BRADLEY COUFAL

LPL Financial came to us with a desire to push their annual Focus conference to the next level. The CEO had an initial concept for structuring the content around the metaphor of a digital content interface (think Netflix) where one could enter and exit subject categories of content like a menu. In our exploration and discovery process, this idea morphed into a more tactile interpretation where the motif of a grid of content became a system of physical tiles that could shift, stack, and morph. The approach they wanted to take was to create an extension of their branding that felt physical.

As the principal art director and 3D designer, I led the team in crafting an approach to the visual identity that brought the 2D LPL brand elements into a tangible and tactile space. Going beyond the standard show package, we wanted to create a design system that could translate from rendered motion graphics to live Keynote presentations and feel completely seamless. We made video and still assets in Cinema 4D, rendered with Octane, that connected logo animations, an opening video, speaker title cards, ambient branding background, speaker-controlled presentations (both fully customized and templatized), and full-screen video moments optimized for media source switching to create an uninterrupted and cohesive experience for the audience.

We used macro shots and match cuts that revealed larger scenes in dynamic and engaging ways. We took the audience on a journey into layers of tiled content telling the story of LPL's complex business model. The motion language ultimately felt natural, relatable, and smart, creating a final product the client’s executive leadership called “the best-produced visuals of any LPL event to date."