A Fresh New Campaign for the Illini
The University of Illinois reached out with the mission of getting the word out about their new initiative. The offer 4 years of free tuition to certain qualifying students. They had a great script but wanted to find someone to bring it to life which is where I came in!
In reading the script, it had a lot of great layers and set pieces to showcase. The themes of growing, changing and learning were at the forefront and I latched onto the change aspect. Instead of pitching the typical 3 design paths, I focused on one. A character that starts in 2D and over time, she learns, adding dimension, seeing the world fully tactile and tangible in 3D. Modeling the main character was so much fun. We went through many colors and outfits before finally landing on a hip, textured, acid wash jeans character who eventually dons the graduation cap and gown.
The set design and other scenes also reflect the growing and changing aspect of the script. I got to incorporate 2D, cell animation, 3D redshift material, sketch & toon, and vector animation into a blend of styles to complement the script that turned out to be a very successful and fun look!
STUDIO: Summer Break
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Ryan Bechtel
CLIENT: University of Illinois
BRAND STRATEGIST: Husni Ashiku
