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"No one really knows what goes on inside a clown's mind."
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Every year Global Game Jam reveals a different theme, which jammers are supposed to base their games on. For 2024 edition the theme was "Make me Laugh", and as per usual we dove into its possible meanings.
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.Ridi Pagliaccio
The setup
The phrase "Make Me Laugh" carries a challenge tone that quickly got us on the track of Clown King: a powerful entity that, fearless before his funny little subjects, holds his laugh for mysterious reasons.
Nonetheless, they wait in line, hoping to get his attention and - who knows? - his laugh.
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As a being that exists among gods and extraterrestrials, Clown King's visual was based upon creatures of his own kind. The work of René Laloux, Juarez Machado and the studio Clubcamping were great inspirations during this process:
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Left to Right: "La Planète Sauvage" (1973) - René Laloux, drawings by Juarez Machado and "Tartarus" (2022) - Clubcamping.
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Explaining the joke
The build
The most important part of the Theme Reveal video is (besides the reveal) what we may call "exploring the theme". Its purpose is to provide insights on the theme in the most varied ways, and it's when jammers usually try to guess what this year's theme will be. In practice, that meant going deep in every possible answer to the question What makes people laugh?
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The art direction was defined so each scene scene could be interpreted in an open way, but following a cohesive line. Each character is not only being funny, but actively trying to make Clown King (or the viewer?) have a good laugh. This includes a couple of Fourth Wall breaks! Try to see if you can spot them during the video. :P
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Show your teeth
The punchline
Finally, the moment of truth! The time every Global Game Jammer was waiting for: the THEME.
Following the lore of our mighty jester, we find out the secret reason behind his humorless face: a mouth full of crooked and missing teeth, rewarding us with a much anticipated piece of information.
Following the lore of our mighty jester, we find out the secret reason behind his humorless face: a mouth full of crooked and missing teeth, rewarding us with a much anticipated piece of information.
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Client: Global Game Jam | Year: 2024 | Service: Creative Direction and Animation Production
Direction: RANDO BANDO
Art and Animation Direction: Mateus Klein
Storyboard and Cel Animation: Mateus Klein | Clown King Character Design: Mateus Klein, Bebeto Cahali
Creative Direction, Illustration and Editing: Mateus Klein, Luis Naza | Animation: Mateus Klein, Luis Naza, Bebeto Cahali
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