Lindbergh Motion Graphics Recap

A short narrative piece was an ideal way to further test my skills in creating a motion graphics composition. The true story of Charles Lindbergh’s famed transatlantic flight served as the perfect inspiration.

I chose to bookend the short story with the prize put forth by New Yorker Raymond Orteig. His dreams of Uniting North America and Europe by air brought untold amounts of attention to the aviation industry, and spurred the advancements we see today. Meanwhile, Charles Lindbergh became a national hero and recipient of the prize for completing the trip after an arduous journey.

I wanted a distinct, unified style to bridge together the separate segments. Media of the 1920s era provided a helpful blueprint, this included film, comics, illustrations, and photography. An accompanying mood board helped collect these sources. Different font options included vintage newspaper and silent film intertitle fonts.

For the final piece, a sepia tint added color to the composition while retaining the vintage aesthetic. Existing photographs provided a solid basis for living composition scenes when applied with an artistic filter. Combining this with carefully timed kinetic typography helped briskly tell the story in a more visually engaging manner. A more dynamic animation was required for the transitional scene of the Spirit of St. Louis taking flight. The original 2D image was broken into separate layers to simulate a changing perspective while flying against a seamless looping background. A similar use of layers created the “handshake” animation.

The music was also rooted firmly in the 1920s environment. A simple piece reminiscent of a silent film score was sufficient in evoking the same excitement as Lindbergh’s flight.

The piece underwent a few revisions based on reception during critiques where it was previewed. The timings were altered in order to sustain a more natural flow. In many cases, the motion was dampened in order to retain the focus in a specific area. While the integrity of the piece stayed the same, I remedied the abrupt ending of of the original by adding a new sequence at the end to tie the piece together.