Mectron - Shorts
The dentist’s scary, right? Prevention is too. That’s why Mectron asked for our help to break these stereotypes on denal care and to encourage healthier habits, with different 3D mini-commercials.
Welcome to the pivotal scene. As soon as the creative strategy came to life, we wanted to create a super funny gag for those who are afraid of the dentist. A cavewoman, her bat and a fossil between her teeth is all you need to feel brave.
Once we nailed the right tone for the project, it was time to craft the scenes, one style frame at a time. We aimed for a pop, colorful mood that leaves you in awe. The style revolves around combining simple geometric shapes with semi-realistic materials and studio-like lighting. If everything seems to sparkle, it means we've done our job.
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Character development
Just like a real casting, we scoured high and low to assemble a crew that's not only amusing but also professional. Enter a dinosaur, a real sweetheart, and a seasoned dentist who has honed her touch over the centuries. Based on simple shapes, their bodies were molded, rigged, and textured with plenty of love. And when needed, a bit of fur here and there to add that extra touch.
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Color palette and scheme
A long time ago there was a time when going to the de ntist was just… brutal. We imagined a dental clinic in the time of our friends dinosaurs. In our minds that period had a great color palette and was fuzzy and funny. We had a great time mixing photorealism with a minimal and graphic design.
The video swings between pain and wellness, anxiety and calm. We conveyed this concept everywhere with colors, shapes and angles. Take a look at the color scheme and you’ll see how anxiety becomes more and more a distant memory.
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Animation
Poses, smears and hyperboles: we have them all. Every scene was animated in 2D, then outlined in 3D to give the animation a warm and handcraft style that only the frame by frame can provide. We opted for cell animation on some details like facial expressions and FX.
Below we collected some of our favourite assets from the video.
We tried to combine the world of graphic design made of simple shapes, with a 3D look and feel.
We tried to combine the world of graphic design made of simple shapes, with a 3D look and feel.
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3D development
And it's production time! After all the groundwork is laid out and decisions are made, it's time to dive into our beloved 3D software to kickstart the show. Our first full 3D project put us in a position to learn a lot, from rigging to cell animation in the third dimension. Here, we've gathered materials, assets, and entire scenes ready for a behind-the-scenes peek
Fur was quite the challenge, but isn't the result stunning? From clothing to the entire world, it's filled with hairs, and here's a glimpse into the journey to achieve this look. We utilized both Blender particle systems and Geo nodes to craft the final style.
No show without assets, so take a peek at this parade of beautiful set props. Each one meticulously drawn and modeled. The magic happens when they come together to form a scene. Rooted in minimal design, ensuring a consistent style scene after scene.
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Storyboard
It's time to look back and see how far we've come. A close look at the initial storyboard will immediately give you a clear idea of where we wanted to go. That's why we've gathered all the boards right here.
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Typography
Typography, too, was a deliberate creative choice. We wanted it to be an integral part of the layouts and the overall design. Hence, we opted for a font that could stand alone on the screen – a true rockstar, folks.
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Thanks
Thanks
Credits
Direction Rocketpanda
Creative Director Riccardo Albertini, Filippo Martinelli ✱ Storyboard Eleonora Giuffrida, Federica Amico ✱ 3D Filippo Martinelli, Federica Amico ✱ 3D Animation Filippo Martinelli, Riccardo Albertini, Fabio Donadoni ✱ 2D animation and 2DFX Laura Tomelleri, Riccardo Pagano ✱ Compositing Filippo Martinelli, Andrea Nobis ✱ Music and SFX Dsorderless
