Independent record label Respect Music Records commissioned me to create a music video using the character designs I had previously created for their band Rubber Johnson. I served as the director, animator and storyboard artist on this project.
The video stars Rubber Johnson, as they battle against the nefariously dull forces of Professor Buzzkill and The M.A.N. (The Ministry of Amusement Nullification).
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As with the main Rubber Johnson characters, I was responsible for the overall character design. Below are some of the characters created for the video.
Design concepts for Professor Buzzkill.
Professor Buzzkill final design
Design concepts for The MAN. They were originally called The Fun Police.
The MAN - future version. Final design.
The MAN - present day. Final design.
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I also handled the background art for a few scenes. Below are some examples.
Rough sketch and finished version of the video's first shot.
A background for the 2nd scene with some compositing notes.
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Lastly, here's a quick motion test featuring band leader Rock Johnson that I made before gearing up for production. I considered doing the animation semi-puppet style, given our small crew & budget. For this test I applied what technique I could glom from watching episodes of the 'Black Panther' animated series, but in the end I mostly went hand-drawn as I normally do.
Pre-production animation test
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CREDITS
Scenario: James Canning
Direction, Animation, Storyboard, Character Design: Leo Aquino
Environment Design & Backgrounds: Jonilyn Torrijos, Leo Aquino, Naomi Meyers
Compositing & Effects: Robert Pendleton
