What’s summer camp without sleeping bags, s’mores and sing-alongs? Maker Camp, that’s what. And to promote the 2014 edition of the popular online summer camp sponsored by Google and DIY magazine Make, The Napoleon Group teamed with Knock Twice to produce a 2D animated digital short.
Showcased on Google’s homepage (google.com), Google’s Google Plus page (plus.google.com/+google), Make Magazine’s Google Plus page (plus.google.com/+MAKE) and the Maker Camp site (makercamp.com), the short features colorful robots, rockets, water blasters and flying machines of all shapes and sizes, all designed to inspire 13-to-18-year-old inventors and artists to “embrace their inner maker, get their hands dirty, fix some things, break some things and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Collaborating with the Knock Twice team, Napoleon provided animation, editing, music supervision, sound design, mixing and voice-over recording.
“Napoleon is a fantastic partner to work with,” says Knock Twice Management Supervisor Alli Neef. “The creative and production crews made the entire process as enjoyable as possible while ensuring they were truly bringing our vision to life. These guys managed everything with ease, providing us beautiful illustrations, charming animations, VO records (yes, they accommodated our multiple records) and epic sound design. Collaborating doesn't even begin to explain the process we followed. Napoleon brought great insights and additions to our initial storyboard designs, provided a new perspective on entire scenes for the team and encouraged us to push the boundaries to achieve great results.”
The project was a two-way street, says Napoleon Creative Director Matt Gendron.
“Working with Knock Twice was a great experience,” he says. “They relied on us to help streamline the process and we were more than happy to bring some cool ideas to the table. I mean, we got to animate robots with jetpacks—in space! We’re extremely proud of the result. It’s a fun and exciting journey of animation and sound.”
As always, Napoleon’s contributions went beyond creativity.
“The team is great at managing the ebbs and flows of everyday client life, whether it was dealing with extended delays in feedback or speeding things up to meet urgent client meetings,” says Neef. “Napoleon delivered. They didn't just meet expectations, they floored us with their charisma, charm—and creativity!”
“Projects like this allow Napoleon to show off the diversity of our creative services,” says Napoleon Director of Business Development Paul Johnson. “I really like when I get the opportunity to introduce new agencies like Knock Twice to Napoleon. They are trusting us with cool and exciting projects that allow us to develop the type of business we're after in the digital content arena.”
The Napoleon Group
Art. Craft. Ingenuity. Those are the deliverables that distinguish The Napoleon Group and the reasons creative thinkers and innovative brands trust us to instill impact and performance in their previsualization and test advertising.
Drawing on an evolving portfolio of specialized services and styles—animatics, cinematics, live production, art, audio, 3D VFX/motion graphics—Napoleon fashions captivating experiences that spark consumer curiosity, inspire brand loyalty and fuel product sales. In short, we provide deeper consumer insights and consistently higher test scores by creating customized content that connects, compels and converts.
Founded in 1985, The Napoleon Group is a full-service previz and post-production company with a legacy of unrivaled authority and an eye firmly focused on the future. Seizing an opportunity for growth and expansion in 2013, Napoleon moved to New York's nexus of creativity and technology, the vibrant Flatiron District, and created a dream studio—a one-of-a-kind, more than 14,000-square-foot contemporary office and facility on two floors that's perfectly suited to the changing nature of the advertising business.
The new project-centric space features a 12-camera Vicon Bonita motion-capture system, a spacious green-screen stage and custom-built edit and audio suites that combine comfort with a stylish efficiency, all seamlessly tied together with state-of-the-art infrastructure. The studio boasts an open-air workspace for 40-plus animators, editors, designers, illustrators, modelers, compositors, scripters, character artists, motion-graphics artists, producers and creative directors that facilitates creative synergy among staff and clients alike and inspires our savvy storytellers to greater heights.
For industry-leading talent, a collaborative culture and a facility designed to exhilarate, agencies seeking a truly creative partnership know where to turn: The Napoleon Group.
Video Credits
Client: Knock Twice
Production Company: The Napoleon Group
Creative Director/Project Manager: Matt Gendron
Executive Producer: Paul Johnson
Producer: Angela Gianforcaro
Lead Animator/Editor: Andre Sutherland
Animator/Editor: Shaun Reuter
Audio Engineer: Sam Owens
Larry Closs
Marketing Manager
The Napoleon Group
48 West 25th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY, 10010
212-692-9200, x625
Contact Larry via email
Paul Johnson
Director of Business Development
The Napoleon Group
48 West 25th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY, 10010
212-692-9200, x630
Contact Paul via email
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For more information on Simian upgrades and features, visit https://www.gosimian.com/
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