Cat McCarthy Portfolio

Cat McCarthy Portfolio

Hi there! I’m a motion designer and graphic designer based in Savannah, GA. I believe that anything can be memorable as long as it has a strong concept to ground it. 

1. Demo Reel

2. Ropes

Brief: Create a visual interpretation of “Ay-Oh” (Freddie Mercury’s performance at Live Aid). The visual content should aim at exploring a consistent visual aesthetic and style. Give particular attention to the song’s structural elements, rhythm, meter, repetition, as well as its musical resonance.

Concept: Performing Vocal Chords
Because this song is full of vocal embellishments, use ropes as an abstract representation of vocal chords. Have the chords “perform” with each other in a call- and-response between the main singer and the audience.

Click to see more on concept and process

Credits: Concepting, lighting, filming, and editing by Keith Johnson, Cat McCarthy, and Alvaro Parra. Sound editing by Alvaro Parra.

3. I Am Sam (Title Sequence)

Brief: Create the title sequence for the move I Am Sam.

What's the movie about? Sam Dawson is an intellectually-disabled, single father. Sam raises his daughter, Lucy, with the help of his friends (who also have disabilities). However, at age 7 when Lucy begins surpassing Sam’s mental ability, Sam becomes in danger of losing custody.

Concept: Making Origami—Life from the Eyes of a Child
Sam’s mental disability makes him developmentally the same age as his daughter. To highlight this—and to tie in the origami theme shown throughout the movie—the titles will show him struggling to make an origami giraffe. I’ll use a macro lens to show the pointed focus a child typically has while doing arts and crafts.

4. "Same Love"

Design Brief: Evoke the meaning of the lyrics in Macklemoore’s song “Same Love” through animated typography.

Concept: Thinking in Black and White 
I used only black and white throughout this piece to highlight how some people think “in black and white,” causing them to label others

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5. The Night Circus Title Sequence (Styleframes)

Design Brief: Create styleframes for a title sequence for The Night Circus—a story about magicians in a dark, magical circus.

Concept: Life as a Cuckoo Clock 
Throughout The Night Circus, a magical cuckoo clock appeared as a theme. I’ve therefore used a clock as my main design theme by depicting the people and elements within The Night Circus as cuckoo clock characters.

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6. Adidas Parley Shoe Commercial (Styleframes)

Design Brief: Create styleframes and a storyboard for an Adida’s Parley Shoe commercial.

What is an Adida’s Parley Shoe? Adidas teamed up with Parley to produce shoes made partially from recycled plastic taken from beaches.

Concept: Rethinking Your Footprint
In order to highlight both the shoe and the sustainability effort, I’ve created a concept centered around “rethinking your footprint.” This commercial follows a female runner during her run throughout a city environment. Animated ocean scenes (created with chalk art) emanate from each of her footsteps to create an ocean scene.

Click to see storyboard

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7. Vimeo Ad (for Instagram)

Design Brief: Provide styleframes for a social media (Instagram) ad featuring Vimeo’s Premium Subscription features.

Concept: Breaking Boundaries
Have elements from actual Vimeo videos appear to fall out of the Vimeo ad. This will catch the viewer’s attention. Using different videos that Vimeo would host allows the viewer to see both Vimeo’s diverse videos as well as its premium features.

Click to see animatic

Click to see more on concept and process