London Tech Week 2022

Fujitsu wanted the Actlyzer to be presented in the form of a motion graphic video. From the initial script and storyboard we began work on the animation. After drawing frames to go alongside the script we recorded the voiceover, this would then be used to inform the timing and movements of the animations.

First of all, we created the design assets, such as the environments, vehicles, characters and their outfits using Illustrator. We put together style frames to solidify the concept, and these were subsequently signed off by the client, allowing us to press ahead with animation.

We used After Effects to produce the animations, referencing the voiceover to determine timing, and adding an unobtrusive backing track. We later added the option to view the video with subtitles, and overall worked to guarantee the experience reflected Fujtisu’s new branding.

We designed 25+ 2D animations for the main 3D City, and 7+ separate 3D scenes. From the concept we built a map, drafted the sections for the user to click through, and then created a hierarchy diagram to illustrate user journeys throughout the experience. We prioritised ensuring the user interface was both easy to explore and aesthetically pleasing, hence our ‘neon city at night time’ theme.

The main challenge we faced with the overview shots of the city was fitting a lot of information and imagery into a 16/9 frame. The key focus here was plotting the hotspots onto the map, as they needed to represent each particular sector and work coherently and realistically in the cityscape.

From the design we started creating the 3D scenes, beginning with the map screen. Using basic shapes at first to plot, we built the rudimentary city, adding further detail afterwards such as trees, lamp posts, and roads. The map was the most complex scene, and once completed we were able to move on to build the individual sector scenes.

We made looping 2D videos to work alongside the written content for the individual sectors, explaining different aspects of Fujitsu’s Quantum & AI solutions in more detail. Again, we matched these frames with the aesthetic style of the overall experience, applying Fujitsu’s new brand guidelines to everything from the typography to gradients.

London Tech Week 2022 took place between 13th-17th June. Senior staff from Affari Media arrived on site the day before the AI Summit to upload the experiences and make sure everything worked. Fujitsu were provided with hardware expertise and end-to-end support on the day and in the days leading up to the event.

Bringing calm to the scene, our delivery of these experiences took place amid the stress and chaos of setting up such a large event, from stands being built to equipment installations. Alongside representatives from Fujitsu and other agencies, we worked collaboratively with the common goal of achieving the best for our clients and audiences.

We received great feedback from Fujitsu and their own clients on the installations, the experiences worked well and stood out in the labyrinth of tech companies and agencies. Acting as icebreakers, the video and 3D cities themselves provided us with the opportunity to offer self-directed experiences for users. This allowed audiences to explore Fujitsu’s solutions independently, whilst freeing up representatives to engage others in further discussion.