World Animal Protection || Raising Awareness
Nucco Brain worked with World Animal Protection to raise awareness of the inhumane elephant riding industry
and its harmful effects on these highly intelligent animals.
Across Asia, elephants are abused so that tourists can ride them. Now, this cruel industry is spreading in
Southern Africa.
Although elephants ridden by tourists in Asia and Southern Africa may seem tranquil, they have in fact been
separated from their families and brutalised into passiveness. We wanted to create a short film that would
highlight the plight of these majestic animals in captivity. Our film was created in a striking visual style that uses
silhouettes and fluid watercolour transitions to describe the life of a baby elephant, orphaned and imprisoned by
poachers. We wanted to avoid showing explicit acts of violence, instead allowing the imaginations of our viewers
to fill in the gaps. We also used colour to depict fear and loss of innocence: our elephant’s life in the jungle is
bright and vibrant, whereas in captivity it is reared among dark and ominous shadows. We wanted our audience
to fully empathise with his misery, blurring the lines between human and animal emotions.
We are immensely touched to have been asked to work on this project, and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved
in partnership with World Animal Protection. We hope that our involvement can help to end this barbaric
practice.
"We chose to tell our story through animation to convey this complex issue in a simple way. This film allows us to
educate the public, open their eyes to the cruelty of elephant riding, and inspire them to be a part of the
solution.”
- Colette Collins, Deputy Director of Communications at World Animal Protection.
Credits:
Creative Director/Animation Supervisor - Stefano Marrone
Creative Director/Animation Supervisor - Stefano Marrone
Animation Director - Pedro Allevato
Producer & Project Manager - Sally Guelfi
Concept Artist - Ludivine Berthouloux and Valorize
Lead Animator - Chris Hilton
2D Animation - Ludivine Berthouloux
Sound Designer - Pindrop
