Speaker carousel promo for UDC 2026

<setup>
Claude is connected directly to my open After Effects project through the AE MCP.
Work inside the Inner comp where the speaker ring already exists.
</setup>

<reference>
The 17 UDC speakers + their names/titles from the UDC website.
</reference>

<goal>
Put all the speakers into the existing circles.

Rename the image files to their actual names and titles from the website.

Isolate each speaker from their background and give all of them the same flat beige background. Make the people black and white, but keep the background coloured.

The ring should eventually rest on these 4:
Obasola → Niyi → Rue Douglas → Dára Sobaloju.
</goal>

<controls>
One controller for the background colour of every circle.

Every circle except the front one should have a tint/darken effect. As a circle approaches the front, ease that effect off until the original image is visible.
</controls>

<constraints>
Keep the ring animation I already made.
Do not rebuild the movement unless necessary.
</constraints>

<setup>
Claude is connected directly to my open After Effects project through the AE MCP.
Work in a copy of Comp 2.
Remove the curved wall.
Keep the speaker movement/timing that already exists.
</setup>

<reference>
Use this sketch for how the circles should now be arranged.
</reference>

<goal>
Redesign the Inner comp so the speaker circles are 2D instead of 3D.

The centre circle should scale up the most while the surrounding circles remain smaller around it.

Add a name block underneath:
speaker name on the front face, role/company on the side.

When the next speaker reaches the centre, rotate the block into the next person's information.
</goal>

<controls>
I need control over:
- Centre circle size
- How tightly the other circles sit around it
- The shape of the name block
</controls>

<constraints>
Use normal keyframes. I need to be able to change the timing myself.

The name block and speaker circles should move together and ease to a stop together.

Don't make the text just jump between names. The change should feel like an actual rotation.
</constraints>

<setup>
Claude is connected directly to my open After Effects project through the AE MCP.
Work in Comp 2.
The bird, ticket and speaker scene already exist.
I created a layer called "Bird mock path". Use that as the flight path.
</setup>

<goal>
Animate the bird flapping its wings and flying into the scene holding the ticket in its beak.

The ticket should lightly wiggle while it flies.

When the bird gets to the right side, don't make it land. Let it continue flapping and hover lightly.

Then turn the bird to face the opposite direction and swap to the flipped ticket so the text still reads correctly.
</goal>

<animation>
Make the wing movement fast, closer to a hummingbird, but still feel like motion design.

The near wing should pass in front of the body where appropriate, not behind everything.

Keep the hover subtle. No heavy bobbing.
</animation>

<constraints>
Use normal position keyframes so I can adjust the flight speed myself.
Be logical with the layer order between the wings, body and ticket.
</constraints>

<setup>
Claude is connected directly to my open After Effects project through the AE MCP.
Work in the existing speaker comp and preserve its current layout and animation.
</setup>

<reference>
Use only the wavy pattern from the storyboard given.
</reference>

<goal>
Recreate it as the background of the speaker scene.

It should only appear above the name block, not behind the SPEAKER text.

Keep the existing colours of the speaker page.
</goal>

<build>
Use shape layer properties to make the pattern.

The curves and thickness need to be even.

Give me a control for the amount of waviness.

Then make the whole pattern drift very slowly along the direction it's pointing.
</build>

<constraints>
Don't draw the waves individually by hand.
</constraints>