J Taylor Harris: Creative Director

 Motion PORTFOLIO

Motion Reel:

Project 1: Why What We Do Matters

Simple motion design paired with a host.

Finance is a difficult, visually dry subject in the best of times. It can be tricky to approach from a motion design perspective, too flat and it stays boring, too much energy and you risk tonal dissonance.

So for this I went with material design next to the host on a white screen. This let us fly in text for sections that needed emphasizing, and periodically introducing colorful animation to keep the pace steady.

Project 2: An Internal Company Intro Video

I chose to feature this as it demonstrates how I used motion design to unify some very difficult footage into a cohesive whole. The task was to feature self-shot video from employees all over the world into a spy-themed intro video. Since I was unable to control how the footage was filmed and I also was required to use every shot, I had to carefully select which shots fit into what elements of motion design as well as how they would transition between each other. Ultimately I chose a Saul Bass style intro as its mixture of photos and flat design elements lent itself to the hodgepodge of material I was working with.

While the end product may not be the best piece of motion design in my career, to me it exemplifies overcoming a nearly insurmountable prompt under a tight deadline.

Project 3: Chart design

This is a short example of a chart for a recent video. In finance we rely on charts to emphasize the data we’re trying to convey. However, finance related marketing content is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission so total accuracy is not only preferred, it is a legal requirement.

While charts may look simple, they require quite a bit of under-the-hood programming to keep them accurate and clean. After Effects has no native features to process data or generate charts so all of the programming must be done by hand with a mind towards iteration in the future. Previous motion designers at the business took upwards of 5 days on extra complicated charts. With my programming and motion-design centered problem solving I have built templates that can auto populate charts within seconds, all with animation controls built-in.