The Essentials of Bringing Innovation & Originality

For innovation and originality one needs to break-free from the herd mentality. With design and aesthetics as its core, FutureDeluxe, headed by Andrew Jones & James Callahan, is a design and motion studio that is in constant pursuit of aesthetic innovation with every project it undertakes. Here, they give us an insight into some of the crucial aspects that makes them tick in the industry.

CG. With a wide array of projects from varied industries, what is your creative process like?

FD. Today's commercial timelines are tight and short, therefore, exploration of new styles and production outside of projects is paramount; to gain knowledge beforehand to bring in a unique approach towards the project. Our creative process is different with every project that we work on, we strive to experiment and innovate every single time.

CG. How do you keep your team updated with the newest technology/ techniques and how does the research enable innovation in your work for diverse clients?

FD. With a broad spectrum of in-house designers and a bigger community of trusted partners and freelancers, the FutureDeluxe family in itself is the key to our diversity. Our interests within the company remain broad and we are always on the lookout for talented artists to collaborate with. It's that collaboration and mix of styles and techniques which keep it interesting for all of us.

CG. What are the challenges faced when creating a moving, live-action narrative?

FD. The approach is very different. When working with CG and digital technology, gives us an opportunity to approach the project in unconventional ways. It allows us to explore and change direction regularly within the project timeline. We are essentially designing and experimenting all the way through the process which means we often stumble on looks and techniques which are happy accidents. However, working with the latest equipment and technology for experimentation or innovation also means a huge financial outlay on a regular basis!

CG. How important are aesthetics in story-telling?

FD. We are a design-led studio and aesthetics plays a major role in visual story-telling. However, we are aware of the wide variety of aesthetics prevalent in the industry which seems disposable in today's age with the limited time span. Therefore, we strive hard to create something challenging, which has never been done or seen before, to make it more memorable.

CG. Apart from motion graphics, which are the other domains that your studio would want to explore?

FD. Emerging technology, films, and digital backgrounds are the key aspects of how we work and the style of work we want to make. Unintentionally, over the last two years, a majority of our commercial work has been CG based. This year we have been working on more data-driven work for a TV Chanel and a digital product brand. We are currently working on large-scale installations for two automotive brands as well.

CG. Experimental design is all about pushing the boundaries of technology. Can you cite one example from your body of work?

FD. We always try to do something new with every project undertaken. We used a great technique in our latest project, OFFF Titles where live-action macro footage was used to drive a particle FX system. This gave us incredible results.
Our procedural approach to all of our design work is the same where we create these techniques which are computational with varied results, while a more traditional and linear approach will give you only one outcome. These unexpected and varied outcomes are interesting and what excites us the most.

CG. Apart from stunning imagery, your designs visually connect with the audience and are successful in exciting the mass. What are the key points for consideration to achieve this?

FD. I think when you achieve to create something that's new and original in today's saturated content channels, it will always connect. Creating a reaction, good or bad is better than no reaction at all. We put our heart and soul into our projects and hope that it connects and resonates with people.

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