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CREATE RAVING FANS

RAPID-RESPONSE ANIMATION
FOR THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL

ENTERTAINING STORIES X CAPTIVATING CHARACTERS X BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY

= FAST, COMPELLING CONTENT

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:
With production shut down here in LA and around the world, and travel impossible, we’re seeing an increased demand for animation. We’ve assembled an elite, remote production team of illustrators, animators and storytellers to rapidly respond, and keep entertainment and marketing efforts moving. With so many impacted, we’re aiming to help out as many people as we can to both meet demand and boost jobs in the industry.

A BIG PROBLEM:

TRADITIONAL, FRAME-BY-FRAME 
ANIMATION TAKES TOO LONG 
AND IS TOO EXPENSIVE.

The chop-chop, frenetic pace of today’s digital world calls for new ways of bringing stories to life.

IMAGINE…

Rapidly producing “snackable” animated videos in the same day.

Original animated shows produced in weeks as opposed to months.

A 30-story animated creature interacting in real time with customers as they pass by.

The emerging technologies we use are making animation more affordable and accessible, while opening up previously unthought of opportunities.

And we’re helping
to lead the charge.

Like with Character Animator, which enables us to produce animated shows and “snack-able” content quickly, making it perfect for bite-sized applications like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Periscope and whatever’s hot next month.

With the latest 3-D face-tracking technology to recognize expressions and lip movements, we can animate using audio and video inputs to create lip-syncing and realistic movements.

What do these technologies make possible?

  • We can create a character and then animate it with your performance or an actor’s simply by having the speaker in front of the camera and talking.
  • Once a character is rigged and backgrounds are created, it’s essentially done. It’s a streamlined process that allows for instant execution.
  • Body-tracking will soon open up dynamic possibilities in the near future.

Character Animator just won an Emmy for Technical Achievement.

(And yes, that’s an Oscar, not an Emmy she’s holding, but we hoped you wouldn’t notice.)

We work with Adobe’s Advanced Product Development Team.

  • We’ve been beta-testers for the pioneering program for years. Our animation team has suggested features that have been built-in, and we’re among the first to test new features and updates before they’re released to the public.

  • Our team was hired to appear on Adobe Live, demonstrating over the three-day session the ground-breaking possibilities of Character Animator by creating and puppeting characters from scratch.

  • We’ve been featured as speakers for Adobe at the San Diego Comic-Con and the Animation Expo in Burbank.
  • We’ve created Character Animator puppets to download from Adobe’s website.
  • We’re in direct contact with Adobe’s Character Animator team who are willing to assist with technical updates to enable new shows.

We’re in good company.

  • TV shows that have successfully animated with Character Animator include Our Cartoon President, Rise of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, Archer and My Little Pony, along with the upcoming Tooning Out The News.
  • Where traditional animated departments have employed staffs of hundreds to create half-hour cartoons, technology is changing the landscape rapidly. Now it’s possible to animate quickly and efficiently, greatly decreasing the time and staff needed to produce and air a show.

And we can do this in
real-time, meaning live.

  • The performance-based technology we use now makes it possible to broadcast live animation, so storytelling can become animated storyliving.
  • Hosting live interviews and live-streaming to promote original content on social media are all possible.
  • With real-time puppeteers to control a character’s virtual movements along with live compositing and a green screen, our ability to broadcast live now is just the start of the innovation to come.


We’re seeing a mere glimpse of what’s going to be possible in the years to come…

Here’s a corn dog.

(We actually made a puppet of a sausage on a stick for Conan O’Brian.)

Breakthrough technology paired with exceptional creative talent.

  • We bring a level of craftsmanship to our art that’s difficult to match. Our talented team of illustrators and animators are at the top of their games.
  • The foundation for amazing animation is stellar illustration that conveys emotions and sparks passions as characters are brought to life.

  • Our animation team’s strength is devising innovative solutions to create movements that are lifelike and make the story flow.
  • Our passion is bringing characters to life to live in a digital world — and can do so in any style. We’re chameleons who can craft unique characters that perfectly fit your brand.
  • Animation lets us control all elements of production including talent, lighting, camera angles, etc., to create magical experiences.

A few other thoughts…

  • We love thrilling audiences. For example, we get a kick out of embedding Easter eggs in our projects for extra layers of engagement and repeated viewings, giving the viewer a feeling of exploration and excitement.
  • Animation is perfect for product placements. And if a product needs to change, that can be a quick fix.

We’re able to create some amazing things using SVG animations that work across mobile. See them in action on our homepage.

Nothing lost in translation.

  • Need the story told all over the world? The technologies we use support multiple languages, with more being added monthly.
  • We draw the different mouth shapes needed for each language, use the audio inputs in that tongue and produce each translation.
  • It’s like having a custom show for every language. And much less expensive than doing live-action in multiple languages.

The shape of what’s to come: Vertical and square.

  • How people view videos is changing fast. Billions of Snapchat and Instagram Stories are created every year, nearly all shot vertically or 1:1.
  • In fact, 94% of people hold their phones upright when capturing content on their smartphones.
  • Major brands are embracing the vertical and square (1:1) video formats in our mobile-first world.
  • For TBS and Team Coco’s Comedy Club that appeared on Snapchat, we animated it exclusively in a vertical format.

Mobile. Fast. Young. Vertical.

  • Today’s consumers expect content that’s live, on-demand, hyper-relevant and served up instantly.
  • They don’t want to read. They want video that explains, entertains and enhances experiences.

We get Gen Z and millennials.

  • If a brand’s target market is millennials or Gen Z, shorter, visually rich content will garner more positive ROI. And animation on Snapchat and Instagram Stories will instantly stand out.
  • We were enlisted by a large LA-based ad agency in 2018 to lead the design of Microsoft’s brand guide about Gen Z and how to market to that age group.

We’re experts in animating for networks like NBC, ABC, TBS, Fox Sports and Conan O’Brien.

And they trust us to deliver.

Big brands call on us.

  • With a wealth of big-brand experience, we combine creativity with strategic thinking, custom illustrations and original character designs, then put them into motion in dynamic, innovative ways using breakthrough technology that delivers measurable results.
  • Stripped of cumbersome procedures and overhead, we can focus more on creativity, devoting our resources to producing the best ideas.

Zip zip. Zoom zoom.

  • Need it the day before yesterday? Don’t worry we’re fast and responsive. We work you using Scrum and Agile project management to deliver exceptional, expedited results.
  • How quickly can we turn a project around? We’ve created a high-profile, 60-second animation for NBC in under two weeks.
  • (Please note that rushes incur rush fees.)

We’re chameleons.

  • Our passion is bringing characters to life — and can do so in any style.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Team Coco • TBS • Snapchat

8 comedians.

Each with a 3-minute story.

Over 26 minutes of animation.

Completed in less than 3 months.

With a team of 4.

And we can do this even faster now with additional staff.

Cooking up our own original IP.

  • We’ve created a number of original show ideas with a new slate in the works. We’re in various stages of discussions with networks and brands to find a good home for these shows.
  • Show ideas include themes based on sports, music and comedy.