Inspiration

The Dallas Stars provided a great design package for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Having worked with their creative team for a few years, their direction was simple, “Do what you do, we trust you.”

Movement

Taking inspiration from comic books, I thought the primary movement should follow the same logic — panel to panel, as if reading a page.

A few snap zooms and pans were added to empathize the comic feel.

As things started to come together, it became clear the end of the movement didn’t have enough of an impact.

Adding Impact

The reveal of the end panels, needed to have more impact . Luckily, the designers had come to the same conclusion in their designs. A starburst was used for emphasis in select panels.

This would work perfectly for an impactful reveal.

Secondary Movements

With the overall movement in place, foreground animations were done as stepped animation . (no in-betweens)

The mix of animation techniques helped sell the comic book feel while pushing the dynamic tempo.

Details

The fill textures for each panels were shifted individually. It’s a subtle effect, but goes a long way to sell the look.

Tip

Offset object movements from camera movements by a few frames.