Advertising Color Storyboards: POLITICAL ADS

On occasion, I have worked on storyboarding political campaign ads.  I remain neutral as to whom I work for, because I believe that everyone has their right to free speech, even when my friends on The Right or The Left frown at me for working on something they disagree with.

Posted here are samples of color storyboards I did from a number of political ads for several different campaigns.

Penciled & inked, then colored in Photoshop. 

Advertising Storyboards: TARGET

A long time ago, it was suggested that I produce storyboards for my portfolio that showcased the various ways I was able to deliver them because I apparently didn't have enough to show clients.  I had done all forms of black & white and color frames already, but I couldn't show them to clients because of the non-disclosure contracts I had signed.

Waiting for the commercials I worked on to air so I could finally show my work was preventing me from getting work!  What a catch-22.  Frustrating.

So I decided to produce a sample storyboard based upon a Target commercial that had already aired, breaking up the boards into sections:

- Black & White Pen & Ink

- Graytone Markers

- Color Markers

- Photoshop

I'm happy to say these boards did the trick.  I immediately got work from clients who could finally see that I had the capability to do whatever they needed.  These boards still hold up pretty well, so I thought I'd present them here.  They demonstrate that I can work in any kind of format the client might require.

Nowadays, I no longer work in markers.  I do all my graytones and color work in Photoshop. 

3D Animation Storyboards / Orthographic Turnarounds for 3D Modeling: HASBRO STAR WARS TOYS

When I worked for Reel FX Creative Studios, I storyboarded for countless toy product commercials, mostly for Hasbro.  One of the jobs I had was to storyboard was a simple 3-5 second 'bumper' for the Star Wars toy commercials.  The approved concept I came up with was of the soldier droids from Star Wars: Phantom Menace, moving along an assmebly line with the Star Wars logo integrated into the back wall.  Just something visually cool to do for the beginning or the end of the commercials.

I was able to convey the concept in one single pan-shot frame storyboard, notated to specification.  In addition, I was given a previs design done by one of the Star Wars production designers, and assigned to produce orthographic turnarounds of it for 3D modeling, which you see below the bumper frame.  I had to take the previs design, and then extrapolate from the single representation to work up accurate views from all sides (except from the bottom, this time).

Even when I get paid to do my work, often a job goes nowhere and is abandoned.  That happened with this assignment.  I got to see a 3D test of the orthographics I worked on, and it was beautiful!  When we found out this was a no-go, there was a collective exclamation that came from all who worked on this project.

I can't repeat what a lot of us said here in this blog.  That would be just rude.

But it was fun to do!

Advertising Comps / Character Design / Full Pencil & Ink Comic Book Art: NEC COMPUTERS

I was assigned one day to do a double-page spread ad for NEC Computers for The Richards Group, a Dallas advertising & branding agency. 

These 'Phenomenal Four' characters were, I was told, to become a series of ads for NEC.  Possibly even animated characters for television commercials.  However, this never came to be, for whatever reason.

I got to design the villainous characters of the ad.  Penciled & inked, with the lettering done at The Richards Group with Comicraft fonts.  The coloring was outsourced.

Advertising Storyboards: HASBRO NERF LAZER TAG

Another job working for Reel FX Creative Studios, who handles many of (if not most) Hasbro toy commercials at any given time, was Hasbro's Nerf Lazer Tag toys.  Hasbro commercials are fun to work on.  One day you'll be storyboarding My Little Pony, then Transformers or Zoids, Super Soakers, or anything to do with Nerf commercials.  It always keeps you on your toes.

Penciled & inked, then scanned & graytoned in Photoshop.

Advertising Comps: WAL-MART / SAM'S CLUB

Sometimes a job will just physically hurt.  This is one of those jobs.

The client assigned me to illustrate 2 ad comps in color, one for Wal-Mart, the other for Sam's Club.  The deadline was tight, as they always are.  However, the Sam's Club comp not only needed an aisle with (what seemed to be) a thousand cases of soda, but every soda had to have a logo on it!

This made what was already a tight deadline into a very painful deadline, because I had to place every logo of all the soda cases individually, at a prolonged fast pace.  After the job was completed, my hand felt gnarled and painful, like it had locked itself into a claw from turbo-working the Wacom pen so much.  It was an extraordinary amount of detail to accomplish in a very short time.

But I'd do it again.  I'm a glutton for punishment that way. :)

Character Design / Orthographic Turnarounds For 3D Modeling: BLUE STOP ARTHRITIS OINTMENT

Working for Green Grass Studios, I was called upon to design a mascot character for Blue Stop arthritis pain relief ointment.

After a whole lot of variations on the design, we settled on this one.  The big boots were used from a previous design version I did.  I did the orthographic turnarounds, and I think the 3D modeling results turned out pretty darned well.  I'm guessing they left the mustache & goatee off his face, as he maybe looked too much like Tony Stark in the Iron Man movies.

Penciled, then scanned and colored in Photoshop.

Advertising Storyboards: POLITICAL AD

Another political ad that I did for The Wolf Group.   I was told of the kinds of images that were needed, as the script was still being finalized.  Sometimes as with this job, the process is very collaborative, with all the elements coming together in the final mix at the end. 

Penciled & inked, scanned and graytoned in Photoshop.

Advertising Storyboards: HASBRO ZOIDS

Okay, this is how you become a glutton for punishment.  It's bad enough that my hand almost falls off while drawing Transformers storyboards, but now I end up drawing something just as detailed, if not more: Zoids!

Intricately detailed work under a tight deadline.  This is the stuff that makes me have to put my hand in a bowl of ice to recover. . . ouch!  Work done for Hasbro, through Reel FX Creative Studios.

Storyboards penciled & inked.

Advertising Storyboards: POLITICAL AD

I have worked from time to time storyboarding on political ads for candidates, or having storyboarded for ads about a particular measure that is up for a vote.

This is one of those spots, done for The Wolf Group.  Key frames only, as the final script hadn't yet been completed.  

Advertising Storyboards: HASBRO TRANSFORMERS

Among the many duties while working with Reel FX Creative Studios, I would do advertising storyboards.  One of the most fun things to work on were the Transformers toy spots for Hasbro.  That is, except for all the excruciating details of the toys themselves.  They really are "more than meets the eye". 

Hey, you draw all those details and see if your hand doesn't fall off!