This class of weapons is easy to buy, and undetectable to authorities, because they are built without the government’s knowledge:
Unregulated. Untraceable. No serial numbers. No background check.
Modular title sequence, with adjustable background image, title card, and transition-out.
Illustrations and graphic elements as realistic as possible, to avoid playfulness.
In Spring of 2020 I was contacted by the good folks at Giffords about a new project. They were in the process of developing a limited series of short explainer videos about gun topics for YouTube, and needed an iterative motion graphics package to set the series apart. I signed on to develop the toolkit as I worked with them on the first episode, about ghost guns.
Each video would include a mixture of editorial video, interviews, news clips, and animated elements. Inspired by Giffords’ already-strong brand aesthetic, I created a suite of graphics for the first episode (and beyond), packaging them up into a clear and easy-to-use After Effects project. This toolkit was later handed off to subsequent editors and animators.
SELECTED STYLEFRAMES
The challenge for this series was to design an aesthetic that was savvy and entertaining—even, at times, humorous. But at the same time, we needed to avoid too much levity, as gun violence and legislation are serious issues. To solve for this, I incorporated the use of paper texture and painterly transitions, juxtaposed with hard lines and Giffords’ bold sans-serif typography. The result was a look that was serious but with a bit of a human touch. I imagined the paper and stencil-like textures as subtle reflections of the tools used by gun control advocates and activists, in the creation of signage for protests and demonstrations.
EARLIER STYLEFRAMES
An earlier design direction featured more dark and saturated photo treatments, smoother motion, and lack of paper or organic textures. It was decided that anything too elegant or slick would risk making guns seem “cool.” The addition of subtle texture, and the use of lower frame rate motion in the final direction resulted in a more approachable, humanist feel.
