This animation spot for South Africa salt brand Cerebos tells the story of Mpho, a little girl who dreams of snow, despite living in the semi-desert natural region of Karoo. Her grandparents intervene to help her dream come true–with a little help from Cerebros.
Tulips and Chimneys, a lauded African short-form animation company repped by Strange Beast in the US/UK/Europe, teamed with agency FCB Durban and another studio, BlackGinger, to bring “Snow” to fruition.
A lot of thought went into the shape of the characters. “Mpho is shaped like an upside-down triangle,” said director Ree Treweek of Tulips and Chimneys. “Her cuteness factor largely comes from her having such a big head in relation to her body and her tiny feet. Her grandma on the other hand is bell-shaped, completely the opposite or rather the reverse of Mpho. Her shape is an ode to her larger-than-life personality. She is definitely the matriarch of the family. Gramps on the other hand is a skinny bean of a man. He takes up very little space in the house and is quiet and unassuming. However, he observes everything so closely and in the end it’s his patient tinkering and exquisite mind that brings so much joy to Mpho and Grandma.”
Tulips and Chimneys used a combination of stop motion and CG for “Snow,” creating the miniatures in-house and collaborating with BlackGinger on the animation.
It took a team of three four weeks to put together the miniature set, as just building the lounge required 24 different types of material and 31 loose items were created just to dress the kitchen.
Treweek said they also had a lot of fun set-decorating the exterior shots. “The textured ground was a mixture of sand, tiny pebbles and tea! We then added hundreds of tiny sprigs of rosemary that lead up to the larger bushes that were created with moss died different colors.”
Client Cerebos Agency FCB Durban Brandon Govender, creative director/copywriter; Declan Sharp, creative director/art director. Production/Design Studio Tulips and Chimneys Ree Treweek, director; Tulips & Chimneys, director/set building and shoot; Nina Pfeiffer, exec producer; Bernice Purdham, shoot production consultant; Ree Treweek, Ben Winfield, Sasha Perdiago, character design & coloring; Ben Winfield, matte painting; Johan Horjus, DP; Bee Retief, camera and lighting assistant; Ken Mehrtens, Dragon rig operator; Christina Salvoldi, art director; Tania Lee, lead model maker; Lungisa Kala, model maker; Gael Kazadi, Saul Calvo, Sparks. Preproduction Tulips and Chimneys Ree Treweek, concept & script development; Daniel Clark, Sasha Perdigao, Ben Winfield, Marc Moynihan, concept art; Marc Moynihan, storyboards; Jannes Hendrikz, animatic; Darren Macpherson, character development. Animation Blackginger Marc Bloch, Marco Raposo de Barbosa, exec producer; Darrin Hofmeyr, CG supervisor; Andre de Villiers, project lead & animation; Leigh Human, producer; Ruth Molteno, studio coordinator; Stephanie Traut, VFX editor; Terry Simpson, colorist; Wayne Davidson, scanning; Roelof van Wyk, Marcello Adams, Adrian le Roux, Hein Oosthuizen, Louis Rossouw, modeling/texturing; Ruan Myburgh, Melikhaya Ntlageni, rigging; David Silberbauer, Douw van Niekerk, Wayne Davison, tracking; Jason Slabber, Matthew Kearney, visual effects; William Harley, Ruan Rossll, lighting; Byron Tofas, Chris Bekker, Michael Hlatshwayo, compositing. Audio & SFX Honeymoon Studios
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