When Playgrounds Blend festival was cancelled, much like most live events in 2020, they substituted the space left behind with an online edition. They invited artists from all over the world, much easier now that it was online, to give demos, panel talks and portfolio reviews. The presentations streamed on two Twitch channels, with a lively chat full of people from all over.
Unlike most online events at the time, Playgrounds decided not to record their event for later publication, which urged the audience to be present and focused throughout the night. When feedback was gathered about how the event was received, visitors were positive, and told them they felt equal during the event.
For each edition, Playgrounds Festival commissions artists or studios to create their opening title sequence. 2020 was no different. Studio The Panics, under art director Erwin van den IJssel, animated this edition’s titles the only way that seemed appropriate: through Zoom.
“If there’s one thing that’s come out of this pandemic it’s aesthetics that make use of this gridded platform known as Zoom. That’s what these titles do — for the most part — to great fun and effect. If you’ve got limitations, exploit them.”
Louise Sandhaus, designer, educator, author and panel judge for Art of the Title’s Top 10 Title Sequences of 2020
Credits
- We are Playgrounds: https://weareplaygrounds.nl/event/playgrounds-online-fest-1-the-art-department/
- Title animation production: The Panics
- Director: Erwin van den IJssel
- Produced by and featuring: The Panics
- Producer: Liene Berina
- Additional Animation: Federica D’Urzo
- Music & Sound Design: Amp. Amsterdam