Over the course of 2020-2022 I was responsible for all motion content for the esports gaming space provider Belong UK Ltd. With over 20 gaming arenas around the UK each with their own team logo and branding, along with partnerships with multiple game publishers, the role required a lot of bespoke approaches and deliverables.
Hero Animations
Taking inspiration from hero shooters such as Overwatch and R6: Siege who market their characters with special cutscenes and promotional materials it was up to me to take our squad emblem designs created by the lead graphic designer and create short exciting animations to introduce new arena locations and the associated character and team name. In the attached example for the ‘Sheffield Serpents’ I utilized spline and skeleton based animation alongside NPR shader techniques to create a unique look that emulated the look of the iconic neon colour choices of the brand that could affect the entire Blender composition.
Motion Template Creation
With deliverables in the double digits required every week for stream highlights with different players, teams and branding considerations I created an advanced motion template using After Effect’s expression code that allowed any editor to quickly select accurate team colours, logo and branding with simple drop downs ensuring consistency and quick turnaround.
Shooting and Video Edits
Alongside motion graphics projects I was also tasked with video editing a variety of projects for the many on-location events the company would organise. Using a mixture of self-shot footage with company camera equipment and external agency and publisher content I was able to create concise, creative videos that gave us a step up from other grass roots esports providers.