Behind the Project with Motion Graphics Designer Conner Lee

When we were approached by hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl to help create a lyric video for his song “S.W.Y.M,” we knew that our in-house graphics team would knock it out of the park. In this interview, we chat with one part of that team, motion graphics artist Conner Lee, about his work on the project, his creative process, and his path to Blue Chalk.

1: Can you tell us about your background before you began working at Blue Chalk?

I grew up in Vernon, Connecticut, as an extremely computer-obsessed child and graduated in 2018 from Syracuse University, where I studied graphic design. Prior to Blue Chalk, I was a communications intern for the Syracuse-based non-profit Near East Foundation where I designed a lot of their communications materials and managed their media library. After I graduated from Syracuse, Blue Chalk offered me the opportunity to come out to Portland to work on an explainer video series for Pearson Education, and I happily accepted.

2: What got you interested in motion graphics?

I got interested in graphic design when I was a kid after getting my hands on a copy of Photoshop CS3. My interest in motion graphics didn’t come until college, when I was forced to take a motion design class as part of the graphic design curriculum. I had always been interested in filmmaking but was a bit intimidated by the amount of time and people it takes. When I was introduced to motion graphics, I realized it was the perfect way to combine my interests.

3: What is your current role at Blue Chalk, and what does a typical day look like for you?

Currently, I’m a motion graphics designer at Blue Chalk. A typical day for me involves a lot of animating in After Effects and working closely with our graphic designer, Miró Merrill, to come up with ideas and design assets to be used in those animations. I tend to bounce around between all of our projects, contributing whatever’s needed. This can range from simple lower thirds to animated infographics to stylizing footage. Basically, I help with anything that involves After Effects.

4: How was this project different from what Blue Chalk has done before? Can you give us a quick overview?

I believe this is the first lyric video Blue Chalk has ever worked on. If not, it’s certainly the first I’ve ever worked on. The projects that I previously had worked on at Blue Chalk were typically related to education, documentary, or branded content. Despite this being our first music-related project, it still felt slightly familiar because it had a social justice connection due to Xiuhtezcatl’s background as a climate change activist.

5: How did you come up with the creative concept for this project?

Xiuhtezcatl’s creative director, Josué Rivas, approached us looking for help with designing and animating the lyrics. He gave us a color scheme and the footage that would be underneath the lyrics, and the rest was pretty much up to us. We developed a few different style options that all revolved around customized typefaces after toying around in Illustrator for a while trying to find a balance between legibility and a style that suited Xiuhtezcatl and the tone of the song.

6: Can you give us an insight into your workflow and process for a project like this?

Our process for this project started by coming up with several different style directions using just a few key lyrics as examples for Xiuhtezcatl and Josué to choose from (this step also involved many, many listens of the single). Once they picked a direction, Miró and I got to work creating all of the lyrics in that style. After another approval, I dove in and started animating the lyrics. First, I focused on just getting the timing of the song down, and then I moved on to actually animating the transitions and movement of the words.

7: What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?

I think what I enjoy most is the diversity of projects that I get to work on. One day I can be working on title sequences and lower thirds for a feature-length documentary while the next I can be working on a music video for a climate change activist and rapper! It definitely keeps me on my toes and exposes me to new things that are sometimes outside of my comfort zone.

If you’d like to see what our graphics team can do you can check out their handiwork in our Graphics Reel.