Playing mobile games in the bathroom at the office is probably not a good idea for a lot of reasons, including the chance of an exploding toilet due to resounding defeat at the hands of your opponent. Such is the scenario depicted in a new animated online spot by Calabash for Signal Zero, the San Francisco-based company focused on helping gamers make money playing games, and its new Tap Rival mobile gaming platform.
Stylistically, says Calabash Creative Director Wayne Brejcha, they went for a look that emphasized simple figures with cartoony shapes and bold outlines, which, given the fast-pace of the spot, helped give viewers an immediate sense of their personalities, while providing a visual platform for the super outrageous.
“Because there is just the one location, and the camera does not move much, we went with a series of quick cuts from one character to the other and the intensity increases building to the explosive ending,” Brejcha says. “For us the challenge involved capturing the character’s expressions in a strictly 2D world. We also focused a lot on the pacing so you get the reveal that these two women are not just next to each other but also in the bathroom. There was a lot of fine-tuning with nuances of eye squints and the speed of their thumbs tapping like crazy on their phones. For the explosion we had to get the color and texture just right, we were going for over-the-top but wanted to stay in a stylistic range.”
SPW CreditsClient: Signal Zero
Project: "Defend Your Throne" (online ad)
Animation: Calabash, Chicago, IL
Creative Director: Wayne Brejcha
Executive Producer: Sean Henry
Boma | Camp Sugar Brand Identity
Rebel Wilson's Directorial debut “The Deb” premiered as the closing night film at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Adding a touch of creative flair to the film’s debut, the team at Boma helped in crafting the brand identity for Wilson’s production company, Camp Sugar.
“Rebel and her team approached us with this adorable character design and a simple question: ‘Can we make this happen in time for Toronto?’” shares Jason Cohon. “As huge fans of animation, and with such a fantastic concept from Josh and Meredith on Rebel’s team, it was an easy ‘yes!’”
The :05 identity opens in a serene forest scene featuring a hand-carved wooden sign reading “Camp Sugar.” As the camera reveals two hands gently holding the sign, a little girl playfully peeks from behind, inviting the audience into the world of Camp Sugar. Boma was tasked with designing and animating the 3D environment and character, delivering a fully rendered introduction that will serve as a long-lasting signature for Rebel Wilson’s films for years to come.
“We had so much fun making this and hope to be able to do many more unique versions for all of Camp Sugar’s films.”
Based in Los Angeles, Boma was created to fill a need for quicker turnarounds and tighter budgets while maintaining quality at the highest creative level. With a fully remote pipeline, global partnership across three continents and a team of senior creative talent, Boma is equipped to scale projects rapidly, regardless of budget or timeline constraints.
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