Microsoft

Producer, 2D Animator, Editor and Art Director

Project Overview:

This project highlights Microsoft's Copilot, an AI assistant designed to transform merchandising operations.

Microsoft a Retail Story

Problem Statment:

The goal was to create an engaging video to demonstrate how Microsoft's Copilot addresses these challenges, helping retailers make data-driven decisions faster and more effectively.

Pre-production:

  • Scriptwriting:

    Script was provided but modified during the storyboarding stage.

  • Storyboarding:

    Created detailed visual sketches to map out the video’s structure, including key moments such as Sarah’s challenges, Copilot’s interface, and data visualizations.

  • Animatics:

    Produced a low-fidelity animated sequence using the storyboards to establish timing, pacing, and transitions before final animation.

Production Process

Concept:

Create a relatable character, "Sarah," to humanize the narrative and illustrate Copilot’s impact.

Visual Style:
Built sleek UI mockups, dynamic charts, and bold typography to highlight Copilot’s functionality.

A woman in a blue shirt talking behind a checkout counter in a clothing store. Two women are browsing clothes on racks; one is trying on a dress, and the other is looking at pants.
Three animated characters talking to each other in a video call, each in their own square. The left character has dark skin and curly black hair, the middle character has light skin and curly white hair, and the right character has light skin and wav
Modern home office with large city window, two computer monitors, a blue armchair, white shelves with books, green plants, and hanging lights.
A detailed presentation slide deck with slides containing text, graphics, charts, and animated annotations, focused on digital transformation, AI, and innovative strategies by Microsoft, Copilot, and related technology themes.
Collage of a woman in different scenarios: sitting on a chair, expressing emotions, presenting to a group, interacting with a customer, looking at herself in a mirror, and participating in a team meeting.
Collage of promotional images for Copilot, including people interacting with technology, emails, and productivity tools, highlighting AI-powered daily assistance and collaboration features.

3D Art Direction

Directed an awesome 3D artists, Ryan Hoog to ensure the visuals aligned with the intended narrative and style.

Directed the layout, composition, and overall feel of 3D elements, including Copilot's interface and product interactions.

Focused on lighting, depth, and texture to create polished and engaging 3D scenes.

2D Animation

  • Motion Graphics:

    Designed dynamic visual elements, including graph animations, flowing lines to represent data connections, and emphasis effects on key moments

  • Character Integration:

    Animated Sarah’s interactions with Copilot to create a fluid connection between the character’s actions and the app’s features.

  • Scene Transitions:

    Employed smooth wipes, fades, and object-driven transitions to maintain visual cohesion.

  • Tools Used:

    Primarily Adobe After Effects for motion design, with Illustrator for vector graphics and Photoshop for additional assets.

Then we ran into a problem…

Microsoft team loved what we created but they realized 2d characters wasn’t in their updated brand. So we had to re-create all sections that had any character animation! 💀

So we pivoted. We leaned into their approved photo library to avoid any third-time surprises—haha.

We ended up going with a cutout style that aligned with the newly provided guidelines. The client was happy with the overall look!

Team Members:

  • Creative Direction/2d Animator/Editor: Michelle Garcia

  • Producer: Dez Davis

  • 3d Animator/Designer: Ryan Hoog

  • Scriptwriting: Microsoft’s Content Team

  • Client: Ghost atomic productions - Microsoft

“Michelle’s motion design for the Microsoft project was sleek, engaging, flawlessly executed”

Dez Davis
-Producer at Ghost