Vintage Dream Music Video Case Study

The "Vintage Dream" music video was a creative project set to the royalty-free song Vintage Dream by Mathilda June, designed to visually capture the dreamlike, nostalgic essence of the track. As both the graphic designer and animator, I aimed to reflect the surreal emotions of the music through haunting, unique imagery. Using Adobe Illustrator and After Effects, I crafted an animation that harmonized with the rhythm, offering viewers an immersive visual experience.

A key challenge of this project was translating the abstract, emotional qualities of the music into a seamless visual narrative without a traditional storyboard. Instead, I allowed the mood and rhythm of the song to guide the creative direction, resulting in an organic flow between the music and the visuals. This project showcased my ability to bring together design, animation, and music to create a cohesive and captivating experience.

Objective

The music video presented several unique challenges:

• Abstract Concept Without a Storyboard: Rather than following a pre-defined storyboard, the visuals were created organically as the animation evolved. This approach meant that each scene needed to intuitively flow with the music while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic.

• Capturing Dreamlike Imagery: The music had a surreal, nostalgic quality that needed to be reflected in the visuals. To convey this, I used symbolic elements like skulls, eyes, trumpets, and hearts, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. The challenge was to balance these eclectic visuals in a way that felt emotionally resonant rather than disjointed.

• Syncing Visuals with the Music’s Rhythm: Since there was no specific narrative, the visual flow had to complement the song's timing and rhythm. Each animation had to reflect the dynamic beats, crescendos, and subtle changes in the music to enhance the viewer's experience and evoke emotional responses.

Key Challenges

I embraced the abstract nature of the project by allowing the music to dictate the visual progression. Here’s how I approached it:

1. Design & Conceptualization:
   Instead of a structured plan, I began with a series of symbols that reflected the music’s emotional core: skulls, eyes, hearts, trumpets, and other imagery. These elements were created using Adobe Illustrator to maintain a cohesive, hand-drawn aesthetic that would resonate with the song’s nostalgic feel.

2. Organic Animation Flow:
   Since there was no storyboard, I approached the animation more as a visual improvisation. Listening closely to the track, I allowed the music to guide how and when each visual element would appear. Using Adobe After Effects, I created smooth transitions between the different symbols, allowing each image to fade into the next, capturing the surreal, dreamlike quality of the song.

3. Symbolism and Emotion:
   Each image was chosen to evoke a specific emotional response. For example, the skulls and eyes added a haunting, mysterious element, while the hearts and trumpets reflected the nostalgic, bittersweet undertone of the music. These symbols were strategically animated to enhance the mood at various points in the song, pulling viewers deeper into the experience.

4. Music Sync & Visual Timing:
   Using the rhythm of the song as the primary driver of the animation, I ensured that every transition, movement, and image aligned with the tempo of Mathilda June’s track. This synchronization helped create a seamless audio-visual connection, amplifying the emotional depth of both the music and the imagery.

Solution

The "Vintage Dream" music video successfully captured the surreal, emotional essence of Mathilda June’s song. The combination of symbolic imagery and rhythm-driven animation created a visual experience that resonated with the audience, transporting them into an imaginative, dreamlike world.

This project was a true showcase of my ability as a graphic designer, illustrator, and motion designer, demonstrating how visuals can elevate and enhance the emotional power of music. The lack of a formal storyboard added to the fluidity and organic feel of the animation, making it an authentic reflection of the music’s journey.

By allowing the visuals to evolve with the rhythm of the song, I created an engaging and memorable experience that transcended traditional narrative structures. The feedback from viewers highlighted the uniqueness of the animation, praising its ability to evoke emotions through its symbolic depth and flowing transitions.

Outcome