COLD CASE FILES:
DNA SPEAKS
I created a graphics package to promote one of A&E's most successful and longest running franchises: Cold Case Files. Working with Creative Director Jose Leiva, I designed, modelled, and animated a disintegrating DNA strand in Cinema 4D, then composited it in After Effects. The scenes I created ultimately ended up being used within the show's broader Key Art (a highly usual occurrence within A&E).
THE TIMELINE:
We had a short turnaround time to produce the graphics, so long render times could have slowed down or derailed the project. We needed a creative solution to ensure a high quality look that could be produced and refined quickly.
THE SOLUTION:
Expertise in both Cinema 4D and After Effects helped me respond to the needs of the project. I shifted production value to the compositing end of the workflow, rendering simple models without demanding textures or lighting, then treated them with effects and footage overlays in After Effects. We ultimately arrived at a much more refined look than what came directly from our 3D renders.
3D Render Before Compositing
Final Output (compressed for gif)
THE RESULTS:
THE TEAM AT A&E LOVED THE GRAPHICS, AND WE GOT IT DONE ON TIME.
THE PROMO GRAPHICS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE SHOW’S OVERALL BRANDING, AN UNUSUAL EVENT AT A&E.
COLD CASE FILES: DNA SPEAKS AVERAGES 263,000 VIEWERS PER EPISODE.
Client: A&E
Design Studio: A&E Internal Team
Creative Director: Jose Leiva
Producer: Allison Cleveland
Design: Jeff Gess
3D Animation/Modelling/Lighting/Textures: Jeff Gess
Compositing: Jeff Gess