Briefing
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, NMBS (the Belgian national railway company) invited art and design students to interpret the theme "NMBS. 100 years. The journey continues." The challenge was to tell a strong story in a maximum of 30 seconds, in a vertical 9:16 format, without sound, with a clear message that still works as a loop.
Process
Concept
The hardest part was the concept. Out of the given themes for interpretation, I combined two: the emotions of the train and the train as a symbol of human connection. When thinking about a way to express the emotions of the train, I decided to take it literally by personifying the train. The train gets a daily routine: it kisses its partner goodbye at sunrise, picks up all kinds of passengers, passes over a traffic jam on the highway, and comes home at night to a surprise birthday party for its 100th. The message "Our stories may differ, but the journey continues" ties it together: everyone has their own story, but the train connects them all.
Style & animation
I chose a collage style that gives the animation a playful, scrapbook-like feel and reflects all the different stories coming together. I edited every image so it fit my style. Before animating, I made a storyboard for each scene, which made it easy to adjust compositions after feedback and keep a smooth rhythm within the 30 seconds. Afterwards I just put all my source files in one After Effects file, and started animating right away.
Result
Check out the full motion graphic:
