Goodnight n go - lyric video
Year of this project: 2022 Tasks performed: Storyboard, moodboards, 3d video Tools: Figma, cinema 4d, midjourney
For this school project, we had to imagine the artistic direction of a 3d video. The first step was to pull out two cards from our teachers deck and use the words on each card to create the brief of our project.
I personally got “audio” and “serif”, so I decided to create a teaser for Ariana Grande’s next lyric video for her song “Goodnight n Go”. In addition, we were required to present both our artistic direction and a short 3D video (a few seconds long).
Step 1. Context & Concept
"Sweetener" is the first album Ariana Grande released after the tragic Manchester attack that took place during her concert. This album carries a powerful message of hope and resilience, reminding us that even after the darkest times, we can always find light again.
This theme is reflected not only in the music but also in the art direction of the album—through its official photos, cover art, and music videos. The visuals often play with dark tones contrasted by soft glows of light, reinforcing the idea of emerging from hardship.
This brings us to the central question of this project:
How can we create a lyric video that visually aligns with the artistic universe and message of the Sweetener album?
Step 2. Moodboard: Comfort in Darkness
This moodboard represents the main themes of my artistic direction: comfort, light, and darkness. Inspired by the intimate and hopeful tone of Ariana Grande’s Sweetener album, I wanted to combine the warmth of light with dark settings.
The images mix cityscapes at night, cozy interiors, and starry skies to create a feeling of safety in the darkness. The chosen color palette—deep blues and golden tones—reflects the album’s message of finding light after difficult times.
This moodboard was the starting point for the lyric video’s visual style.
Step 3. AI Inspirations
Using MidJourney, I created AI-generated images to further develop the visual direction of the lyric video. These images served as inspiration to refine the mood and atmosphere I wanted to convey.
The focus was on blending elements of warmth and darkness, with soft lighting and dreamy textures that reflect the comforting yet mysterious tone of Ariana Grande’s Sweetener album.
Step 4. Storyboard
The next step was to create storyboards to outline the flow of the lyric video.
Initial Sketches: I began with rough sketches to visualize the key moments of the video. This allowed me to experiment with camera angles, composition, and transitions.
Detailed Storyboards: I refined the sketches and added descriptions under each frame to explain what is happening in each shot. These descriptions provided context for the visuals and helped ensure a cohesive narrative throughout the video.
step 5. Creating the video
The final step was to create a short 3D video, between 10 and 15 seconds long, using Cinema 4D.
This process involved bringing the storyboard to life by animating the scene in a 3D environment, adding dynamic movement, lighting effects, and textures to fully capture the mood and aesthetic of the project.