Concept and creative process
The title sequence for the BBC's biennial competition 'Young Musician of the Year' (since 2010 called 'BBC Young Musician') which celebrated emerging young British musicians between the ages of 12 and 18. This programme is much loved and I wanted to create titles that were a little light, fun and whimsical for the sequence. Animation would be a good technique to use, so I created a sketch-like storyboard, showing how each of the four instrument categories in the competition might be revealed. I filmed extreme close-ups of children playing their instruments against a white backdrop, and then worked with an editor to select the best shots. We built an edited sequence including the logo to match the existing music. This template was then sent to the animation company to rotoscope frame by frame (we also gave the animators extended clips to allow them to draw the extra frames required for dissolves and mixes). The animation builds from air-play hands to reveal the instrument that is being played, which adds an element of fun. Note also the subtle build from black and white to colour for each reveal.
Designer/Director - Bob English.