Because China

Quartz launched a paywalled series called Because China in 2019. It takes a deeper look at how small changes in this superpower have large effects worldwide. My team travels around the world to find stories about how things like technology, manufacturing, and global tourism are changing.

We have renewed the series for 2 more seasons so far, covering everything from the Hong Kong Protests, to COVID-19, to international espionage via academia.

---

ANIMATION/FOOTAGE

I served as both art director and animator and worked closely with our video editor and shooters to create a distinct look.

With my animation I wanted to have a very deliberate color palette that uses only white and grey backgrounds but packs an almost neon punch. It’s both restrained and exuberant and manages to be fun without taking away from the geopolitical subject matter.

With footage, I wanted the video to feel both modern and distinct, so we used a custom LUT that tints all of our footage slightly blue, and use glitch effects and analog TV static as transitions

---

INSPIRATION

I took a lot of inspiration from sneaker ads. There seems to be a retro-futurism trend happening where brands mix old technology things like film strips and static with thoroughly modern quick cuts and bold type.

Facebook News Show

The Quartz video team started creating a weekly news show for Facebook Watch. Concept-wise, it mixes the style of newsy Youtube explainer videos, and international on the ground reporting with a slight economic twist. It feels very much like the essence of Quartz’ collective reporting style.

As the creative director of the series, I wanted the show to feel fun and fresh, but also have the gravitas of reporting you can trust. I was tasked with coming up with the “look” of the show and art directing it, as well as hiring a team of animators to help out.

INSPIRATION

My main inspiration for the show was 90s internet nostalgia. Pixelated cursor hands, locators and globes populate the show. For frames, I often used browser windows, and clicks, beeps and blinking cursors. Marcie LaCerte, another animator working on the show, is also into retro internet and heavy textures, as well as stop motion. I was able to take inspiration from her style, combine in with mine, and create a product unlike any other news show.

I used several noise backgrounds that imitate the analog look of old TV noise, and a shifting halftone texture as another element of nostalgia. As for colors, I worked within the blue/pink Quartz palette.

We needed a style that could be quickly be replicated in order to meet the grueling weekly schedule. Because of the demands of international reporting and pre-production, animation often happened in 2 days. So I set up a library of textures and elements that could easily be dropped in whenever they’re needed.

The team also used a lot of archival images for time’s sake, and to add an extra element of texture and nostalgia. The show looks like a heavily textured digital collage, and has a lot of whimsical elements. I was very happy with the end result and how several different animators were able to fit their own artistic sensibilities into the style of the show.

To watch the episodes, click here. If you need an episode recommendation, I’d go with China’s Soft Power in Kenya.

Facebook News Show Pilot

PITCH DECK

Quartz is launching a Facebook news show in July and I am serving as its art director. Here are some selected pages from the pitch deck that I designed. It provides a preview of the overall art direction of the series. It's bold and modern, but also has a sense of humor and a bit of quirkiness. The colors reflect Quartz' established palette and uses the more saturated colors. The intense blues and pinks will catch the eye of even the most apathetic Facebook scrollers.

PROPS

One of the more fun elements of the overall creative direction are the props. I thought that bobbleheads would be a nice, physical touch that would serve as a bridge between shot footage and graphics produced in post. They also add a bit of levity to the very serious subjects that Quartz will be tackling. My colleague Michael Tabb modeled them in Cinema 4D, then 3D-printed, sanded and painted them.

PILOT

This is the original concept, and while it could use some fine tuning, it captures the spirit of the show that Quartz will create. A more refined version is launching on July 19th.