KAMEN RIDER GEATS:/"Desire Driver" AD Campaign (Project)

A Little About "Henshin" Heros:

The 'Henshin Hero' has become a highly popular topic in Japan, featuring heroes with access to unique powers. These heroes possess the ability to conceal their powers while in their secret identities. To access their abilities, they require a special item that enables them to unlock their powers or transform into their superhero personas.

What Is A Kamen Rider

Kamen Rider, rooted in the 'Henshin Hero' theme, made its debut around 1971. With each new season, the series has seen evolution, yet it has held onto a core concept: the heroes employ a 'transformation belt' to equip themselves with a suit of armor, bestowing superstrength. These heroes wield their extraordinary abilities to shield civilians from a range of disasters, the majority of which are masterminded by the season's antagonists

Kamen Rider Geats, one of the latest entries in the Kamen Rider series, premiered on September 30th, 2022. This series introduces a novel twist to the franchise by incorporating a survival game plot. The 'Desire Grand Prix' is a tournament featured within the series, where randomly selected civilians are chosen to partake in a survival game. Participants are endowed with 'Desire Drivers,' a type of transformation belt that enables them to morph into Kamen Riders. As the tournament progresses, each round presents new challenges for the participants, compelling them to battle for survival in their Kamen Rider forms. Special items known as 'Raise Buckles,' scattered throughout the game area, can be attached to a participant's Desire Driver to unlock new powers. These can be acquired through completing tasks, or by seizing them from other players. The ultimate victor of the game is crowned the 'Desire Deity' and is granted their vision of an 'ideal world.' Conversely, those eliminated from the tournament have their memories of their wishes and participation in the Desire Grand Prix erased.

Merch:

For each new Kamen Rider season, BANDAI, releases collectible replicas of these transformation belts, which are a significant part of the series' appeal. These deluxe belts are not just simple toys; they come with a variety of sounds, lights, and other features that replicate the transformation sequences seen in the series. They enable fans to immerse themselves in the experience, acting out the roles of their favorite heroes or simply enjoying the feeling of "transforming" into a superhero themselves. These collectibles are highly sought after by fans for their detailed craftsmanship, functionality, and the nostalgic connection they offer to the series.

Animating The Raise Buckles:

To showcase the 'Desire Driver' as the central focus of this advertisement, I used four different images. The transformation belt itself, along with the power-up attachments, were all PNG images I found online. I used PowerPoint to add a paint-like texture to the images before importing them into After Effects. After importing the images, I went on YouTube and downloaded the sound effects for the transformation belt. I then imported the sound into After Effects and started animating the pictures. I kept the belt in the center of the canvas, while the images of the power-up items, the 'Raise Buckles,' were placed in the left and right hidden areas of the project. The ad would essentially showcase the features of the 'transformation belt.' To initiate the transformation into a Kamen Rider, the two power-up items would have to be placed into the transformation belt, which, in return, would activate the transformation cues from the belt. Following the sound effects, I had each of the respective 'Raise Buckles' inserted into their respective slots in the transformation belt. For this animation, I just used simple positioning keyframes. It was difficult at first, as it took a while for me to sync the animations with the sound. For one of the power-up items, the Boost Buckle, animating proved to be a challenge. In the films, the Boost Buckle allowed its user to gain superhuman speed, as well as a motorcycle as a form of transport. The Raise Buckle has a deactivated and activated mode. Upon the Boost Buckle's activation, the buckle's 'Cowl' would open up to reveal a transparent reactor. Upon the Boost Buckle's activation, its exhaust would also release flames. To animate the cowl opening, I used two different images of the power-up item. I animated the deactivated version of the Boost Buckle to be inserted into the transformation belt through the use of positional keyframes. I then added the opened version of the belt in the time frame right after the frame where I cut the frame of the closed version of the Boost Buckle, giving it the illusion of opening up.

For the flame effects, I searched on YouTube for some green screen fire effects to use. I ended up finding a really good one and downloaded it. I moved the fire effects into Adobe and used a painting tool to remove the background. I then used the rotation tool to position the flames to align with the exhaust holes in the Boost Buckle. I then matched the keyframes of the flames to sync up with the sound effects of the exhaust going off when the Boost Buckle was activated, giving it a more realistic and interactive style.

Animated Text:

For the animated background text, I was inspired by Nike ads that showcased a still image of a shoe. However, they featured animated text to highlight the functions and designs of the shoe, which made the product stand out more. 

* For the text font, I used 'Franklin Gothic Heavy.' I then placed the text into a new composition (Ctrl + Shift + C).

 * After setting it into a new composition, I used the Region of Interest tool to crop the area around the text. 

* To complete the crop, I went to Composition and selected 'Crop to Region of Interest.' 

* Once the text was cropped, I then went to Effects and dragged the Motion Tile into the text, which allowed me to animate the text.

I also wanted to create an animated background that would make the text stand out. 

* To achieve this, I used a simple black rectangle and imported it into After Effects. 

* After importing the image, I added motion tiles to stretch and shrink the rectangle to match the text animations. 

* In some instances, I used positional keyframes to animate the rectangles so they would overlap with the text.   

* For the text's colors, I chose white and red. Primarily, all the 'A's or middle text are marked in red as a reference to the character, whose signature colors are red and white.  

* The final result of the animation was an immersive and fluid text background.  

Final Edits And Touches:

After exporting the completed animation as an MP4 file, I imported it into Adobe Premiere Pro for the finishing touches. The process involved several steps to enhance the visual impact:

Layer Duplication and Adjustment:

duplicated the video track, placing the copy on a layer above the original. This allowed for more complex visual effects.

Transform Effect Application:

I applied the "Transform" effect to the upper layer and then reduced its opacity. This adjustment created a subtler visual layer on top of the original video.

Pulsing Effect Creation: :

By adjusting the size of the top layer and incorporating keyframes, I added a pulsing effect. This effect was timed to coincide with the belt's activation, enhancing the sense of power and engagement.

Creating A Promotional Image:

I selected three separate images and edited them in PowerPoint, applying a paint-like texture to each. This technique gave the images a unique, stylized appearance.

3D Textures and Shadows: To make the images more dynamic and visually appealing, I added 3D textures and shadows. This added depth and realism to the promotional visuals.

Logo Enhancement: For the logo, I applied a 3D tilt effect and added a shadow. These adjustments were made to ensure the logo aligned well with the overall poster layout, creating a cohesive and attractive promotional piece.

I then imported the completed promotional image into Premiere. To make the advertisement seem more legitimate, I downloaded two different stock videos. 

One of them showed Kamen Rider Geats shooting at the screen. This video was taken from the show's trailer. 

I added this video to the end of the promotional image sequence and added a default transition. 

The second stock footage used was the Bandai Namco logo, which Bandai used when marketing many of their products. 

The final result of this project can be seen above.