The Mission
The National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards is a premier global industry event held at The May Fair Hotel, London, honouring the world’s best destinations and travel experiences as voted for by the magazine's readership.
I was commissioned to create a high-impact visual centrepiece for this prestigious evening—transforming static editorial photography into a cinematic opening sequence designed to captivate an elite audience of 200+ industry leaders and global CEOs.
Position
Lead Motion Designer.
I originated the creative concept and executed the end-to-end production of the opening sequence, later expanding my role to provide full ceremony design suites for subsequent years.
My Involvement
Concept & Art Direction. I proposed and developed the "Page-to-Screen" narrative, inspired by the hypnotic "infinite zoom" cinematography of films like Limitless. My vision was to pull the viewer through the physical magazine pages and into a seamless, never-ending journey of global travel imagery.
2.5D Motion Engineering. Deconstructed high-resolution editorial photography into multi-layered assets, using parallax techniques to create physical depth and a three-dimensional sense of space from static source files.
Infinite Zoom Execution. Engineered a continuous, high-energy flow between unrelated travel landscapes, creating an immersive opening sequence tailored for large-scale event projection.
Multi-Year Event Support. Following the success of the 2017 animation, I was retained to design the comprehensive presentation suites for subsequent awards ceremonies, ensuring a consistent, premium visual identity across all winner announcements and category reveals.
The Results & Benefits
Cinematic Impact.
Successfully translated the physical magazine's identity into a "big screen" experience that set a prestigious tone for the ceremony.
Strategic Partnership.
The success of the initial motion concept evolved into a long-term collaboration, providing the brand with a reliable partner for their most high-profile live events.
Production Efficiency.
Leveraged existing static assets to create a high-end centerpiece, demonstrating how creative motion can maximise the value of brand resources without the need for additional film crews.
"Reader Awards: Official Intro" Immersive 2.5D animation created for the event’s opening sequence at The May Fair Hotel.
