Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice

Our long-time client, Carnegie Hall, reached out to us to create a set of promo videos for their 2024 concert series, featuring music of the Weimar Republic era of 1920s Germany. Capturing the excitement of this period of musical history, the animation emphasized selected quotes from musicians and performers. 

Torn paper background with beige on the left and orange on the right, featuring the text "that changes" across the tear.
Exterior of Carnegie Hall in New York City, featuring illuminated marquee and poster advertising a performance by a pianist. The American flag is visible, with people walking along the sidewalk.
Abstract collage with a large question mark, small vintage photo of a person in uniform, yellow and beige background, black lines, and text "These particular."

Project Overview

  • Purpose: Create a set of promotional videos showcasing a concert series with exciting text and visuals 

  • Deliverables: 3 Horizontal Videos & 3 Social Media Reformats

  • Duration: 40-46 seconds per video

  • Timeline: 2.5 months

  • Shown on: Carnegie Hall Website, Youtube & Instagram

Production Phases

  • Storyboarding

  • Mood Boards

  • Styleframes

  • Layout Designs

  • Animation Tests

  • Motion Graphics and Typography Animation

  • Social Media Reformats

Results

We collaborated with Carnegie Hall through all video production phases. This resulted in a total of 6 videos in both horizontal and vertical formats. The promo set included the voices of Jason Moran, Meow Meow, and Franz Welser-Möst, all talking about historically important music and the creativity of the Weimar Republic. 

This style of animation was inspired by collage artwork. By using cut-out pieces of photography, dynamic type layouts, paper textures and modern vector design elements, we emulated a traditional 2D cut-out, stop-motion style. Creating this digitally allowed for adjustments to be made throughout the production process.

The final works were showcased on Carnegie Hall’s social media, YouTube, website, and the Carnegie Hall concert buildings’ display screens. 

We greatly appreciate our long-time collaboration with Carnegie Hall. Since 2015, we have worked on multiple projects for them including character animation, graphics packages, video editing projects, & motion design.

Text-based graphic with the phrase "The politics of who's recognized and who isn't is fascinating" against a yellow and beige background, featuring two silhouetted profiles connected by barbed wire.
Artwork of a white skull on a yellow background with the text 'Sometimes the BEST ART is in response.'
Smartphone displaying Carnegie Hall's Instagram profile. The profile includes a logo, follower stats, and highlight icons such as "This Week at CH" and "News." Also visible are posts about Weimar Republic, Meow Meow, and Jason Moran.
Abstract design featuring text "THE MEN, WHO ARE MORE" with gloves image and geometric shapes.