Showcase: Textless

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the current trends and happenings in the motion design field and to have a somewhat myopic view of what motion design is and can be. I’m just as guilty of that as the next person.

Thankfully, we’ve been experiencing a bit of a renaissance away from the 2D wave and back to many of the techniques and styles that this medium was built upon years ago. Recently, there have been a few pieces that feel like a blast from the past mixed with a contemporary approach and sensibility that are timeless and refreshing.

Textless, the new film by Smith and Lee, the same husband and wife duo that brought us the terrific Juno & Up in the Air titles, is just one of these films. It explores a simple idea through various mediums, techniques, and tools all combined with amazing execution.

It’s exactly what it needs to be, no more, no less, and lives in its own space.

Enjoy!

Credits

Concept: Gareth Smith
Animation: Gareth Smith, Theo Alexopolous
Drums: Jonathan Pinson
Music Consultant: Jake Bloch
Special Thanks: Jenny Lee, Graham Clark

About the author

Joe Donaldson

/ www.joedonaldson.tv
Joe Donaldson is a director, designer, and animator who worked on Motionograpgher from 2014-2020. Previously, he was an art director at Buck. Over the past decade, he's lived and worked in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles and has directed work for clients such as Apple, Google, Instagram, The New York Times, Unicef, Etsy, and The New Yorker. In addition to his creative work, in 2018 he started Holdframe. He's now working as a professor at Ringling College of Art and Design and when not teaching he can be found spending time with his family or out running.