Key Art and Logo Design
This case study demonstrates my ability to:
Build lasting relationships with clients to better understand their business and develop campaigns to answer the deeper meaning in their creative briefs.
Navigate complex layered stakeholder structures.
Partner with Account Executives and Project Managers to estimate, schedule, and monitor projects.
Art Direction • Concepting • Animation • Lighting • compositing • VFX
The challenge
Key art is the single, iconic image that becomes synonymous with the movie or game it represents. It is the movie poster or cover art on the game box, and today it must flex from covering the side of a skyscraper to a tiny mobile web banner. Sounds challenging? That's the easy part.
My role
I directed our in-house team as we designed a series of five key art and logo projects for Turn 10 Studios' AAA Forza franchise. To succeed, I needed to tactfully navigate the layered stakeholder structure. The game developers, IP owners, publishers, ratings board, and partner brands (like LEGO or Lamborghini) all have unique objectives and brand identities to uphold. We needed to rapidly become familiar with each brand - beyond the guidelines. We needed to uncover the motivations underlying their feedback.
I collaborated with the Project Art Director at Turn 10 Studios and Sr. Manager at Xbox Global Marketing Communications to crystalize their strategic targets for each project.
Art Direction, concept, composition, shading, lighting, and foreground compositing.
Our approach
For the “Forza Horizon 4 - Fortune Island” expansion pack (left), I took a hands-on approach, creating the moody lighting. The tense atmosphere heightened the sense that players can explore boldly in the face of danger...in a Lamborghini.
The LEGO expansion pack was an opportunity to reach a new player base. Here, I focused on our strategic objectives and art direction. Celebrating the LEGO IP was our best route to attracting new players to the franchise. I knew the key art also needed to be distinctly Forza and embody McLaren's "No restraints. No limitations." mantra.
We captured a moment that united these three disparate brands: a thrilling driving experience. We successfully conveyed the raucous fun to be had, stayed true to each brand, and drew new players into the world of Forza Horizon 4.
The impact
Forza Horizon 4, along with its expansion packs, is the best-selling Xbox racing game of all time. My team's track record made us a trusted partner for the Forza brand. Our responsibilities expanded to include broadcasting packages, Forza Motorsport identity work, animated screenshots (below), and more.
Art Direction
The team
Chanelle DeSloover - Art Director | Jessah Hofker - Project Manager | Mat McInelly - Art Director (logos and concepting) | Jeff Anderson - Senior Designer | Amaru Zeas - Senior 3D Artist | T Kihara - Senior 3D Artist | Steve Worden - Senior 3D Artist | Tim Harding - Technical Artist | Holli Alvarado - Senior Compositor
Beyond Forza
We apply this same methodology to all our storytelling projects. Here, we created the Roman colosseum from the ground up, adding luxuries like sculpted lion heads to capture an extravagant scene.
Art Direction and cloth simulation.
Entrepreneurial mindset
As a leader, I actively seek out opportunities to attract new clients. I concepted and animated much of this behind-the-scenes view, to showcase our attention to detail, the animation potential, and the broad reach of key art assets. It has since led to engaged discussions in RFI presentations.