Researcher(s)
- Jenna Kaufman, Visual Communications, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Ashley Pigford, Art, University of Delaware
Abstract
In an era dominated by digital production and artificial intelligence, handmade aesthetics offer an authentic visual language for artist branding. My research project explores the intersection of historical animation techniques, modern motion graphics, and music branding through experimentation with a mixed-media workflow. This work investigates how physical media can turn auditory cues and lyrics into compelling visuals that support both the artist’s aesthetic and the song’s story.
Utilizing this process, I produced two music videos using Cage the Elephant’s “Trouble” and “Telescope,” one designed in portrait orientation for mobile formats and the other in classic landscape. My workflow bridged digital and physical processes: initial motion graphics were designed and timed in Adobe After Effects, after which every individual frame was printed. Lyrics, illustrations, and graphic elements were then hand-drawn onto each frame before being rescanned and synchronized back into After Effects to match the music.
This hybrid method balances design thinking with technical execution, proving that physical textures like ink and scanned paper provide a level of human touch and energy that purely digital workflows cannot replicate. The final outputs honor the history of visual media while offering a fresh, tangible alternative for a modern artist’s identity.