Circuit Rhythm Animation

Novation Circuit Rhythm Animation

Circuit Rhythm

What is Circuit Rhythm? It’s a versatile sampler for making and performing beats. Record samples directly to the hardware, then slice sculpt and resample your sounds effortlessly.

Client: Novation, 2021

Novation is one of Focusrite’s family of brands that develops and markets proprietary hardware products. Used by audio professionals and amateur musicians alike, its solutions facilitate the high-quality production of recorded and live sound. Hence, why Novation has a presence in most studios.

Novation hired me to create a cinematic launch video and other media to unveil Circuit Rhythm, a follow-up and companion to Circuit Tracks.

Vibes

We wanted to capture the attention of the right audience, so visuals were important. Rhythm is for the producer who wants to channel those chill, sunset-drenched, West Coast hip-hop-inspired beats. Because Rhythm and Tracks have the same body, they need to be presented in very different manners. With a color scheme and style guide, I Leaned into color and the feeling of a Hollywood nostalgia.

Metaphor

Since the videos for Circuit Rhythm and Circuit Tracks were planned with the two in mind, I wanted to keep the two videos feeling cohesive, but visually different. Similar with the Tracks video, I wanted to create two unique sets for the viewer.

We wanted the viewer to connect with the video. So, the animation begins with Circuit Rhythm in a casual sun-soaked living room with bright, warm lighting. When Rhythm is floating, the background becomes a gradient of orange, yellow, pink and purple, giving off that sunset vibe and using the packaging color palette. Then, the animation concludes with Rhythm back in the apartment we begin with and on a desk to return the viewer to reality and to imagine using the product in his or her own setup.

Research & Development

I wanted to set a mood. Because of this, I broke away from the popular (often overdone) solid black colored backdrop and high-contrast lighting that’s common with launch visuals. So, I experimented with different abstract environments and colors to try and focus on creating a less sterile and serious feeling. Below are some of the R&D test images that guided the final direction but ultimately were not pursued in a literal sense.