Living up to its name, motion graphics design firm Renderon has brought an ultra-sharp, high-tech rendered 3D look to the news graphics industry.
Although 3D elements are certainly not new to news graphics, Renderon’s work takes the concept to a new level that is mixed with eye-catching and innovative transitions.
Many of the packages push the envelope in news graphics, but the risk pays off with innovative designs that stand out in their respective markets. Most of Renderon’s work has been for small- to mid-market stations, including several for Journal Communications stations, giving these newscasts top-market looks.
Its work at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, Wisc., features a shiny and bright NBC peacock perched high above a virtual cityscape. The angles in 3D polygon shapes found throughout the package tie into the sharp point found in the station’s “4″ icon. In addition, the package makes use of simplified 3D elements of real-life objects, ranging from the skyscrapers found in the city environment to a geometric take on a doppler tower. To help soften the package’s feel, Renderon added smooth, flowing ribbons that frame the more straight-edged elements.
The proud bird also takes center stage in the graphics for WGBA-TV in Green Bay, Wisc., including an eye-catching scene where the logo “splashes” out of virtual water. Renderon also integrated a 3D version of the station’s logo in a repeating pattern that seems to stretch from the top of a virtual vertical tube all the way to the bottom as the camera zooms by.
ABC’s simple circular logo provides inspiration for the metallic rings utilized in Renderon’s work for KTNV-TV in Las Vegas. The package takes viewers an exciting fly-through of layered circles and high-tech wireframe elements, while the clean, fresh silver motif contrasts well with the purple-toned city footage dispersed throughout. The station’s logo is turned into a rotating box that “sits” on top of a circular platform.
KIVI-TV in Boise, Idaho, sports an extremely unique graphics package using bold reds and golds mixed with rich blacks. The station sports an urban, industrial look based on a dimensional rectangular shapes accented by small circular elements. As the graphics transition to the title card, the heavily layered design morphs in a sleek and simple open.
Renderon’s extreme 3D style is a great fit for Fox affiliates. Boasting a high-tech blue color scheme, laser lines form a virtual environment of grids and moving rectangular slabs accented by microtext and light bursts.
Up north, WTNH-TV in Hartford, Conn., switched to a Renderon package that sports a more traditional mix of red and blue. The backgrounds feature a subtle animated version of station’s “8″ logo. Since the number appears in extreme angles and has a glass-like appearance, the animation adds a layered, active feel to the package. Laser lines and subtle splashes of color accent the package’s shiny surfaces, including those in the expertly-modeled logos.
