Not To Scale LA, Hello Savants and Saatchi & Saatchi LA bring to life an episode in the “Sole of Kobe” film series celebrating the heritage and future of the ASICS brands, as part of the centennial commemoration of the ingenuity and philosophies of company founder Kihachiro Onitsuka.
Directing collective Hello Savants interpret traditional Japanese watercolor techniques through the language of contemporary animation, in the wonderfully realized “A Shot at the Title” sequence which explains how Onitsuka-san came to create his iconic basketball shoe.
Via beautiful illustrations we discover how, upon eating his mother’s homemade octopus salad and realizing the strength of each tentacle’s suction cups, inspiration struck on how to increase the grip on his footwear’s sole.
“We first researched traditional and modern Japanese visual culture and then we started illustrating–the process came quite naturally because we have backgrounds in painting and traditional illustration,” said Marco Galmacci of Hello Savants.
Hello Savants uses a crossover approach of traditional frame-by-frame animation, real footage of watercolor ink and digital 2D and 3D elements. Animating delicate watercolor brush strokes and organic shapes for each scene, they apply transitions that are natural and fluid while always emphasizing the shape of the shoe. The use of overlapping layers elegantly integrated into this painterly environment conveys a perception of depth throughout the story.
CreditsClient ASICS Agency Saatchi & Saatchi LA Dwayne Koh, executive creative director; Michael Sison, Joe Hagel, associate creative directors; Lalita Koehler, executive director, integrated production; Sara Seibert, director of content; Richard Bendetti, executive producer; Holly Otto, sr. producer; Dan Paquin, content producer. Production Not To Scale LA Hello Savants, director, animation; Dan O’Rourke, exec producer; Richard Hickey, director of content. Audio Lime Studios, Piecelock 70 Inc.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More