The purpose of this post is to showcase a motion graphic I created for an assignment using After Effects. I was inspired to create a pride parade advertisement because I wanted to encourage others to attend the event!
Content:
- History of Pride Month — In the 1960s, the police force raided a gay club in New York City known as the Stonewall Inn (Gillespie). Riots formed as law enforcement violently removed civilians and employees from the bar due to false pretenses of liquor. The Stonewall Riot was a catalyst for the gay liberation movement in the States and most parts of the world (Gillespie). June, now recognized as pride month, brings awareness of the mistreatment of those in the LGBTQ2+ community and the historical mistreatment by law enforcement.
- Support LQBTQ2+ Community— Although the LGBTQ2+ community has come a long way and taken a stance on their rights, people are still being harassed. Due to homophobic or transphobic individuals, they are violently and verbally assaulted (5 reasons why prides matter). In some cases, they hide their identity and sexuality for their safety. Human
- Human Rights/Challenging Legislation — Pride is a chance to challenge homophobic perception and legislation (5 reasons prides matter). Some individuals are brutally beaten by the police force when they participate in the pride parade. It is tragic to see that a fight continues after all these years just from people expressing their individuality and authenticity (5 reasons why prides matter). The fact that in some parts of the world, the government still has the power to ban or criminalize one’s sexual choice is a problem that must be shared.
Target:
- Age — There is no limit to the age range as the parade is welcome to families and friends. The map indicates specific points where it is family-friendly (Pride parade). No matter how young or old, coming out to support the LGBTQ2+ community has no age limit. I think it is important that younger children attend the parade as it sets an example for future generations. It is time that homophobic and transphobic crimes end, and this starts with youth involvement.
- Location — The pride parade occurs on different dates around the world. In Toronto, the parade is on June 26th and is located in the heart of downtown, starting from Bloor Street and ending on Dundas (Pride parade). In this case, individuals who can attend the parade would either live in Toronto or can travel downtown. Although it is a one-day event, supporting the LQBTQ2+ community should not reside for one month of the year.
- Education — As mentioned, it is welcome to all ages; thus, people who are well-versed and immersed in the LGBTQ2+ community will attend the event. Even if people do not know the history and hardships many of the community faces, it is an event where you can be involved and learn more (Pride parade).
Design:
- Rainbow Colours — the artist Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag as a symbol for the gay community. He shares that the rainbow came from history as a symbol of hope (Rainbow flag: Origin story). I designed the montage with an overlay of these colours as a statement of hope and to embrace the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Creativity— Baker mentions that he identified each colour with a meaning, which I included in the video. Red is for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony, and violet for peace (Rainbow flag: Origin story). The other colors that were not included were hot pink for sex and turquoise for magic. The display of each photo was to show the liveliness and vibrancy of the community.
- Techno Music — Some people do not realize that the history of house music or EDM stems from the black LGBTQIA+ communities. This would be traced back to the 1970s as house music was popular in underground gay nightclubs (Nkhoma). At this time, these underground nightclubs were the only safe place for queer individuals to be themselves. I chose to include house music in the video to liberate underground clubs’ history and acknowledge EDM music’s roots.
Process:
I was inspired to create this montage centered around the LGBTQIA+ community to spread awareness of people who have been repressed for years. Whether gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transexual, pansexual, and more, people should not be violently attacked based on their sexuality. Old-age history and ways of thinking have kept people from moving into the future. It is disheartening to see that law enforcement still attacks people part of the community or transphobic hate crimes. People of any colour, race, or sexuality should feel comfortable in their bodies without judgment from others. We have taken a few steps forward in Canada; however, people are still being harassed. Toronto is a vibrant, diverse city, but even though the community is large in scale, people are still being violently beaten due to homophobic reasons.
For pride month, I wanted to celebrate and liberate individuals in the community by creating this montage. Though I have many friends and family members who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, these harassments are still taboo topics of conversation. No one openly speaks about their sexuality because it feels like an embarrassment. No one embraces their sexuality because they fear being judged by others. In workplaces, they hide who they are as it might not be “professional.” Attending the pride parade and immersing yourself in the culture is important to be aware of those struggling with their sexuality or those who have come a long way to be who they are.
When creating the montage, I started with the pride letters I created using illustrator. I separated each letter by layers and imported it into After Effects. From there, I created new vector layers and used the trim paths effect, as well as the position tool, to move each individual letter. Once I chose my photos, I imported them into After Effects, layering each one on top. I experimented with different effects and positions that I believed fit each frame. Finally, I created another vector image using illustrator to create the rainbow flag, which I overlapped on the entire video. In terms of the typeface, I thought it would be interesting to have a typewriter effect for the meaning of the colours. I first wrote out the word, clicked character offset, set the opacity to 0%, started the range selector tool, gradually increased 100%, and changed the smoothness to 0%. I did this for each text set, starting and stopping them at different times. After that, I imported the music and checked if the track lined up with the photos. I extended the video by 1 second because it ended too fast, so people could not notice the call to action, date, and event.
MLA Citations & URL Links
“Pride Parade.” Pride Toronto, 10 May 2022, https://www.pridetoronto.com/event/pride-parade-2/.
Posthill, Camilla. “Celebrating Pride Month.” Public Management, 2021.
“5 Reasons Why Prides Matter.” Amnesty International, 11 Oct. 2021, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/ 2015/10/5-reasons-why-prides-matter/.
“Rainbow Flag: Origin Story.” Gilbert Baker, https://gilbertbaker.com/rainbow-flag-origin-story/.
Gillespie, Wayne. “Thirty-Five Years after Stonewall: An Exploratory Study of Satisfaction with Police among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Persons at the 34th Annual Atlanta Pride Festival.” Journal of Homosexuality, vol. 55, no. 4, 2008, pp. 619–647., https://doi.org/10.1080/00918360802421759.
Nkhoma , Unathi. “The Forgotten Queer and Black Foundations That Built Electronic House Music.” The Tempest, 2021, https://thetempest.co/2021/06/07/entertainment/foundations-electronic-house-music/.
“Animated Pride Graphic” by Lauren Hutton
“Animated Pride Flag” by Lauren Hutton
“LGBTQ History Month Reception 2019” by CSUF Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
“San Francisco LGBTQ Pride Parade 2019” by davidyuweb is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Wagg, Dean., “House Rules” Uplifting Beats, Synctracks Ltd., 2022. SYNC 04210008., DeWolfeMusic. https://www.dewolfemusic.com/search.php?id=23770569&code=LhNT8S