MOTION EIGHT

Brief One: Night Owl Coffee Roasters

The company

Night Owl is a small neighborhood coffee roaster specializing in small-batch coffee for people who do their best work after everyone else has gone to bed.

The company is launching a monthly coffee subscription called The Midnight Delivery.

The assignment

Create a 15–20 second motion graphic promoting the new subscription for social media.

The finished piece should feel energetic, slightly mysterious, and sophisticated—not like a generic coffee commercial.

Target audience

Freelancers, designers, musicians, writers, photographers, and other creative people between 25 and 55.

Primary message

Better ideas require better coffee.

Required information

The motion graphic must include:

• Night Owl Coffee Roasters
• The Midnight Delivery
• Fresh coffee delivered every month
• Plans start at $18
• A closing call to action: Stay Awake. Make Something.
• A simple animated Night Owl logo created by the student

Visual direction

Suggested colors:

• Black
• Warm cream
• Copper or burnt orange

You can use typography, shapes, textures, illustrations, photographed coffee beans, packaging, steam, cups, or other original imagery. Photography may be included, but motion graphics must do the heavy lifting.

Deliverables

• One 15–20 second horizontal version
• One 10–15 second vertical version
• Sound design or music
• A static opening frame and closing frame

Creative challenge

The viewer should understand the offer even if the sound is turned off.

Avoid spinning logos, random flying text, and effects added merely because the software has them. Every movement must help sell the message, establish the mood, or guide the viewer’s eye.

Brief Two: Second Chance Bicycle Repair

The company

Second Chance is a small independent bicycle repair shop that restores neglected, damaged, and forgotten bicycles.

The company is introducing a spring service called The Resurrection Package.

The package includes a complete inspection, brake adjustment, gear tuning, chain cleaning, tire check, and safety test.

The assignment

Create a 20–25 second motion graphic that turns a tired, forgotten bicycle into something worth riding again.

The finished piece should feel optimistic, clever, and a little gritty. This is a neighborhood shop, not a luxury cycling brand.

Target audience

Casual cyclists, commuters, families, and people who have an old bicycle sitting in a garage collecting dust.

Primary message

Your bicycle isn’t dead. It’s waiting.

Required information

The motion graphic must include:

• Second Chance Bicycle Repair
• The Resurrection Package
• Complete tune-up and safety check
• Starting at $89
• Locally owned and operated
• A closing call to action: Bring It Back to Life
• A simple animated logo or wordmark created by the student

Visual direction

Suggested colors:

• Charcoal gray
• Off-white
• Safety yellow
• Rust red as an optional accent

You can animate bicycle components, repair diagrams, tools, tire tracks, chains, gears, maps, directional arrows, typography, or photographs of an old bicycle.

Deliverables

• One 20–25 second horizontal version
• One 15-second vertical version
• Sound design or music
• At least one transition created from a bicycle-related visual element
• A clear final call-to-action frame

Creative challenge

The piece must communicate transformation without relying on a traditional before-and-after dissolve. Students need to invent a more interesting visual solution: parts snapping into place, type being “repaired,” a wheel becoming a graphic device, or the entire composition changing rhythm as the bicycle returns to life.