Behind the Motion: Animating X.EDC Vol. 2

When X.EDC returned for its second edition, Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi was given the responsibility to create dynamic and eye catching visuals that would signify the beginning of X.EDC Volume 2. From capturing the energy of movement culture, to the energy of street dance. The visual language of cars, neon, and late-night city motion. And the challenge was translating all of that into animation that could hook viewers in seconds.

This is where Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi stepped in.

Reading the Energy Before Designing the Motion

Before touching any software, Dhiyaurrahman focused on understanding what the event felt like. The creative direction leaned heavily into JDM car culture, street dance, and a Y2K-inspired aesthetic — references that immediately suggested speed, glow, and intensity.

That understanding shaped every decision that followed. Instead of slow, cinematic animation, the motion needed to build quickly, feel kinetic, and mirror the rhythm of street culture. Neon lighting, fast cuts, and dynamic camera movement became part of the animation language — not decoration, but communication.

Turning Culture Into Visual Language

One of the hardest parts of motion design is translating something intangible — like “streetwave” or “movement culture” — into visuals people can instantly feel.

For X.EDC Vol. 2, that meant treating both the camera and the subjects as constantly in motion. Nothing stayed static for long. The animation leaned into perspective shifts, fast pacing, and visual momentum so the viewer could sense the movement even through a screen.

The references were clear: Y2K design cues layered with the aggressive styling of Liberty Walk car aesthetics. These influences guided everything from colour choices to how fast elements entered and exited the frame.

Experimentation That Sharpened the Final Output

Not every idea made it into the final cut — and that’s part of the process.

Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi explored multiple concepts early on, including one that focused heavily on showcasing cars. While it didn’t make the final version, that exploration became a valuable learning ground, especially for technical skills like greenscreen usage and compositing.

In agency work, discarded ideas are rarely wasted. They often sharpen the ones that remain.

Blending 3D, Live Action, Motion and VFX

The final animations combined real footage, 3D environments, and motion graphics into a single visual flow.

For the logo reveal, Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi took Majidah Khirul’s flat logo design and rebuilt it in 3D, animating it with added effects to push the Y2K feel further. For the showcase visuals, the team worked from a storyboard and planned green screen shots during production — a crucial decision that gave more flexibility later in post-production.

Utilising After Effects and Blender, Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi built 3D scenes that could seamlessly interact with real dancers and instructors. The result was a layered visual experience where animation didn’t overpower the performance; instead, amplified it.

Animating the logo

Car keys animation

Designing for Attention in a Fast-Scroll World

Because the animations were designed for social media, clarity mattered as much as complexity.

The goal was simple: hook the viewer in the first few frames, then reveal the concept quickly. With videos kept under one minute, every second had to earn its place. Visual intensity was balanced with readability, ensuring the message landed even at fast scrolling speeds.

Collaboration Behind the Scenes

Like most AICREATIVV projects, Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi wasn’t doing this alone.

The media and creative teams played a key role during pre-production, especially in setting up green screens, refining lighting, and sourcing music that matched the energy of the visuals. Feedback loops were tight and focused, with only minor adjustments needed along the way.

That collaborative foundation allowed Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi to adapt without losing the core idea — a skill that becomes essential in fast-paced agency environments.

Where the Real Learning Happened

Technically, the most challenging part came in post-production.

Cleaning up green screen footage with fast-moving dancers required careful rotoscoping, especially when body parts moved beyond the screen’s edges. Matching real camera perspectives with 3D environments added another layer of complexity, demanding precision and patience.

These challenges didn’t just solve one project — they shaped how Dhiyaurrahman Suhaimi approaches future work. He now sees green screen, camera angles,

lenses, and lighting as part of one connected system, not isolated tools.

Motion as Storytelling, Not Just Effects

X.EDC Vol. 2 reinforced an important principle: animation isn’t about adding effects for the sake of it. It’s about storytelling through motion — understanding culture, rhythm, and intention, then translating that into visuals people can feel instantly.

At AICREATIVV, this is how we approach motion design: not as decoration, but as strategy in motion.