W8 Second countdown
Why I Created a Second Countdown
The second countdown was an unexpected addition….
- I completed the first countdown during summer break, but after returning to school, I realized having just one felt too short.
- My main goal for this project has always been to combine 2D motion skills, 3D animation, and some character animation clips, so creating another countdown seemed like a perfect idea.
- Another reason for the second countdown was the background music. I had already chosen a track I loved and didn’t want to change. After doing the previs, it became clear that I needed more shots to match the music’s duration and keep the flow consistent.
Storyboard for the Second Countdown
For the storyboard of the second countdown, I kept things simple because this part is much shorter than the first countdown. I planned to make it clean and minimal, with only two frames for each number and no additional shots.
For the colors, I used a rainbow color order to reveal the final countdown. Since this is the most exciting part, I focused on the main spirit of the animation: morphing transitions. To highlight this cool effect, I decided to stick to my goal of making the motion graphics dynamic and visually engaging.
V1 – 2D storyboard
V2 – 3D storyboard / styleframe
Motion graphics
Number 10
Cute neon pixel cubes move! The circle is showing again!
For the number 10 motion graphics, I used cube and pixel elements to enhance the design. I also added a large circle at the center of the number, using as a connection or bridge to the next part where the ball transitions and starts moving.
Number 9
The composition in Number 9 is super cool. The transition is smooth and matches the background changes perfectly, creating a nice flow.
When creating the composition in the storyboard, I already knew how to animate the ball transforming into the shape of 9. To keep the style consistent with the previous countdown cut, I added rows of repeating circles falling down with a bouncing movement.
The bouncing is so cute and adds a playful touch!
Number 8
It is like a CD or vinyl overlapping together. Fun!
The number 8 motion graphic is also fun. I think I was influenced by my previous countdown because the composition of number 8 is very obvious, with two circles connected together.
Instead of using the same motion I did for the first countdown, I used a different pattern, like a grid, and made them slightly overlap, resembling a flat column.
Number 7
I love the colorful boxes and texture combination.
As for number 7, the transition follows the ending cut from number 8, where two circles overlap to form one circle, like a ball. I used this ball as a guide again to transition into the composition of number 7.