February, 2025
Arth Verma
Motion Designer
This project was a true end-to-end motion design challenge. We began by mapping out the entire creative vision in Milanote, then crafted each visual asset in Illustrator and Photoshop. The real magic happened in Adobe After Effects, where we synced every beat to the visuals, and Media Encoder ensured a flawless final delivery. It’s a project that proves how a structured workflow is key to taming creative chaos.
The Final Video
This animated lyric video was created for the high-energy EDM track "Antidote" by Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party. The goal was to create a visual experience that matched the song's frenetic, rebellious, and rave-ready atmosphere, using a raw, cyberpunk aesthetic to bring the lyrics to life.
The Creative Brief
The project was guided by a comprehensive design brief that defined the core objective: to amplify the song’s electrifying energy for its target audience of high-energy EDM fans. The brief outlined the creative direction—a raw, cyberpunk aesthetic—and specified the use of a striking neon color palette, bold fonts, and glitchy, distorted text animations to match the track's intense vibe.
A Structured Pre-Production Process
A thorough pre-production phase was crucial for managing this project's complexity. I developed a complete pre-production document that included a detailed moodboard, storyboard, and a technical lyric breakdown. This also involved creating a plan for all transitions precisely aligned with the music's timeframes and producing a rough draft animatic to test the timing before final animation in After Effects. This meticulous planning ensured the execution was efficient and true to the creative vision.
Challenges & Learnings
Creative Challenge
The biggest creative challenge was the sheer complexity and pace of the song. Syncing the kinetic typography and intense visual effects perfectly to every beat required meticulous timing. Integrating 3D elements into the fast-paced 2D animations added another layer of difficulty, demanding a precise and well-planned approach to maintain a cohesive and impactful visual flow.
Technical Solution
A key technical hurdle was developing a unique, non-generic glitch effect that could be controlled and customized throughout the video. Rather than relying on standard plugins, I developed a custom stack of distortion, displacement, and color channel effects in After Effects. This allowed me to create a signature "system corruption" look that could be art-directed to pulse and fracture in perfect sync with the music.
Key Takeaway
This project reinforced the critical importance of a thorough pre-production phase. Having a detailed storyboard and animatic was invaluable for managing the animation's complexity. It allowed me to solve creative problems and plan technical workflows before diving into the intensive animation process, which was crucial for staying organized and executing the final vision effectively.
