8 Above
During Summer 2023, I was an intern for 8 Above, the production company founded by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jon Reiss (Bomb It, Survival Research Laboratories, & more). One of the long-term tasks that I was given was to generate a new visual identity for the company.
The name 8 Above references the position of the sun as being just above the horizon, at sunset or sunrise. Many of Jon's clients are in a transitional moment, just beginning to break through into critical acclaim, and 8 Above is there to help them through this period. For this reason, I explored several logos based on solar images and movement.
The Sextant
Eventually, I found that the celestial logos felt too abstract, and far too corporate for the smaller, independent company it was meant for. The sextant, a tool used for calculating the angle between a celestial body and the horizon, felt both metaphorically and aesthetically perfect. It is a complex shape, less prone to the detatched abstraction I was so far finding. And it reflects a connection between everyday people and the cosmos, falling in line with the messaging Jon wanted to get across.
I started with some simple design ideas, exploring a range of ways to represent the sextant. Finding myself in a rut, I turned to animation, using 3D rendering in Blender to reverse-engineer a 2D logo.
I chose to split the component parts of the sextant apart and animate them individually, so that they would fly together as the camera panned around them. I first explored a sketched style, using rendering techniques in Blender to give a hand-drawn feel.
The Final Product
I decided to ditch the sketched style in favor of a more realistic texturing. I employed metal, glass, and other details including imperfections and fingerprints to give a tangible look to the sextant. Additionally, I added sound, using foley and ocean recordings to imply physicality and adventure. Finally, I used the animation to blend into the 2D logo I had decided on. Watch below for the finished piece.