We recently wrapped up a huge broadcast rebranding project for our friends over at Utah Education Network – complete with Station IDs, lower thirds, station bugs, interstitials and more. This was a new challenge for us so we decided to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the process.

Pre-Production

We met with the Client and discussed their goal to update the look and feel of their station while highlighting their brand and the beautiful Utah landscape. We made a giant spreadsheet to keep track of everything, here’s a peek at part of it:

Storyboards

Once we had our goals and pre-production planning nailed down, we started storyboarding some of the elements to figure out how they would move. Here are some storyboard panels for two of the the transitions:

Design

Next, we set to work designing the interstitials, many of which were concepted around showing everyday people transitioning into imagined Utah landscapes. 

Animation

Once all the designs were done, we set to work animating them, picking out and editing music, as well as working with voiceover artists. Here’s a Sizzle Reel we edited together showcasing lots of the graphic elements!

Motion Graphics Templates

Then it was time to create MOGRT templates! (It rhymes with “yogurt.”) We created these for the folks at UEN to choose from and customize – for example, putting the times and names of programs into the Coming Up spots.

In total, we produced 47 different elements for UEN to brand their television channel and we learned a ton along the way! We are super proud of how these all turned out, but there are too many to share here. If you’re in the area, check them out soon on KUEN 9.1 Salt Lake City / Ogden.

Jane – New Junior Animator

We’re over the moon to announce that after a long stint as a freelancer for us, Jane Winters is joining the team full time. Born in Santa Monica, CA and raised in Massachusetts, Jane has a love for all things nature, and often creates work inspired by her surroundings.

Before joining Planet Nutshell, Jane worked as a freelance artist on a variety of projects designing and animating for music videos, animated ads, children’s media, concept art for games, and educational content. She holds a BFA in Animation from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

For all things, Jane, check out http://www.jane-winters.com.

Lee – Summer 2022 Intern

My name is Lee. I am an international student and currently pursuing my motion media design MA at SCAD. I like to spend time researching and learning all kinds of skills about motion graphics, for example 2D animation skills, 3D softwares, illustration, graphic designs…etc.

You can recognize me as a motion designer, but I prefer not to confine myself to any certain field. … because I believe that it is the best way to minimize any limitations when I am expressing and visualizing my virtual imaginations into physical world. I also love watching movies and reading books in my leisure time, which is the best way for me to approach any inspiration that I need for my creative work.

Dez – Summer 2022 Intern

Hello! My name is Desiree Miller, but you can call me Dez for short. I am from Morris Plains, New Jersey just outside of Morristown. I currently go to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and am pursuing a BFA in Illustration for Entertainment. I will be a senior this fall and I can’t wait to see where my artist’s journey will take me next! During my time at SCAD, I have developed a love and appreciation for all kinds of entertainment media.

This past year, I started exploring my interest in mediums such as animation, film, production design, and storyboarding and have been learning how to incorporate it in my own work. Currently, I specialize in visual development, background painting, color design, and children’s illustration. In the future, I hope to use my skills to help and inspire others in the way that other’s work has inspired me. Whether that be using art to spark joy in someone’s eyes, create breathtaking worlds, or spread powerful messages and awareness. I believe that with the right team and mindset the possibilities are endless.

While animation is our bread and butter at Planet Nutshell, we have done a number of live action projects over the past few years. Often, these productions combine film with animation in interesting ways, as well.

We have been lucky enough to collaborate with some fabulous live-action producers, including the very talented folks at True Life Media. Meanwhile, our producer, Sam, gets to employ his deep background in live action production; one of his rare talents is creating detailed call sheets so that our shoot days stay on track.

Shoot days are a flurry of activity: Setting up locations and lighting, filming b-roll footage, filming interviews, and more. They are carefully scheduled so we can maximize our time and get as much quality footage as possible for a given budget, as we did at a recent shoot at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

Meanwhile, our internal team is often hard at work on storyboarding and designing all the animated sequences for our hybrid live action/animation projects. Here’s a glimpse into the editing process, combining the animation and live-action for a recent project for Health Leads.

We’ve had a blast creating live action productions for our clients. Here’s a look at just a few of our favorites so far:

Health Leads: Community Referral Networks

(Live action footage by True Life Media)

LightForce Orthodontics

(Live action footage by Bagamor Media)

Alloy Therapeutics: Hello World

(Live action footage by Bagamor Media)