The path to a successful animated video is never fast, but it's always fun.  Whether 2-D or 3-D, the process is always more painstaking than live action. Every frame is subject to scrutiny.  Every detail put through the filter.  

And  on a recent animation project we learned that sometimes  "less really is more."    

In an effort to create a unique character for our client's video, we hired the talents of a well known illustrator whose style we greatly admired.  He created two charming characters that we submitted to the client.  They picked one they liked, but after seeing a pencil test of the character moving and walking, we discovered that the client really wanted generic graphical icons as their protagonists, not customized characters.   

This was a surprise, in that we thought that a custom designed character could be a "brand" that can live on for years, like Speedy Alka Seltzer or Bart Simpson.  And it can be merchandised in innumerable ways.  But in this case, our client taught us something.  Sometimes, a generic icon works just as well - and is the best representation of "Everyman" that you can find.     

 Graphical simplicity has an elegance of its own.  And look!  Our character is so popular, he's on every restroom door!  

Stay tuned for the complete video in upcoming newsletters