BUCK, an international design studio and creative company, teamed up with Playgrounds, an innovative platform connecting the visual motion community, to design a dynamic identity package for In Motion. In Motion is a new festival held in London and Rotterdam that celebrates the art of animation, film, and moving images.
Founded in 2004 BUCK’s, ambitious and collaborative nature helped the team instantly understand the importance of the identity project needing to resonate with In Motion’s audience, consisting of filmmakers, cel animators, and stop-motion artists, by reflecting their craft in the system. At the same time, they recognised the importance of ensuring that the created assets were versatile enough for both digital and physical formats. This led to a fusion of vibrancy and dynamism, injecting the festival with a burst of creative energy and excitement.
In Motion is an innovative and forward-thinking festival, pushing the creative boundaries in the fields of animation, visual effects, digital arts, film, and games. It became imperative that the festival’s visual identity embodied these same principles and inspired industry creatives to engage with the event. Motion as a concept soon became the forefront of the project’s objectives. At its core, the wave flowing from the “N” and “M” of the logo is a striking form that provides both structure and flexibility. This wave not only represents the fluid, motion-driven nature of the festival but also acts as a visual motif that can be reinterpreted in various ways. Its simple yet striking shape allows it to be adapted and expanded across different mediums, whether in stop-motion animation, 3D graphics, or even live-action footage.
By fluidly extending across formats, the wave adds a spirited, ever-changing quality to the festival’s identity, successfully conveying the idea of continuous movement and innovation, while maintaining a cohesive brand presence throughout all visual touchpoints. This shift away from a traditional approach led to a unified and dynamic visual style to reflect the vibrant energy of the festival itself.
BUCK’s use of electric blue at the centre of the identity continues to emphasise Playground’s unique qualities. In branding, electric blue typically symbolises energy, innovation, creativity, and modernity. Its vibrant, eye-catching nature positions the colour as an optimal representor for inventive, forward-thinking events, particularly in fields related to technology and digital arts. Building on this point, the use of vibrant greens conveys the youthful energy of the festival, as the colour is often associated with renewal and growth. By limiting each asset to a strictly two-colour palette, enabled each colour to have a stronger visual impact with its audience. With fewer colours, it becomes easier to create a clear visual hierarchy, guiding the viewer’s eye through the design in an effective fashion, and removing the risk of over complication.
Along with developing the identity, logo, and brand guidelines, BUCK also designed the venue and stage screen visuals for the festival in both London and Rotterdam. Moreover, they were able to envision and consider how the visual assets would be presented in the setting, creating space to maximise their impact on spectators. This created another layer of visual richness to the space as elements of scale and light were incorporated into the identity.
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