Adidas Spec Ad

Designing Punch, Precision, and Momentum in After Effects

“This project began with a simple creative challenge: How far can you push a modern 3D pipeline using After Effects as the primary engine?”

After years of working heavily in Cinema 4D and Blender, I wanted to shift gears…building a highly dynamic, broadcast-quality footwear spot without leaning on a traditional 3D DCC for the majority of the work.

Rather than spending days remodeling and retopologizing, I sourced an open-license Adidas shoe model and immediately brought it into After Effects via its updated 3D engine. My goal was to see whether AE could handle a true product-style workflow: motion, lighting, stylization, and refinement—all natively.

Finding the Tone — Edgy, Punchy, Fast

From the start, I knew this piece needed to hit hard.
Sport ads rely on motion language that’s clean, kinetic, and full of micro-detail. So I leaned into:

Diagonal graphic streaks

Layered directional light sweeps

Tech-grid backgrounds and soft volumetric falloff

Mask animations and line accents to emphasize motion vectors

The still frame gives a clear snapshot of the direction: cool hues, strong angular compositions, and a very “sports broadcast meets tech schematic” aesthetic. This visual language became the backbone for the entire spot.

Blocking in Motion — AE as the 3D Workspace

Once the OBJ was imported, I began the mockup phase, treating After Effects almost like a stripped-down motion design sandbox. I established the camera path, rotational accents on the shoe, and how each lighting pass would interact with the surface.

As soon as the core motion felt right, I refined everything with:

Per-light intensity modulation

Specular boosts on key rotations

Light sculpting

The entire animation was built around impact moments—when the shoe accelerates, rotates into light, or syncs with audio hits.

Broadcast Polish — AE as Compositing Powerhouse

With the motion approved, I shifted into compositing and effects work inside AE. This phase included:

Secondary glows and rim lights

Layered gradient wipes

Animated linework and HUD-style accents

Texture overlays for grit and realism

Hot highlight pops timed to frame-accurate motion cues

Subtle chromatic separation for extra punch

Everything was built to guide the eye and emphasize where the shoe was moving next.

Branding & Final Touches

To wrap the piece, I created a graphic title card inspired by sports broadcast transitions—bold, high-contrast, and clean. A final animated logo lockup snaps on, completing the rhythm of the piece.

This project was ultimately an experiment in limitation: proving that After Effects, with its newer 3D capabilities, can push surprisingly far when paired with solid compositing fundamentals and a clear motion strategy. The result is a sleek, energetic shoe spot that feels ready for broadcast—created almost entirely in AE.