01.
Goal
The primary goal was to tell an emotional story showing how a house transforms into a home over the years. My specific role was to create a 3D rendered time-lapse in the middle part of the commercial, depicting the reversal of time and the house gradually becoming less lived in. The main challenge was to convey this emotional narrative within a 30-second commercial while maintaining high-quality, photo-realistic animation.
02.
Process
To approach the initial design, I focused on introducing subtle details in the house’s environment to enrich the storytelling. This included animated, shrinking shoes by the door and hand-drawn height markings on the wall, indicating the daughter’s growth over the years.
A unique decision I made was to use step interpolation on my keyframes for most animated elements, giving the illusion of a time-lapse without the need for excessive rendering. This technique allowed for an efficient production process while achieving the desired visual effect. I also decided to keep the sunset animation smooth to suggest the passage of time, enhancing the narrative’s emotional impact.
This is an example of the animated texture mask used to animate the height markings written on the left wall.
03.
Results
The final renders of my animation were well-received by my team and manager at Atlantic Home Loans. Despite the live-action sections not being filmed due to pandemic lockdowns and the subsequent merger of Atlantic Home Loans with Guaranteed Rate.
This project taught me valuable lessons in storytelling through animation and the effective use of procedural techniques to enhance visual quality while maintaining efficiency. Working directly with the marketing director allowed me to refine my approach and deliver a stronger narrative. The experience has significantly contributed to my skills in creating emotionally impactful 3D animations and reinforced the importance of flexibility and creativity in overcoming production challenges.