3D Lighting, Materials, Animation in Cinema 4D / Rendered with Octane / 2D Compositing & Motion Design in After Effects
Year: 2023
Client: FOX Entertainment
Studio: Trollbäck.com
Executive Creative Director: Elliott Chaffer
Executive Producer: Erica Schrager
Lead Producer: Betsy Jones
3D Animation: Anthony Serraino & Trollbäck+Company staff
2D Animation: Trollbäck+Company staff
Client: FOX Entertainment
Studio: Trollbäck.com
Executive Creative Director: Elliott Chaffer
Executive Producer: Erica Schrager
Lead Producer: Betsy Jones
3D Animation: Anthony Serraino & Trollbäck+Company staff
2D Animation: Trollbäck+Company staff
Synopsis: Fox Entertainment Network Branding Package Refresh - 3D Motion & Look Development
Fox returned to evolve their existing 2D branding system into a more dimensional, cinematic on-air package. The goal wasn’t to reinvent the identity, but to elevate it, preserving the recognizable graphic language while introducing depth, lighting, and a stronger sense of visual drama.
I was brought on to help with the 3D development of the updated system. This included enhancing the core & comedy Fox animation with dimensional, refined materials and cinematic lighting to create a richer, more premium on-air presence.
The refreshed package extended across a wide range of broadcast touchpoints, including:
* Primary network IDs
* Genre-based identity bumpers (drama, comedy, and general brand)
* “Coming Next” bumpers and show menus
* Transitional graphics between programming
* Branded elements for promos and commercial trailers
* Genre-based identity bumpers (drama, comedy, and general brand)
* “Coming Next” bumpers and show menus
* Transitional graphics between programming
* Branded elements for promos and commercial trailers
My focus was on the main network identity and the comedy package, where I developed key hero animations, lighting looks, and supporting 3D graphic assets used across promotional and on-air executions. Each version used color, mood, and lighting to subtly reflect the programming's tone while staying cohesive with the overall Fox visual system.
This project balanced brand heritage with modern dimensionality, bringing a polished look to a graphic legacy system without losing its original personality.
Montage Animation
Core Keyframes
Comedy Keyframes
Behind-the-scenes/Animation Development
Core Network Identity
After establishing the animation language and visual direction for the core FOX network package, the 3D work was developed in Maxon Cinema 4D, focusing on extending the original flat graphic system into a more dimensional and cinematic space. The FOX logo lockup was rebuilt with subtle beveling, refined material definition, and controlled reflections so the mark would hold up clearly across broadcast environments.
Motion and camera behavior were intentionally restrained, allowing lighting, depth, and composition to carry the visual weight of the identity. The goal was to enhance the brand presence without disrupting the familiarity of the existing system.
Final compositing and finishing were completed in Adobe After Effects, where the rendered elements were integrated into the broadcast pipeline for network IDs, promo bumpers, and programming transitions.
Comedy Package
The comedy variant extended the same visual system but introduced a more playful and energetic motion language to better reflect the tone of the programming. While maintaining the dimensional FOX lockup and lighting approach established in the core package, the animation introduced more active camera movement and graphic interaction.
Several motion approaches were explored before landing on a solution that combined camera rotation with a twist of the pill element inside the “O” of the FOX logo, subtly activating the mark and guiding the viewer’s eye through the frame.
Final composites were completed in Adobe After Effects, where transitions between promo footage and bumpers were developed and refined for broadcast delivery.
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