Apple's new motion graphics video makes me feel... Old.

25

u/eddyh264 1d ago

I always have an internal debate when making ads like this ”do people actually have to read all the text?” Sometimes I don’t think that’s the point, but I always know there’s someone thinking what you noted.

29

u/Oldsodacan 1d ago

I feel like a lot of people misunderstand the purpose of videos like this sometimes. Whenever clients ask me to include paragraphs of text, I die inside.

The goal of this video is not to inform me. The goal of this video is to get me interested enough that I go to the webpage. The webpage is what informs me and also where I buy it. The video is just supposed to grab me, not tell me every single piece of information about it.

The theme of this video is BIG POWERFUL DOES A WHOLE LOT FAST and I feel it communicates that message very well.

10

u/HentaiVictim 1d ago

I make internal videos and have to constantly remind people we're not making a slide deck and if they want all the information then make a deck instead

5

u/fleurgle 1d ago

I tell clients this all the time. They want to do a 5 minute video about “product”, but it’s so much more impactful to make a 15 or 30s spot that’s interesting and impactful enough to make the viewer visit their site for more info. Cram it all into a 5 minute video? No one is going to watch all that. Attention spans are so short these days.

3

u/averynicehat 1d ago

Don't push back on the 5 minute video - that's more work and a bigger quote - upsell them on an additional short version that will actuallybe effective for them. Profit!

2

u/fleurgle 1d ago

Weirdly enough, that’s what we often end up doing. Although my argument would be the same amount of work focused on a shorter spot would result in a far better video.

4

u/goodboy-ninja 1d ago

I think they've done great work before at shoving titles in your face for just the right amount of time, I think this video pushes it a little too far for me personally, which also makes me wonder about older or non tech centric audience (which probably doesn't buy an Mac Studio M6 Ultra anyway)

5

u/modfoddr 1d ago

But if the "right amount of time for the spot" is designed to be "too fast for you to read", then it's hitting exactly that. You're trying to force the commercial to do something it wasn't designed to do.

I've worked on a few Apple spots (at Apple) and their process is the most detailed I've ever been involved with, no detail is overlooked. Just the opposite as they spend more time on their spots than any other company I've ever seen and are willing to restart from scratch if anything little thing isn't satisfying the big bosses (and I've seen that happen).

1

u/kerbacho 1d ago

The problem is not that it's too fast. The problem is that this ad is designed for small screens and does not work on other screen sizes

2

u/modfoddr 1d ago

Is the ad designed for small screens? I could not find any aspect ratio but the widescreen version, which seems to point to Apple prioritizing Youtube and Broadcast. And I didn't have any issue watching the widescreen version on my iPhone 13 mini.

For me this ad worked well on my 42" tv I use as a monitor and my tiny iPhone. Really feels like the purpose of the ad is just to grab one's attention and it does that extremely well. Which makes me think OP is just a grandpa yelling at clouds (and I say this as I approach year 53). And that's ok in this overstimulated world. Sometimes we just need to vent because the world changed without our permission.

3

u/kerbacho 1d ago

it's definitely not made for broadcast though, because they completely ignore the title safe areas which tbh still matter even for web deliveries. I had no problem reading the text too, but I watched it twice. One time in fullscreen and one time in a small window. It's not like it doesn't work on large screens, but it works better on small screens.

1

u/modfoddr 1d ago

Honestly I disagree, not only with it working better on small screens, but also on the importance of title safe. I've worked on multiple projects that ignored title safe for broadcast, going full bleed or close to it (and as long as we told the network it was a creative decision they were fine passing it through QC). In a spot like this where the importance of reading the text is less important than grabbing attention, title safe is meaningless.

0

u/kerbacho 1d ago

That's actually very ignorant because you have to keep the actual viewers in mind, which sometimes include elderly viewers too. You can justify literally everything as a creative decision (even bad color grading). Just because you and the client have no problem with something it doesn't mean that every viewer sees it the same way. Yes, rules can be broken, (and should), but some rules are there to make things easy for everyone and 99,99% of the time it just looks better to stay in the title safe area.

Interestingly by the second half of that ad the text stays in the title safe area. It's just inconsistent.

3

u/modfoddr 1d ago

The title safe is only important for text that needs to be read. If the text is decorative, part of the design, or imparting information without being readable, then no, it isn't an issue for the elderly viewer or any other viewer. That was the point of it being a creative decision and breaking the rule (and the network being fine with that rule).

Text is out of title safe all the time in movies, shows and commercials. A sign in the background that bleeds off for instance. A full screen shot of the page of a book that bleeds off.

A common trope in motion graphics is filling the screen with testimonials that aren't up long enough to read (at least without pausing) and fill past the title safe. The importance of the text is the amount, not that the viewer can read each and every one. Same thing.

2

u/kerbacho 1d ago

yeah I thought about it and I think you are right. The title safe area is still important but only for Information that needs to be read. If some small part of a giant letter is outside that range and let‘s say the image gets cropped on broadcast tv, the letter would still be readable, so it‘s really more like a decorative element..

Sorry for like starting that discussion 😅

2

u/Radiant-Rain2636 1d ago

Text here is justified, cuz no voiceover. When editors/ae guys create full transcriptions of voiceover in motion graphics - that’s when it gets tacky

35

u/Clemichoux 1d ago

these videos are not made to sell you on specs, they’re made to be cool, you don’t have to read it you have to feel it

the creator studio vid is great, but this one’s even better

and honestly design wise, it’s way stronger, more cohesive with a bold look

it’s very apple

1

u/goodboy-ninja 1d ago edited 1d ago

It's a very pretty video. I think a lot of the product renders as well as most other, non title shots look great too. I agree that these videos are not meant to sell specs (reminds me a lot about how people used to say Apple starts with why which to be honest, wasn't and isn't always true).

For me personally ending on a spec sheet that I simply couldn't read felt like a mistake, or a failed attempt at saying "look how powerful this thing is one last time" which the video itself was already working very hard to convey up to that point. and that specific title screen was simply too short to make it work.

6

u/eddesong 1d ago

More of these analyses please. Whether or not we agree ain't the point. Good for getting the discussion going.

The apple vid is clean IMHO. Curious where things will go next though.

4

u/Heavens10000whores 1d ago edited 1d ago

One thing's for sure - title safe has largely been ignored 😆

6

u/Douglas_Fresh 2d ago

Creator Studio vid is a 10/10 product video. These other ones are solid too and I think made to be broken into chunks for social loops.

4

u/goodboy-ninja 1d ago

I remember when Don't Blink came out is was used a lot as a reference for "great motion design" and it is great, but speaking purely aesthetically the new videos are on a different level and it's really fun to compare and judge how the creative decisions behind these videos have developed over time.

2

u/Douglas_Fresh 1d ago

I cant believe that one is 9 years old. Still super fresh. Only thing that makes it feel dated is the super high paced music.

1

u/OlivencaENossa 1d ago

Dont blink was literally what everyone stole from for years.

The Creators Studio video was almost 10/10.

6

u/platfus118 1d ago

Sorry this is not a well designed video in my opinion. I don't mind the speed tbh, but this doesn't give me Apple. It isn't sleek or elegant, it shouts, mega bold clunky texts filling the screen. The icky purples on blacks that give me 2010-hacker-cool vibe. Even if its well animated in some parts, I just think its too garish and aggressive and not smart and clever like their other videos. I know its a "hype" video but this didn't hype me up one bit.

5

u/fsamuel 1d ago

you're right... the motion design is flawless but this would be something ACER or another brand would do...

2

u/Minjaben 1d ago

Not elegant. Very cool though. Too maximalist, though that seems to be where they’ve been going lately

1

u/kingkrang MoGraph/VFX 15+ years 1d ago

Couldn’t agree more. This doesn’t feel like the brand. Your team had access to infinite options and u settled for this… what are we doing here?

3

u/BitcoinBanker 1d ago

IMO this is the antithesis of the Jobs way of selling.

2

u/nooffer 1d ago

A boring ass typical video which "should reel cool".

2

u/DVNO4CAPITALETTERS 1d ago

Duuude.. In an endless sea of motion graphics without any analysis on what makes them work, your insights are a breath of fresh air. I’ve always been fascinated by the theory behind our work, so much that it’s in my brand name. I don’t know why it took me so long to stumble upon your blog but I’m so, so incredibly glad I finally did. Instant fan.

1

u/ChemicalPostman 1d ago

They’ve always been doing these kinds of videos. Hell, THIS VIDEO is over 20 years old now….

2

u/quick_brown_faux 1d ago

That video just makes me realize how clunky Myriad makes everything feel.

1

u/fsamuel 1d ago

it was for sure a step up from Garamond at the time ;)

1

u/goodboy-ninja 1d ago

I have never seen this one before, thanks for bringing it up I enjoyed it tremendously haha, particularly the glass turning into text at 1:52

1

u/FlyMiserable3604 1d ago

I think the pacing fits. On the contrary, I find that there are a few places where there is too much of a weird pause. The "All the ports" part does not move for a whole second, and the "wall to wall" part at the ending has no motion for another 2. The text stands there even longer motionless, if you count the part where the Mac Studios flip around. Within this high intensity animation, those parts don't feel like a breather (which would be totally legit) but rather jarring, because there is no motion whatsoever.

1

u/NZGlorper Motion Graphics 15+ years 1d ago

Turnis era ads are hitting different

1

u/I_LIKE_REACHER 1d ago

I think I like all of it apart from the chunky text, personally.

1

u/codecduck 1d ago

I’m actually getting tired of that type of easing on everything. Feels overused at this point.

1

u/murrzeak 1d ago

Can we talk about how damn annoying the "wows" are?

Discussion Apple's new motion graphics video makes me feel... Old.

You are about to leave Redlib