Kristin Ess Times Square
(In-Depth)

Times Square Kristin Ess Ad Deliverable

Scope

Client: Maesa for Kristin Ess

Goal: 10-15 second sequence for the NEW Kristin Ess Hair Wand inspired by the following campaign: https://www.tiktok.com/@fentybeauty/video/7066122730030124335

Resolution: 1560 x 2702 px

Format: FINAL FORMAT: Mp4 MIN RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 px VIDEO CODEC: Animation or H.264 FRAME RATE: 30 or 60 fps PIXEL ASPECT RATIO: Square Pixels BITRATE: CBR 40 DURATION: 15

Timeline: 13 days

How it worked

4 Sets of style frames - day 2,3,4,9

2 sets of Video Preview Renders (motion sizzles) - day 7/8

1 Final Render version - delivered day 13

First Look (day 2)

Focus was on creating models, environment, and giving a sense of look and feel

I wanted to highlight a very minimal, vertical product by emphasizing its textures through lighting. I was drawn to the contrast between the glossy cap and the smoother bottle-it gave the piece a nice visual rhythm. I used two diffuse lights to complement the product’s vertical form and maintain continuity with the environment, since the billboard itself was also in a vertical format. My goal was to give the product a high-octane, energetic feel, fitting for its placement in Times Square.

Frame Break (day 3)

Feedback:

Looking amazing! Want to emphasize the frame break a little bit more, if possible, on some of them but it’s a great start! Excited to see the motion sizzles!

This project was inspired by the 3D billboards that have been trending lately. Although this one wasn’t one of the special forced-perspective screens, we still wanted to capture that same “popping out of the screen” feel. I experimented with focal length to make it seem like the product was reaching out toward the viewer.

Motion Sizzle (day 4)

Feedback:

Thanks for sending, my only note can we have the product leave the same way it came it (feeling like it disappears into the platform vs off screen)

The motion wasn’t fully refined, but I wanted to get the idea across as soon as possible given the project timeline. I went for smoother, more fluid motion- it felt like the right fit for a beauty product.

Final Render V1 (day 9)

Project was extended after delivery of animation to include a swipe simulation

I wanted to get a render to them as soon as possible so they could make adjustments quickly -- again, super tight timeline. They ended up expanding the project during the last few days we had left. Notable changes in this version include smoother animation and an updated ending that reflects their feedback.

Swipe Simulation
(day 10)

Feedback: this is adding a swipe when the mascara wand slides across the screen. Will be white texture as well since this is a hair cream.

This project was really tight and challenging—it basically had me up for two days straight experimenting with how to animate a fluid simulation that felt natural and paint-like. Thick fluids aren’t exactly my favorite to work with, but we pushed through. After some feedback, I also added a bit more dynamism to the brush stroke, which I think made a big difference.

Environment Edit
(day 11)

Feedback: Can we switch the logo on the “stage” to be the full logo attached and make it a bit bigger / maybe monochromatic (possible to add a metallic / chrome finish to it so it feels built in?) if not – just bigger is fine.

So much of the focus went into getting the animation to feel right that the environment didn’t get much attention for a while. Toward the end, we made a few small tweaks to the stage and the logo that I think were great calls. We added some depth and solidity to the logo so it didn’t feel like it was just slapped on.

Final Final Render
(day 13 @ 2pm)

"Aiden was great to work with – very quick and captured our concept easily! He was willing to go above and beyond to make our project a success even on a tight timeline. He took feedback with stride and executed perfectly!"

This project was an awesome collaboration that really let me push the artistry in the details. Simplicity only works when it’s done right, and this was a great example of that. The timeline wasn’t exactly fun, but tight deadlines can sometimes lead to unexpected and interesting results. In the end, everyone was happy with how it turned out.

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Kristin Ess Times Square (In-Depth)