Sokra
Year: 2021-2022
CGI – 3D Animation
Agency: Zaraguza
We produced a series of three animated CGI commercials from scratch. We went through the entire creative process from dissecting the literary script to creating storyboards, 3D characters and environments, making animatics, all the way to color grading, material finalization, animation, and rendering. In addition to the visual and content aspects, we also provided sound production, post-production, and video editing.
After approval of the storyboard, we created a separate animatic for each commercial. This is a simplified animated version of the final clip without the final lighting, color, materials, or environment. However, the animatic is an extremely important step in the creation of 3D commercials because it contains the timing of each action. The client gets an idea of the length, pace, and rhythm of the future animation. It also serves as a template for creating sound effects and music. Since commercials have a set time frame, syncing the content and timing is crucial.
As all content is laboriously created frame by frame for 3D animated commercials, the animatic is a space for clarifying the exact appearance of the commercial, which saves time and budget. Alongside creating storyboards and animatics, we worked on the visual design of the 3D characters and figurines. We started with sketches and materials provided by the agency, and created designs based on the basic idea. After approving the 3D models, we then created the so-called rigs for them and prepared them for animation. In parallel with the characters, we designed and modeled the scenery. In this case, it was a fictional talent show for tuna, where the judge selected the best tuna for Sokra products.
The next step in the process of creating an animated 3D commercial is look development. This involves fine-tuning the character models and scenery using materials and textures, whose approval in this project was combined with creating presentation images for social media, where the judge character posed in a specific lighting situation. This is followed by final animation according to the animatic and lighting, followed by rendering. After this step, we work with a 2D image, so the steps of compositing individual elements and final color correction follow. We were approached by the creative agency Zaraguza to work on the campaign for Sokra client in 2021.