Universal Music - Jimmy Durante's Frosty The Snowman

2D after effects animation animation 2d cartoon Cel Animation Character design motion graphics music video

Our studio had the great honour of collaborating with Universal Music and created an epic animated music video for the iconic Christmas song "Frosty The Snowman" from legendary artist Jimmy Durante.

BRIEF:

Universal Music was looking for a new angle to introduce the classic Christmas song to younger and diverse audiences.

Bruce Resnikoff, President and CEO of UMe, the global catalogue company of UMG says: “These songs are some of the most popular year to year and we hope these videos brighten up fans holidays as well as attract new audiences across the digital platforms they inhabit. Similar to before, the video assets and creative will be deployed across UMe’s holiday marketing and advertising campaigns for a cohesive look and feel and to achieve greater engagement across a broader audience.”

CHALLENGES:

In 1969 Rankin/Bass Productions produced a 25-minute television special. That was a story based on the discovery of Frosty the Snowman. And that show pinned down the iconic look of the character. We had to develop new designs not far from the original version but an updated look for contemporary audiences.

UNIQUE SOLUTION:

Within our research, some key concepts emerged around the themes of Frosty The Snowman: Satisfying simplicity of childhood, Believing in your imagination, "We don't care what grown-ups say" by Frosty himself.

As we aim to brighten up fans holidays and attract new audiences across the digital platforms; We positioned each key concept within the needs and wants of the target audience.

We want to tell our story in a timeless setting and through the lens of a child to build the magical feeling more profound.
Magical realism with 60s Americana vibes.
Dreamy, textured, soft, overall fairy tale quality to visual language. It's the imagination and dreams of an adventurous kid.

He is HUGE in children's eyes. That's why he looks a bit menacing first, but he has a loving smile with a tender heart.

He's what you call a Gentle Giant. He is rebellious, playful, but nothing harmful and a bit clumsy. He is a natural leader, prioritise the children before himself.

Think of Baymax from Big Hero 6, Ralph of Wreck-It Ralph, Sully from Monsters, Inc. or Iron Giant

Making frosty huge provides a playground for the animation; while parading, kids can find exciting ways to play with him; Going on top of him, Adding new parts, Forming structures and patterns out of snow...The list goes on. We want to explore the 'heartwarming gentle giant' trope in the context of our iconic song.

Jimmy Durante is a significant character in the music video. He was positioned as a narrator to the story and appeared on screen in essential scenes.

We designed a stylised version of him for the animation. And portrait him as singing the song with body gestures and lip-synch.

Thank you for checking our project!
And we want to thank Universal Music for this exciting collaboration, and we are grateful to work with a fantastic team.
Please check the "Making of" section for further animation production details.

MAKING OF:

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT