THE PAPER CLIP
MOTION GRAPHICS, DESIGN, AND VISUALS CREATED WITH AFTER EFFECTS
OVERVIEW
What if the most groundbreaking innovation was something you’ve overlooked your entire life?
This promotional project reimagines the paper clip—not as a mundane office supply, but as a pillar of organization and efficiency. It challenges perception, proving that even the smallest objects can have a profound impact through design and motion.
Through dramatic writing and futuristic tone of the piece, the audience is led to believe they are witnessing the introduction of the latest, most revolutionary invention—only to realize, in the final reveal, that the subject is a paper clip.
FAVORITE MOMENTS
CHALLENGES
With this project, I really wanted to experiment with animation. I thought it would be a great challenge to create a design and narrative that relied more heavily on animation. This meant that animation would play a key role in carrying the narrative, and the design would need to be simplified. This alone was a huge challenge for me, as I tend to design busy and detailed compositions. Many of the initial comps felt "too simple" and, before adding animation, they were difficult to look at. I just wanted to start animating to enhance them, but through the process, I learned that if the design isn't strong, the animation won't be either.
SOLUTION
To overcome this challenge, I had to find a balance between simplistic design and dynamic animation, considering both the amount of time each composition would be on screen and the complexity of the animation. However, I learned through the process that both design and animation need have to equally deliver to succeed. I believe there were some frames where I successfully balanced both elements, but there were also frames where I didn't push the design enough, thinking the animation would carry the piece on its own. It was a great concept, and I enjoyed experimenting with different animation techniques, but it's definitely a project I'd revisit and push further next time.