Pre-Production

Concept & Scripting

The “Hyper Plate” animation for S+S Industries was built around promoting an incredibly specific and technical industrial service—high-volume, high-speed tin-on-aluminum bus bar plating. From the jump, this project was structured to spotlight logistical capacity, finish flexibility, and quick turnaround, while underscoring S+S’s proprietary edge and national reach. These weren’t just talking points—they shaped everything: script, timing, visuals, pacing. Lines like “Plating within 4 days,” “From 10,000 to 500,000 lbs,” “Tin or Silver,” and “Proprietary Pre-Treatment” drove the structural rhythm of the entire piece.

The creative challenge was delivering all of this without giving away proprietary tech or diving too deep into specific equipment. To solve that, we organized the script around spatial logic—scaling out from a national-level view (map, facility), to a conceptual breakdown (process abstraction), and finally to close-up product detail (finishes and comparisons). This structure allowed us to spotlight what matters: speed, volume, results. No machines, tanks, or tooling needed.

Voiceover tone was all about clarity and confidence—sharp, deliberate, and free of heavy industry jargon. It supports the animation without dominating it, leaving space for viewers to catch visual cues like plating effects, crate motion, and metaphoric transitions.

Rapid Prototyping (RP)

Rapid prototyping (RP) kicked off in Cinema 4D and served as the sandbox for testing both technical moves and narrative ideas. Initial experiments leaned into a light-mode visual look—clean backdrops, fine lines, and exposed environments. But it didn’t stick. We pivoted to a dark-mode aesthetic for better visual contrast and brand alignment. The dark background let product textures, lighting effects, and text overlays take the lead without distraction.

A lot of early ideas got scrapped or reshaped in RP. One abandoned concept was a side-by-side frame comparing bus bar sizes—it felt cluttered and didn’t support the emerging narrative once we leaned into the plating transformation as the visual anchor.

The biggest RP overhaul came early: replacing a planned stock footage opener with a custom 3D isometric facility render. That meant building a full-scale, stylized production floor from scratch using sourced 3D equipment—conveyors, tanks, racks, pallet stacks—and laying it out in C4D. It wasn’t a literal copy of the S+S facility, but it hit the key beats for conceptual recognition. That gave us full control and set up the clay-render visual style that defined the intro.

The isometric look was built using near-monochrome diffuse materials, each subtly color-coded for type distinction. Early RP passes tested for scene density, clarity, and silhouette separation. This layout also introduced animated workers, looped in simple actions—adding life and grounding the scene in believable motion.

Warehouse scenes in RP leaned into variety, repetition, and scale. Using C4D’s Cloner object and effectors, we randomized stacks of plated bus bars—playing with size, spacing, and packaging. Stacks dropped into place with simulated weight and presence, syncing with the voiceover’s messaging on output volume and capacity.

Plating transformation needed a workaround since we couldn’t show actual tanks or fluids. We landed on a stylized plating effect: a refractive water wave rolling over copper bars, shifting them to tin or silver in one clean sweep. It was a shader-driven move inside C4D, using displacement maps, animated procedural noise, and a refractive layer. Bubbles were added to simulate chemical reaction, keeping it abstract but credible.

UI overlays and callouts were another RP focus. Early corner-aligned placements got scrapped in favor of bold, center-aligned high-contrast titles. These sat cleanly on moments of visual pause, syncing tightly with voiceover beats—“Extremely Fast Plating,” “Multiple Finish Options,” etc.—acting as anchors in the visual narrative.

We also built a first-pass U.S. map animation in After Effects using vector base maps and KML geo-data. With zooms and dynamic callouts, it laid the groundwork for showcasing S+S’s national service footprint—supporting the broader logistics message.

Early Visual Styles Explored

Two opposing visual styles were tested in RP. The light-mode setup looked solid in isolation but didn’t work for darker metals or overlay clarity. Reflections got messy, backgrounds were too noisy, and contrast suffered. Switching to dark-mode fixed that fast—volumetric lights, spotlighting, and negative space gave us a cinematic edge while staying highly legible.

The facility overview was treated as a stylized, infographic-like space. We used flat matte finishes, muted tones, and color-coded accents to guide the eye. It wasn’t meant to be photo-real—just technically believable and visually efficient.

The plating process needed more precision. Finishes had to read clearly under moving lights. We tested tin and silver under HDRI domes, with area lights and rim-key-fill rigs. Tin came out matte and diffuse, with soft pitting. Silver was sharper—bluish, cold, reflective. Copper stayed warm, brushed, and subtly detailed.

Warehouse RP carried over environmental details into production: cranes, beams, and camera moves. Stacks were animated to float, align, and drop. Forklift paths were planned using spline-based tracking.

Prototyping Animation Concepts

Smooth, fluid animation was a top priority in RP. Speed ramps were used at the start and end of major scenes—plating waves, camera sweeps, forklift moves—to keep things seamless and rhythmic.

For the facility fly-through, we tested orbital pans and orthographic sweeps to maintain spatial clarity. Worker loops—walking, standing, working—were dropped into key spots to balance compositions and add subtle life.

Warehouse blocking was animated in C4D, but lighting/rendering was prepped for Unreal Engine. We used Datasmith to export scenes, tested geometry imports, and dialed in compatibility with HDRI and area lights for final output. The hybrid pipeline was locked during RP, giving us flexibility in layout and polish.

Camera paths were designed around clarity and alignment. Fly-throughs were paced to linger on key finish areas—especially copper/tin/silver comparisons. These shots were mirrored to maintain visual consistency and reinforce material differentiation.

Client Feedback Shaping Direction

Client notes had a direct and material impact on RP direction and outcomes. First, they ruled out any literal plating line visuals—forcing a pivot to abstract storytelling. That led to the creation of the plating wave, the refractive shader, and the indirect metaphor for chemical change.

Second, they pushed for sharper distinction between metal finishes. This led to intensive shading and lighting iterations, making sure copper, tin, and silver stayed visually unique under the same rigs. We also timed finish transitions to match script flow—starting with copper, then transforming to tin and silver on cue.

They also flagged the original opening as too generic. That prompted the switch from stock footage to the custom CG facility—a much better fit for the controlled visual language and narrative structure.

Finally, they asked for smoother pacing early on. We responded by extending the crate sequences, slowing down text entries, and softening UI motion to match the tone and professionalism of the S+S brand.

Style Choices and Reasoning

The final style—conceptual 3D with photo-real material detail—was the product of early scripting goals, iterative feedback, and RP discovery. It let us stay abstract where needed (facility, warehouse, process) and get ultra-precise where it counted (finishes, product comparisons). The dark-stage aesthetic unified everything and allowed effortless transitions from concept to product.

Using C4D for RP gave us a fast, flexible sandbox for testing layout, motion, and light. Early render tests shaped the lighting language; stylized scenes like the isometric overview helped build a clean, intentional contrast.

By the end of RP, all major components were locked: warehouse layout and animation flow, finish comparisons and lighting setups, facility modeling tactics, plating transformation logic, and overlay sequencing. Every shot had a job, every scene had a reason, and we had a pipeline ready to roll into final production across C4D, Unreal Engine, and After Effects.

Full Production (FP)

Look Development

The finalized look of the Hyper Plate animation balanced two distinct visual styles: stylized clarity for conceptual and facility shots, and soft photorealism for product-focused and environmental sequences. Each visual mode required its own lighting setup, material calibration, and disciplined camera approach—dialed in carefully to maintain continuity across a split aesthetic.

HDRI dome lighting established base reflectivity, and we layered in anisotropic specular effects for the copper and silver materials. Copper got the most nuanced treatment—brushed directional reflections, edge wear, and a faint oily surface irregularity. Tin stayed restrained, with a satin finish and micro-dimpling to diffuse its response. Silver was tuned with sharp specularity and a cold tint to pop under low-angle or soft lighting. These effects are evident in playback: highlight rolls follow the camera, specular falloff behaves cleanly, and there’s no flicker—signs of careful shader design.

In the side-by-side product comparisons, camera paths, rotations, and lighting environments were identical across copper, tin, and silver. That let us composite each finish over a black background with perfect silhouette alignment—amplifying the surface differences with zero distraction. These sequences were rendered in C4D using Redshift, with softbox-style area lights and controlled falloffs to avoid burnouts. The result is a polished, grounded aesthetic—premium without looking overly stylized.

For the plating transformation—where a copper bar transitions through a stylized wave—we built a layered shader simulating fluid behavior without literal fluid. A refractive wavefront, sub-surface bump animation, and bubble FX were all animated procedurally in the plating volume. Lighting was enhanced with backlights and fog volumes to pull out internal reflections. The final scene delivered visual richness and optical realism, without revealing any mechanical process—perfect for balancing abstraction with credibility, especially given the client’s sensitivity around IP.

Design & Animation

Isometric Facility Overview – C4D + Redshift

The isometric facility served as a stylized blueprint—a conceptual world built to explain the plating infrastructure while keeping proprietary hardware off-screen. Built entirely in Cinema 4D and rendered in Redshift, this sequence started with a custom layout made from kitbashed and sourced industrial models. We placed lines, tanks, racks, overhead rigs, and staging zones with a process-first logic, creating a schematic visual flow from intake to treatment to packaging.

Each model was placed with practical intent. Still frames show a readable process progression, giving viewers a feel for a real operation without actual replication. The look leaned heavily into the clay-render language: matte diffuse shaders in greys, whites, and neutrals, with color-coded accents for key features like safety rails or active zones.

Lighting was handled with HDRI sky rigs and planar fills to reduce shadow harshness. Cameras used orthographic projection for zero distortion and crisp line discipline. The net effect is architectural but still animated—a moving schematic with visual purpose.

To inject life into the scene, we added low-poly animated workers. These characters performed looped actions—walking, lifting, inspecting—rigged with simple joint hierarchies and timed clips. Their presence mapped logically to scene zones and helped guide the eye, breaking up the stillness and reinforcing operational realism. You can spot them in stills—they’re small but critical for giving the scene rhythm and scale.

Camera motion was a slow pan across the facility, slightly elevated to reveal depth. Every frame was paced for clarity—holding just long enough for each layout cluster to register before moving on. It had to feel detailed but not chaotic, functional but not flat.

Warehouse Sequence – C4D to Unreal Engine via Datasmith

The warehouse fly-through pushed our technical pipeline the furthest. We built the sequence in Cinema 4D, then transferred it to Unreal Engine using Datasmith to take full advantage of real-time lighting and rendering power.

Bus bar stacks were designed in several variations and randomized using C4D’s Cloner and effectors. These elements were choreographed to drop into place with a logic that communicated scale and flow. Every layout balanced negative space, motion, and light exposure.

Inside Unreal, each asset was retextured using physically accurate materials. Wood pallets showed grain through bump maps; plastic wrap used semi-translucent shaders with soft reflections. Lighting combined an HDRI environment with area lights mimicking real warehouse fixtures.

Cranes and hanging cables introduced vertical motion. Splines controlled cable swing and reaction to movement, adding depth and natural parallax. These layers appear as subtle silhouettes in foreground and midground—quiet but vital for spatial grounding.

Forklift movement followed spline paths, then got manual tweaks in Unreal to improve realism. Cameras tracked with the forklift using dolly paths and banked turns. We layered in depth of field, motion blur, and in-engine LUTs to lock in the final tone.

Unreal’s flexibility allowed rapid iteration. We could tweak light falloff, fog density, or scene brightness in real time to ensure overlays landed cleanly and transitions hit their beats. That control was crucial for UI integration and syncing visual rhythm with VO pacing.

Style Choices and Reasoning

Hyper Plate’s look is split by design—but unified in execution. The isometric facility scene, with its flat shaders, orthographic camera, and looping workers, was engineered for storytelling clarity. We chose C4D and Redshift to get maximum control over render intent and material subtlety.

The warehouse, on the other hand, demanded atmosphere and depth. Unreal delivered on that with volumetric light, dynamic shadows, and real-time iteration. It gave us a responsive environment where we could experiment, tune, and finalize shots on the fly.

Everything—plating shaders, crate motion, camera choreography, UI overlay timing—was built with viewer comprehension in mind. We avoided over-stylization but designed every visual element with intent. Even the abstract scenes, like the plating wave, followed grounded motion rules and consistent lighting logic.

The final stills show how this all comes together: product comparisons on dark backgrpound, volumetric plating transitions, stacked warehouse shots full of kinetic energy, and schematic overviews of facility flow. It’s a wide visual spectrum, but it’s stitched tight with consistent lighting, deliberate pacing, and purpose-built motion.

Post-Production & Delivery

Final Compositing & Color Grading

Post was handled entirely in After Effects, where every rendered shot was cleaned up, composited, and graded to align with the project’s high-contrast, minimal aesthetic. A key focus was maximizing visual differentiation between copper, tin, and silver finishes. Curves, exposure tweaks, and hue shifts were used to reinforce the material identity developed in Full Production.

Sequences from both Unreal Engine and C4D/Redshift required grading to unify lighting and atmosphere. Contrast, black levels, and depth were balanced across scenes to create visual continuity between the darker warehouse shots and the schematic facility overview. Text overlays and UI elements were graded in tandem—ensuring that titles stayed crisp and legible even on active or complex backgrounds.

Title card transitions and camera cut continuity were carefully aligned to voiceover pacing, locking in timing and tone.

VFX Enhancements

Additional visual layers were added to boost energy and amplify key moments. In the plating transformation, live-action particle footage was composited into the water pass—masked, hue-shifted, and blended using additive layers to fit seamlessly into the CG shader pass.

The “Hyper Plate” 3D title was done in After Effects via Element3D. Textures were matched to the product materials, and electricity arcs were timed to pulse through the lettering. Lens flares, glow pulses, and directional streaks created a sense of motion and activation, reinforcing the branding’s “warp jump” energy.

Fly-through sequences were given lens depth—subtle chromatic aberration, light bloom, and motion blur—adding cinematic weight without distracting from product detail.

Infographics, UI Overlays, Data Visualization

Informational overlays were key for conveying process logic and product advantages. All UI elements were created in After Effects using 3D data exports from C4D to maintain perfect camera alignment. Titles and annotations in the plating scene were pinned to tracked nulls, keeping their motion locked to the copper bars and maintaining correct spatial depth.

The U.S. map, initially prototyped in RP, was finalized in After Effects using vector paths from the Primary Roads Interstates map and geographic coordinates from KML data. Animations included dynamic road lines, pulsing markers, and regional highlights, all timed to the voiceover for national coverage messaging. Ease curves and glow effects kept overlays readable while staying consistent with the overall design system.

Overlay elements followed strict brand logic: white sans-serif typography, minimal drop shadows, and grid alignment based on product geometry. Each was built to clarify—not clutter—the visuals, keeping attention where it matters.

Delivery

Final output included two versions: a full-length video and a 15-second cutdown, both delivered in 1080p H.264 format for easy use across platforms. An .srt file was included for accessibility and silent playback, and a high-res thumbnail image was provided for hosting use.

All exports were final-grade, color-profile embedded, and metadata cleared—ready for immediate deployment with no cleanup required on the client side.

Transcript:

S+S Industries is the all-in-one solution for electrical and power generation customers' plating needs. 

S+S tin plates aluminum in a proprietary, automated, best-in-class process with consistent quality, fast turnaround, and quick delivery.

In addition to our tried and true copper processes for full and fabricated bus bars with both tin and silver plating.

We back our expertise with high-capacity inventory warehousing.

Our customers can store virtually any amount of bus bar stock with S+S. Have it ready for quick plating. And get it where you need it.

We are strategically located to be your just-in-time partner … across North America.