Specifically aimed at children between the ages of 8 and 17, the four films needed to be upbeat, playful and highly visual. To follow on from the first season, the client wanted a fresh take on the design whilst keeping some recognisable features.

We wanted the designs to feel contemporary and brought in elements that attached the design to the subject matter of energy, like the glowing effects. At the same time we were designing for motion, so we evolved the design with this in mind, whilst building a visually rich world.

For this huge design undertaking we used a flexible animation system, creating base characters in 3D, then embellishing them in 2D. This gives the appearance of 2D design to tie in nicely with the previous films, whilst enabling us to be very dynamic with the shots and camera moves.

The character Electron (below) is a constant between seasons 1 and 2, teaching young people in given scenarios about how to save energy or to explain how energy works in their particular situation. So we were thrilled to be able to evolve and strengthen this character as a brand mascot for Hitachi Energy.

Services

Script consultation, Style development, Design, 2D/3D Animation production, Render and delivery, Composition and tracking, Project / Animation leadership, Creative Direction, Production and Account management

Deliverables

Character design and animation

4 x 40" short films for digital

4 x 10" direct cutdown loops

2 x stills per episode optimised for social platforms

3 aspect ratios: Full format: 16x9, Square: 1x1, Vertical: 1080×1920

Colouring book assets