Exercise 5: Instagram Story

Motion graphics can be a powerful tool to promote events, businesses, products, and services as well as social causes. The industry has now adapted where they advertise and how to reach their audience. Therefore there is a rise in motion on social media platforms. You will be designing what the industry calls a “snackable,” which is a slang term for short-form social media content. For this exercise, you will create an animated Instagram Story to promote and encourage people to vote locally. As a requirement however you need to stay bi-partisan. Our technical emphasis in this exercise will be to continue to animate type and learn how to integrate and animate Illustrator vector files.

Parameters

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Content/Direction
The ultimate goal is to encourage people to vote locally. You could also take the approach of providing information about when to vote, voting options and how to register, factual information about how many people vote, info about history of voting, or point people towards some local resources. You will also need decide on a target audience and develop your concept around that. This will help you decide the tone of your message.

Glance Media
Motion design helps cut through the clutter on social media platforms and draws people’s limited attention spans. You still need to capture the viewer’s attention in less than 3 seconds (3-second rule), therefore putting emphasis on creating an initial hook. Dynamic layouts, dramatic motion, bright colors, contrast, and engaging imagery or language can be “thumbstoppers.” The challenge is to get people to pause their infinite scroll and engage with your content/message.

Vertical Format
Since this a vertical format, you will need to rethink the balance of the composition, flow of motion, and direction of space in this exercise. Celebrate and utilize the vertical format to your benefit. When designing, also take into account information that is overlaid on the interface of Stories, such as “call-to-action” links on the bottom of the screen, and the handle name/logo on the top left corner. You want to ensure no key design elements or information will be accidentally cropped out when the ad goes live.

Short Narrative
Focus on telling a short narrative and delivering a message with a strong beginning, middle, end. Focus on drawing in the viewer instantaneously, keeping them engaged, and providing a call-to-action.

Optional Sound
This Instagram Story should work without sound, but you may add music or voiceover to it in case people have sound turned on. This is optional. If you choose to add audio, choose something that communicates the right tone and sets the right pace. Remember that YouTube Audio Library has very short jingles you can use for free and search by duration.


Voting Themed Inspiration Examples

Student Examples

Professional Examples

Social Media Inspiration Examples

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Project Specs

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Size: 1080×1920 pixels (reminder that this is vertical and dimensions have been flipped from what we have been doing)
Frame Rate: 24fps
Length: 10-15 seconds (cannot go over 15 seconds, which is also a limitation on Instagram)
Content: animate text and graphics. focus on using Illustrator vector graphics.
Format:  H.264 .mp4 movie file uploaded to Vimeo or YouTube and linked to Slack Channel.
Optional Sound: You may choose to add music and/or voiceover, but don’t rely on it.

  • If you want sound:
  • YouTube Audio Library (need a YouTube account) Has really short music clips.
  • Creative Commons: (Search and click on SoundCloud, CCMixter, or Jamendo) and do a search. Make sure to double check the Creative Commons license when you go to the subsequent page)
  • Free Archive Music


Objectives

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  • Innovative concept to encourage and/or inform viewers about voting
  • Successful communication of message towards intended audience
  • Successful narrative with a beginning, middle, end (focusing on starting with a hook and ending with call-to-action)
  • Focus on designing for vertical composition and exploring vertical space
  • Integrate and animate Illustrator/vector graphics
  • Attention given to typography and animating type as well
  • Create smooth natural motion using easing and graph editor
  • Explore temporal design through transitioning and pacing


Rubric

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Pre-production (6pts)

  • inspiration examples
  • storyboard & style frame

Exercise (25pts)

  • Innovative concept to encourage or inform about voting locally
  • narrative (beginning, middle, end, start w/ a hook, end w/ call-to-action)
  • design aspects (vertical layout, typography, color, graphics)
  • natural motion
  • temporal design (pacing, transitioning, consistency/variety)


Schedule

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10.19 – Project assigned.
For next class: Link to inspirational examples of Instagram stories, voting promotions, or other social causes. Draw up rough storyboard of sequence. Create a style frame that demonstrates the look-and-feel of the animation including graphic style, colors, and type choices.

10.21 – Look at inspiration, storyboards, and style frames.

10.24 – Sunday by 5pm – Show halfway progress on Exercise5 Slack Channel.

10.26 – Exercise 5 due.

 


Final Deliverables

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  • Upload final Exercise 5 mp4 to Vimeo or YouTube and link to Exercise5 Slack Channel.
    Should be 1080 x 1920px (vertical), mp4, and 10-15 seconds total.  
  • To export with the vertical dimensions using Adobe Media Encoder, instead of choosing the Vimeo or YouTube preset. Click on the dropdown arrow under “Preset” in the “Queue” panel and choose “Match Source – High bitrate.” Continue to use H.264 as your Format.

Preproduction work during project:

  • Post inspiration, storyboards, and style frames to Exercise5 Slack Channel.