Reinterpretation of a work of art
I had to choose a famous work of art and create my own version of it. I chose a floral cutout by Matisse and I built an experience.
Every time I look at Matisse's paper cutouts, I imagine them in motion.
I love their organic shapes and simplicity. Regardless of their color, when I look at Matisse's cutouts, I see them as cobalt blue, and they connect me to a kind of truth that is both real and magical, very gentle, reminding me of water and its sparkles of light when the sun reflects off it.
I love their organic shapes and simplicity. Regardless of their color, when I look at Matisse's cutouts, I see them as cobalt blue, and they connect me to a kind of truth that is both real and magical, very gentle, reminding me of water and its sparkles of light when the sun reflects off it.
So, let's dive into an “Experience” inspired by a Matisse's floral cutout 🩵
Before showing you the final project, let me share the process.
To create the project, I used Illustrator, Firefly Premium, and Premiere Pro.
To begin with, I created the start and end images for the animated sequences using Illustrator and asked Firefly Video to come up with the transition between the two. I used several different sequences to edit the video.
Then, I used Premiere for the final edit to add water effects and music to my various sequences.
Then, I used Premiere for the final edit to add water effects and music to my various sequences.
Creation with Illustrator of vector illustrations for the beginning and end of Firefly sequences
The sequences created by Firefly work best when the starting image and the final image are well defined.
Here, for example, are the starting image (1) and the final image (2).
Here, for example, are the starting image (1) and the final image (2).
In total, I recreated thirteen of Matisse's paper cutouts to find the one that best suited this project.
Generating sequences with Firefly Video
There is a lot to think about here.
- The format: I wanted a project with a 4:5 ratio, but Firefly Video only generates 16:9, 9:16, or 1:1.
I chose to transform my vector images by converting them to square format (1:1), knowing that, on Premiere Pro, I would be able to increase the height of the sequence and turn it into 4:5 format.
- Choosing the vector illustration
The different images I created on Illustrator didn't always work for my project. When I realized that it was better to have several small elements than a few large ones, I chose this floral cutout.
- The start and end images
I needed to be able to put the sequences end to end and maintain fluidity, so I started with a sequence going from image 1 to image 2, generated several of them, and also successfully tested from image 2 to image 1, or from and to the same image.
- The format: I wanted a project with a 4:5 ratio, but Firefly Video only generates 16:9, 9:16, or 1:1.
I chose to transform my vector images by converting them to square format (1:1), knowing that, on Premiere Pro, I would be able to increase the height of the sequence and turn it into 4:5 format.
- Choosing the vector illustration
The different images I created on Illustrator didn't always work for my project. When I realized that it was better to have several small elements than a few large ones, I chose this floral cutout.
- The start and end images
I needed to be able to put the sequences end to end and maintain fluidity, so I started with a sequence going from image 1 to image 2, generated several of them, and also successfully tested from image 2 to image 1, or from and to the same image.
Editing the video in Premiere Pro
Here are the steps for the final edit:
- The order of the sequences
To ensure fluidity, I assembled the sequences so that the end image of one sequence corresponds to the beginning image of the next one.
- Format
I used the Auto-Reframe feature to switch to 4:5 format, reactivated Motion, unchecked Uniform scale, and adjusted the width and height of each sequence, which were square and too small for my liking.
- The order of the sequences
To ensure fluidity, I assembled the sequences so that the end image of one sequence corresponds to the beginning image of the next one.
- Format
I used the Auto-Reframe feature to switch to 4:5 format, reactivated Motion, unchecked Uniform scale, and adjusted the width and height of each sequence, which were square and too small for my liking.
- The title
I designed the title animation to be smooth so that it would work with the video.
- The graphics and music
Here, I used Adobe Stock files: a video with beautiful water caustics, soothing music, and music depicting the movement of slowly active water.
I designed the title animation to be smooth so that it would work with the video.
- The graphics and music
Here, I used Adobe Stock files: a video with beautiful water caustics, soothing music, and music depicting the movement of slowly active water.
Final project
Thanks for watching!
I hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I enjoyed making it.