THE
DOMESTICATION
OF CATS
MOTION DESIGNThis project is an explainer video, focusing on the history of the domestication of cats. All of the animations were created in Adobe After Effects, with a blend of images and graphics. My curiousity for this topic was sparked when I got my cat DNA tested: I learned that she is mostly poly-cat, and that cats can’t be traced back to breeds like dogs can because of the way they self-domesticated!
CONTENT
The research began with deep-diving the history of humans and cats, and gathering as much information as I could on how different cultures in history viewed cats and how the relationship developed. I was particularly interested in how long the history was, and how true to cat personalities it was that cats chose domestic life.
PROCESS
I began by developing a script, with a column for the voice over script and a column for the visuals happening on screen. From there, I created style frames for two different design directions, before choosing to blend them into one. I designed an animatic, then a boardomatic, before moving into the final piece.
CHALLENGES
As for takeaways, this project presented learning opportunities in both the development of scripts and style frames, as well as transporting graphics and layers within the Adobe suite. I had a lot of fun creating and finding imagery, and adding quirks and personality to the final piece. As a fun easter egg, I included pictures of my cat, both my sister’s cats, my mom’s cats, and my roommates!PROCESS︎︎︎
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