UI Production Director
Surface Pro was part of the first Copilot+ PC push, so the video had to introduce the device while also making a new AI story feel believable on screen. That meant the UI could not just support the film. It had to carry a lot of the explanation.
As UI Production Director, I led the screen design and animation for the piece and worked closely with the director and art direction team to fit that work into the larger 3D world. A lot of the job was making sure the feature moments felt clear inside the pace of a launch film, then solving the technical issues that came with moving those ideas from flat screens into something more dimensional.
This project also had a longer runway than most. The work started back in 2022 with internal vision pieces exploring things like the Cadmus chip, Cocreator in Paint, Background Denoise, and the detachable Bluetooth keyboard. By the time the launch video came together, we had already been testing how these ideas should look and move for a while.
Recall was probably the clearest example of that process. We started in 2D, pushed it into 3D, realized the first passes were not working, then rebuilt the sequence through multiple versions until the UI and pacing finally clicked. That kind of iteration shaped the whole project. Keep refining the screen story until the feature makes sense and the film still moves.
- Led UI production for the Surface Pro launch film and related internal vision work around Copilot+ PC features.
- Designed and animated screens for feature moments including Recall, Cocreator in Paint, Background Denoise, and the Cadmus chip story.
- Worked through multiple 2D and 3D iterations, especially on Recall, to get the UI, pacing, and integration into the film right.
Microsoft
Our team at Microsoft dedicated over three years to creating the Surface Pro video, showcasing our innovative advancements in AI and hardware. The journey began in 2022 with an internal video highlighting new features of the Surface Pro, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive demonstration of our latest technologies.
Key Features Highlighted in the Initial Internal Video:
- Cadmus Chip (NPU Chip): Showcased the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) chip, powering local AI experiences.
- Cocreator in Paint: Demonstrated the AI art generation feature within Paint.
- Background Denoise: Highlighted the ability to eliminate unwanted noise during video calls.
- Detachable Bluetooth Keyboard: Emphasized versatility by showcasing the detachable keyboard in various scenarios.
Many of these features found their way into the final Surface Pro video, integrating advanced functionalities into a cohesive narrative of Microsoft's AI-driven innovation.
A subsequent internal vision video focused on the Cadmus (NPU) chip, illustrating its functionality across both the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. This video evolved from the original concept to a refined demonstration of key AI experiences.
Key Features Highlighted in the Second Vision Video:
- Cadmus Experience Across Windows: Showcased enhanced experiences provided by Windows Copilot.
- 2X Performance Over Apple M3: Demonstrated superior performance compared to Apple’s M3 chip.
- All-Day Battery Life: Highlighted energy efficiency for uninterrupted productivity.
- Updated Windows Studio Effects: Showcased new and improved Windows Studio effects.
- Detachable Keyboard: Emphasized practical use in various scenarios.
- Cocreator in Paint: Highlighted AI-generated art capabilities.
- AI Super Resolution for Gaming: Demonstrated enhanced gaming experiences with higher visual fidelity.
- OLED Displays: Showcased vibrant and crisp visuals.
These features were incorporated into the final Surface Pro video, demonstrating seamless integration of AI and hardware innovations.
The Recall feature, exclusive to Cadmus devices, was crucial in our Copilot+ PC videos. Recall captures screenshots of everything you do on a Windows device, allowing you to rewind time and find anything you were working on. Here’s a breakdown of the evolution of this feature:
Initial Stages:
- Developed initial 2D screens, forming the foundation of the Recall experience.
Transition to 3D:
- Translated the 2D screens into 3D, but initial attempts were not effective.
Redesign and Refinement:
- Created several new versions, collaborating with the Art Direction team to match the search query 'Julie in a Photo shoot.' After multiple iterations, the UI and pacing were finalized.
Final 3D Conversion:
- Converted the refined UI and pacing into a 3D story, resulting in a compelling demonstration of Recall.
This breakdown represents the first Recall experience our team developed for the Surface Pro video. Once this shot was established, we created three other versions for our Surface Laptop video and the overall Copilot+ PC video. The Recall feature evolved into a key component, effectively showcasing its capabilities and user benefits.
Director - Daniel Escolin
Art Director - Melissa Kim
Producers - Emily Duarte, Ryta Karagodina & Justin Sund
Creative Director - Brian Townsend
Executive Creative Director - Markus Weickenmeier
3D Motion Designers - Ziye Liu, Danny Yoon, Gap Yossanun, Kyle Moore
3D Art Development - Wes Cockx
Art Design - Phoebe Hsu
Storyboard Artist - Alex Alvarado
UI Production Director - Patrick Flaherty
2D Motion Designer - Toliy Patel
UI Design - Piper Phan
Selected Works
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