L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
Motion Graphics
Clients: School Projects
Project Type: Motion Graphics
Competencies: Video Editing
Software: After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere Pro
The challenge of bringing a long-established local company's logo to life
My task was to create a logo animation for a local Hawaiian brand with a history of over 25 years, utilizing the distinctive elements of its original logo. I chose L&L Hawaiian Barbecue which is a plate lunch restaurant in Hawaii for my logo animation.
Design Explorations
L&L is a local Hawaiian food restaurant with over 70 years of history. I aimed to create an intuitive sense of Hawaii through both visual and auditory elements. To achieve this, I incorporated environmental sounds such as ocean waves and water droplets. I also created an animation where the letter “L” is reimagined as legs, surfing on a board, to visually express a playful connection to Hawaiian surf culture.
Key Elements
Text Reveal Using Track Matte and Fractal Noise
Using the Track Matte function in After Effects, the upper layer is used as a matte to control the visible area of the image placed below. This matte has a Fractal Noise effect applied to it, where white areas are visible, black areas are hidden, and gray areas appear semi-transparent. As a result, the image is not displayed in a uniform shape, but instead appears with a randomized, textured visual effect.
3D Animation
I used the 3D space in Adobe After Effects to add depth and dynamism to a flat logo. By using the 3D Transform Gizmo, I manipulated the X, Y, and Z axes to recreate the motion of surfing, giving the logo a sense of movement and spatial depth.
The Final Design
The iconic red and yellow rectangles of the logo alternate with ink, and as the ink spreads across the surface, the letters are revealed through a masking effect. I then applied 3D transformations, carefully adjusting the movement to create the impression of the letter ‘L’ gliding in on a surfboard. The addition of wave sounds evokes the ocean of Hawaii. Finally, the logo is completed with a sound effect.