Grin - For Content Creators

Porta provided a series of rough pen sketches that captured the spirit and tone of the characters, but they needed significant cleanup before they could be animated. The first step was carefully refining the linework and defining a clean, final illustration style that maintained the charm of the originals while being technically sound for animation.

Once the final look was locked in, I moved on to preparing the artwork for rigging:

- Layer Breakdown – Each character was divided into separate vector layers for heads, limbs, torsos, and accessories.

- Control Reference Points – I added visible markers to define key pivot locations for rigging, ensuring precise limb attachment and easier manipulation.

- Simplifying for Flexibility – I refined the characters' proportions and shapes to ensure consistent deformation during motion.

- Neutral Pose Planning – Each rig started from a clean, neutral pose that could easily transition into various actions across scenes.

This setup allowed me to create responsive, expressive rigs that were lightweight and animation-ready—retaining all the detail and texture from the original hand-drawn designs.

In parallel, I illustrated the environments and in-scene props. These matched the character style but were more structured to support scene readability. Each space was built with the intention of feeling lived-in and relatable—mirroring the daily lives of digital creators.

A key part of the process was ensuring the environments reflected the personality of the characters while also providing enough visual contrast to guide the viewer’s attention. Desks, shelves, clothing racks, and posters were arranged to create depth and reinforce storytelling without overcrowding the frame.

The original concept storyboards featured pop-culture posters as part of the background, but to avoid licensing issues, I redesigned those elements while maintaining the playful and colorful spirit. These revisions allowed us to keep the spaces feeling rich and expressive, while ensuring everything remained original and brand-safe.Lighting, layering, and layout decisions were also made with animation in mind—making sure foreground and background elements worked harmoniously when the characters interacted with their surroundings.

The entire animation was built in After Effects, using Duik for rigging and animation. This setup allowed me to work with IK-based character controls, making it easier to deliver smooth walk cycles, natural gestures, and quick adjustments as the narrative evolved.

Because the character design relied heavily on illustrated texture and line shading, I couldn’t convert them into shape layers or flat vectors. To retain that tactile feel, I developed a series of animation workflows focused on preserving visual integrity:

- Duplicate Layers & Masks – I used duplicate raster layers and masking techniques to preserve internal shading lines during arm and leg movement.

- Custom Mattes & Track Mattes – These were applied to animated joints and overlapping parts to maintain consistent texture alignment.

- Offset Shading Compensation – Small adjustments were made to account for shifts in linework as limbs rotated or moved, helping avoid any 'stretching' of the pen textures.

The entire flow was choreographed to maintain rhythm and viewer interest, ensuring that each section reinforced the explainer’s message while staying visually entertaining. The pacing and transitions played a huge role in making the video feel smooth, dynamic, and tailored to GRIN’s creative audience.

The final video introduced GRIN’s core features in a way that felt friendly and authentic to its creative audience. By combining handcrafted visuals with clear storytelling and a smooth animation flow, the explainer stood out as a compelling introduction to the platform.