Super dads!

Over the last decade, audiovisual technology became more and more accessible to the average household. Not too long ago, you would need giant renders farms, expensive software and even more expensive cameras, altogether running in the tens of thousands of euros. These days, it's possible to create stunning visuals with an entry cost that is -at least in comparison- marginally lower. Adding to the equation that systems got a lot faster as well, making you able to deliver better graphics within a shorter time (I still remember the days when rendering took as much as two hours for one second!), and a new type of parent arises: the super dads!

These kinds of super dads (or moms!) are people that work in the creative sector, have a serious knowledge of their medium, and use this knowledge to create something for and with their children.

And since everyone who can do something other people can't is generally called a super hero, these people become super parents in the eyes of their children.

A great example is 'Super Lion': "drawn, written and narrated by Elliot Worley, animation by his dad (Seth Worley), with music by his uncle Ben."

Elliott Worley's SUPER LION from Seth Worley on Vimeo.

Animating the drawings, bringing them to life as you, a five-year-old envision them, there has to be some kind of metal for this. If not, I'll gladly send them one of my own hand crafted medals from when I was a kid in appreciation.

Another great example the father/son duo behind Action Kid. Daniel Hashimoto (who is a visual development artist at Dreamworks) films his son playing James and whenever something dramatic happens, it's visualised through special effects. Every child at one point pretends the floor is lava (I still do it sometimes), James' floor actually is lava, nice!

Why are they super dads? Just because they know how to create animation or special effects? Of course not, their medium is just a tool. When you scroll through the youtube page of Action Kid, it will be hard to claim that this dad doesn't spend a lot of quality time with his son. Even though his job will probably be a demanding one with long hours, which is the excuse fathers have been using since pretty much the dawn of jobs. Aside from the quality time, there's the stimulation.

Young children still have an untainted look at the world they live in. They haven't been wacked senseless with 5000 adds per day, movies that rely on VFX for about 99% of the shots, and the power of photoshop that transforms normal people into beauty ideals none will ever achieve (including said models). Everything new is magic, from the easiest peek-a-boo to pulling a rabbit out of a hat. This goes for film as well. Though 'Un home de têtes', by George Méliès would look like an outdated trick by now, for children it feels equally magical as for the cinema audience that first saw this film in 1898. It's this perception of magic and their surroundings that stimulates the active imagination with children. They playfully discover the world, and how it tics. They develop skills and learn to separate right from wrong. And it greatly determines the problem solving capabilities they'll need as adults.

Another great advantage is that, by doing this, these parents playfully prepare their little padawans for the world of fakery that lies ahead of them. They saw how dad brought their drawings to life, or remember not having an actual lightsaber at hand when they were at the toy store. So maybe, just maybe these kids learned the valuable lesson that much in the media is fake. And if this keeps them from trying triple backflips and setting the cat on fire just because they saw the Power Rangers do it, then that's every reason you'll ever need.

Loud voices together are heard

When it comes to choosing whether a story should be told using live action footage or with a motion graphic, there are some standard questions you can ask yourself:

1. Which technique would be the strongest?

Anything visual is about emotion. And how to deliver these emotions to the viewer. Sometimes live action simply works better. When you want to explain something very concrete, for example. Or when it's about people. When you're an NGO and want to launch a campaign about the homeless, why should you use animated characters or little popping visuals?

2. Are we talking about something tangible?

Facts and data are harder to shoot, as are statistics, tutorials, abstract concepts and ideas. They can be shot live, but many will just result in shots if people looking at computers displaying data.

3. Is it reachable (within our budget)?

If you are a belgian firm and you want to create a story about deforestation in Canada, you should look at your budget. If you have the time and resources to send a camera crew to Canada, you should consider it. If you don't, a stylised motion graphic will be your best choice.

4. Is it supposed to be fun and snappy or more serious?

Motion graphics and infographics usually tend to be on the fun and snappy side. With bright colours and a bubbly sound design, they are a great tool to make even the most boring of subjects fun to watch. When the subject is more serious, a mix with live footage is usually opted.

5. No exceptions whatsoever?

Tons! Here's one!

The National Recources Defence Council commissioned this motion graphic on the environmental impact on whale population. This stunning piece of art pretty much throws all previous questions of the table. They could have used real whale footage (there is tons available and they have to means to shoot more), there is nothing snappy, bubbly or fun about it. But the artwork, pace of the film and emotional tonality of the film give everything reason. This motion graphic was created by the Canadian animation studio 'Giant Ant'

This doesn't mean that all questions should be ignored from now on, but is does prove that as long as the emotion is set just right, anything can goes.

We were monkeys

The first time I learned about We Were Monkeys was when they created the music video for 'Little Talks' 'by Of Monsters And Men. It literally blew me away and I was jealous to the bone. I must have watched it 25 times that night, absorbing every frame, every detail, and each time I see it again, I discover some new details.

We were Monkeys is the collaboration between director Mihai Wilson and producer Marcella Moser. The duo is heavily focussed on experimentation and constantly explores new combinations of live action, 3D, illustration, set instruction, matte painting and photography. Or simply put: they use pretty much every toy in the toy box. I've been a fan of their work ever since that music video, watch it below.

When I make a music video, I don't make it for the fans, or the people that already love the music. I make it for those who don't know the band or even those who don't like the particular music genre. It's so easy to become in love with a song if you became in love with the music video, and let's face it: a music video is in fact a commercial for a band, aimed at getting more people to dig your music and buy tickets to your concerts.

That said, when I heard 'Little Talks' on the radio, I didn't immediately run to the store to buy the album, I thought is was ok, and had a fun melody and vibe to it. Yet, when I saw the video, the song was catapulted to my 'summer vibe playlist'.

The design on the video is brilliant! Beautiful backgrounds and matte paintings are crafted into a 2.5D universe, parallaxing as the camera moves through them. The band members are 2D animated characters with their real heads on top, moving in line to the music. A black and white multiverse opens up, with beautifully textured sets going from rocky cliffs to dangerous underwater worlds, with equally dangerous creatures.

And now for something completely different

This combination of elements occurs in a lot if work by WWM, for more, you could check out their portfolio here. They created the beautiful motion graphic for Hendrick's Gin as well. With some fat winks to the animation work Tery Gilliam did for Monthy Python. (The commercial is even called 'Something different'.) But, I'm not really sure about the story, though. The main message of the theme pretty much says: if you're bored: DRINK! Pretty sure I would have chosen another angle... 

How Dunderklumpen inspired Levende Liedjes

'Dunderklumpen' poster

'Kapitein Winokio's Levende Liedjes' was the not just the first dvd of Kapitein Winokio, it was the first dvd feature I ever made as well. I've always been fascinated with the combination of live action and animation. A visual style that was that blew me away when I was just a kid, watching the 1974 Swedish film 'Dunderklumpen!'

'Dunderklumpen!' is a 1974 Swedish family film directed by Per Åhlin. Jens is a young boy who spends the holidays with his family on an abandoned island. On midsummer night the family is visited by Dunderklumpen, a strange character that takes all the dolls of his sister Camilla and brings his toys to life by touching them. Yet, the toys are not overly fond of their new company and cry out for help to Jens, who ventures after Dunderklumpen to retrieve them.

Though a little dated today, the movie still gets to me with its stunning visuals. The vast and beautiful scandinavian landscapes, the beautiful integration of all the animated characters, and the great soundtrack which was created by late Toots Thielemans. The film won a special Achievement Award at the 11th Guldbagge Awards for it's visionary combination of two completely different visual styles. The film can be watched on youtube, there is even a Dutch version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9NJwpRtQvM

This movie still works as an inspiration today. It shows the power of the medium, and how things that are film lives in it's own universe. But it also shows that there is more to film then seamlessly integrated CGI. I like these films as much as the next guy (and even love a fair bunch of them), but not every world has to be built around an ton of special effects shots. Sometimes it only takes the right combination of real and unreal elements to be transported to a whole new universe.