Devin Durocher
Panthera Corporation
Motion Design
Conservation Content
What started off as volunteer work turned into a returning client in the Panthera Corporation, a non-profit based in New York that works around the world fighting for the conservation of Big Cats.
If you peruse the rest of my site you'll see that I'm quite passionate about these animals, and so it's truly been a dream to work with their communications team to create these.
My projects with them fall into two categories: 60 Second Science or We Can Coexist. Take a look below:
60 Second Science
60 Second Science: Human Computers and Pumas
60 Second Science: Jaguar Diets
60 Second Science: The Risks of Carnivore Removal for Livestock
60 Second Science: Pumas and Nitrogen Cycling
We Can Coexist
Why Wild Cats?
Pumas Hold Americas' Ecosystems Together
Want to Save the Planet? Focus on Wild Cats.
Improving Livelihoods Through Ecotourism
The Human Cat Connection
Protecting Wild Tigers Protects Much More
What to Do If You Encounter a Wild Cat
Cats and Climate Change
Increasing Coexistence with Jaguars
Trading Business Cards
Self Promotional Materials
Collect Them All!
In 2023, I set out to build stronger relationships with some of the professionals I've had the pleasure of working with in the film and television industry. I put together a mailing list, wrote over 50 personal letters, and mailed them with these hand-made, collectible "trading business cards," as I call them.
Inspired by Magic the Gathering and Pokémon cards, I used 3 of my original character designs as representatives of the hats I can wear in this industry. Each of the cards "abilities" being a skill or role in my tool belt.
The cards came sealed in a booster pack, with all my information as well as my mission statement.
Isolated Art
Motion Painting
Bringing Life
To accompany this venture into self promotion, I also created this motion painting to post on socials along with the art.
Stealing Jokes
Donny Hefner Brand
Stealing Jokes (dir. Mike Young) cast Luke Null to play the story's antagonist: a former stand-up turned internet-video-comedian with a crude sense of humor and loud brand appealing to teenagers.
When I got the call to join this movie as the propmaster, it came with the rather large ask of conceptualizing, designing, and eventually manufacturing this imaginary brand so that it could be plastered throughout the world of the film.
Working with Mike Young, the Production Designer Pat Bird, and the wardrobe stylist Jessica VanAssche, I created something with a level of visual aggression that commanded your attention, but with enough edge that modern tweens and teenagers would be begging for their parents credit cards to get an overpriced shirt.
Initial style guide
"Donut" Logo
Luke Null with tiny Donny Hefner
Artist Collab Designs
Inspired by many real life brands like Bearbrick and Logan Paul, I used the Hefner "D" to create a few unique abstract designs resembling "BRAND X BRAND" style products that fill high-end streetwear stores across every major city in America.
Iterative, Feedback Driven Logo
The primary "D" logo went through a few iterations before we settled on the one seen above. Mike Young was very particular in how he wanted the brand to look, and sought that flare he's seen in many young influencer's brands.
Subsidiary Companies
Every White Guy's Gotta Have A Podcast
The color pallete was toned down for his "professional comedian" podcast, that he hosted in his luxurious mansion, next to his mobile rap station
Merch Table
The Grand Finale
This project culminated in the penultimate scene, where Donny has a merch table set up, featuring hand-manufactured props and set dressing all featuring the Donny Hefner Brand
Additional Assets
Stealing Jokes
Titles
The movie needed tentative titles graphics for 3 purposes:
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For production documents like Call Sheets, stickers for external hard drives, and signatures in email.
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To put in the rough cuts / dailies during post production.
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To make a cool shirt for the crew after wrap.
After working on the Donny Hefner Brand, production asked if I could take some time to also create these titles and graphics for the cast/crew.
A Detroit Shirt For A Detroit Crew
Key features include the Detroit skyline, the main cast, and Mike Young's signature "Boom!", which let you know which takes he liked
Urishima Tarō
Imaginary Beer Brand
Saving The Turtle
In the independent film Don't Be A Stranger (dir. Peter Harold), turtles are used throughout as symbols, allegories, and even characters. So, when the director wanted a brand of import beers that featured a turtle in some fashion. I opted to use the Japanese Folktale as the brand name - Orishima Taro, a story of a fisherman rewarded for saving a turtle.
The design abstractly represents a beach, with the secondary gold color playing the part of the sand, a silver strip acting as the foamy shoreline, and the blue primary the ocean.
6 on-screen 6-Pack holders were made, 5 bottles were branded, and 1 dud was used for stunts.
Mock ups were made with 3D software, and then prototype 6-packs were made to get further approval of the design.
6-Pack Carrier Design Template
Hallowmancy
Boxed Vinyl Toys
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When selling the vinyl figures at art fairs, I want professional packaging to hand off to customers, rather than just handing over a loose toy - that feels cheap.
The package design had to still embody the fun and whimsy that the little characters present, so an illustrated wrap around backdrop was created, with muted cool colors to let the illustrated portraits stand out.
Typefaces were chosen based on readability at small fonts and style to fit the Halloween aesthetic.
The boxes also feature a slight gradation between a more cyan blue towards an almost magenta to help differentiate the boxes, even if you're looking at a side that doesn't feature a portrait or character bio.
Mock ups were made in blender, then prepped for print in Photoshop.
Oakwood Gym
Logo
I've been going to this gym here in Melvindale since I was 16, when I was first allowed in the door.
The owner had a logo JPEG file that he'd used for the last 20 years, and despite complains about the characters, he was afraid of changing it, because he'd been selling t-shirts and hoodies, putting up fliers, and advertising with the logo for two decades.
When he approached me for thought, I saw he had no intentions of a complete rebrand. So, we agreed to simply clean up and professionalize the logo, while maintaining the same concept and silhouette in order to not effect brand recognition
New Logo
Old Logo
Reggie
End Credits
Motion Graphics
I always wanted to design a full credits scene for a motion picture. Here, I got a little taste of it in the short. The motion design was based on promotional materials I'd made for the movie, and the music was made by the incredibly talented, Lansing-local band Vincie D.
Cymian Productions
Logo and Bumper
Monkey's Paw
This logo and animated bumper are personal projects of mine, made to represent the LLC behind the film Reggie.
A custom typeface was made to create a sense of unity in the whole of the logo - between the mark and the type. The line weight is consistent between the mark and the type aswell, in order to maintain a very clean, electronically inorganic visual concept.
Landafar Entertainment
Bumper
In preparation for the company's newest movie at the time, Wally's Wonderland (dir. Kevin Lewis, 2021), Landafar got in touch hoping to create a bumper for the beginning of all their films going forward.
Drawing inspiration from the Dreamworks bumper, they wanted something that captured the whimsy and awe that movies bring to audiences.
As requested, the founder's son was used as a model.
