highlights Graphic

April

Graphic for QVC's Monthly Highlights promo. All the months will have their own relevant look.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Red Nose Day Sting

Sting for the QVC Comic Relief competition "The Face You Nose".
It was created on 3DS Max using maps for the noses.

Design/Animation: Nick Haldane

Silk Route Jewellery
Awaiting voiceover and music - but here's an early peek.

With the silk route being a complex trail, and the product having it's routes mainly in China - I chose to animate a series of relatively generic vignettes which would throw up some interesting elements for the start/end boards and jewellery showcase scenes.

Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

RED CARPET

Red Carpet


Promo in which QVC's very own Julia Roberts jets off to Hollywood to schmooze with the stars.

The brief was to aim for a glamorous, clean, vector based look with seperate elements popping in and out to suggest a narrative to Julia's journey.

Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

Beauty Day-Scene Breakdown

Beauty Day - Breakdown

Quick breakdown from original green screen shoot footage to final rendered shot.
Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

QVC Motion Graphics Showreel 2010

Finally managed to upload the years' compilation.
All content contributed by Nick, Michael and Daria.

QVC Motion Graphics Showreel 2010 from Marc on Vimeo.

Battersea Power Station High Wire Act!

Not something you see everyday from your average staff cafe...

What makes good design? | Paola Antonelli | Big Think

What makes good design? | Paola Antonelli | Big Think

U.S Craft Designers

Producer: Kevin Andrews

Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

A fun promo spot recreating a journey by rail to a 'hand crafted' slice of Americana.

The main challenges involved creating the sense of a living city with restricted time to draw up unique elements and compositing our actress into this cartoon world without upsetting the rough cut/pastel charm of the backgrounds.

Following Kev's initial storyboards, which set the pace and positioning accurately, the project flowed naturally with less visual hiccups than I anticipated.

5 Days work drawing up elements, animating, compositing and editing.

Saatchi Gallery Visit...

Another trip up the road for us to the brilliant Saatchi Gallery, King's Road, London. Some of the highlights included paintings by Robert Fry, Toby Ziegler and Jonathan Wateridge. If you're in London this free public gallery is too good to be missed...
A choice selection of the finest cuts (IMHO) below...

 Dan Perfect:

 Nicholas Byrne:

 Luke Rudolph:

 Jonathan Wateridge:

 Robert Fry:

 Robert Fry:

 Toby Ziegler:

 Tessa Farmer:

PROMO UPDATE: Beauty Day

BEAUTY DAY

Producer: Nigel Cole-Bowen
Design/Animation: Michael Lomon

Nigel was after a Bond style promo, with a range of seamless transitions and something of a decadently elegant mood. Some of our sample products were to feature as active environmental elements for the models to interact with.

All products were shot against green screen, whilst the models took part in a wire shoot for the gravity defying section of the promo.

PROMO UPDATE: Craft Day

CRAFT DAY
Producer: Jason Clifford
Design/Animation: Michael Lomon


Jason's initial concept was to incorporate a Haynes manual, via a flight safety instructional leaflet into a light hearted QVC Craft Day Promo. I brought in a Grange Hill title sequence vibe for the simple animation and pan/scan movement.


Drawn up in Illustrator, we decided to feature simplified versions of existing products to personalise the visuals. Animation in After Effects was kept simple - just a few dissolves between images for a vintage 'limited animation' feel.


Mike