When Epson partnered with the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, to be their new brand ambassador, advertising agency Weber-Shandwick approached us to create a heart-warming tale of Usain’s biggest fan.
The animated film was featured across Epson’s social media channels in more than 15 markets around the globe. It was perfectly timed to add another feel-good layer to the holiday spirit during the 2021’s Christmas season.
During the height of 2021’s travel restrictions, it was impossible to organise a video shoot, so all eyes were turned to animation as a way to tell this compelling story.
We knew that having a celebrity as the main protagonist meant developing a recognisable character design with a delicate balance between reality and stylisation. Of course, the first thing we started playing with was Usain Bolt’s iconic winning pose.
In addition to designing Usain, we focused on creating the film’s other hero, the young boy. Without a voiceover, it was essential to use a variety of facial expressions to effectively convey the story’s emotions – from initial excitement and disappointment to eagerness, another bout of disappointment, and ultimately, sheer joy at the end.
We aimed to design a character that was both universally relatable and genuinely charming, ensuring that audiences worldwide would connect with and care about him.
Since the product Epson was advertising was one of the best ink-jet printers on the market, we wanted to adopt a rich colour scheme with high contrast and detail.
To make it as cinematic as possible, we staged the shots in a way a cinematographer would do on an actual film set and used the digital equivalent of prime camera lenses, making sure we employed realistic shot compositions and camera movements.
With over 40 shots containing multiple characters, animation was no easy task. We created detailed character studies and captured them from every angle needed, including a list of facial expressions and a body language library. Most shots were animated using a frame by frame posing technique, evoking a feeling of classic cel-animation.
When it comes to compositing, we wanted to achieve a rich cinematic look. We tried to simulate anamorphic film lens effects like depth of field and chromatic aberration, and we applied plenty of textures and atmospheric light effects to capture the story’s warmth.
It was decided that the film wouldn’t contain any dialogue, so the music composition was essential in creating the emotional ups and downs during the story’s four-act structure.
We followed both narratives, Usain’s winning instinct and the boy’s determination to be noticed, resulting in Bolt’s record-breaking win and fulfilling the boy’s dream to meet his hero.
After the final video received approval, the excitement continued! Epson was so impressed with the animation that they decided to use it internationally, leading us to adapt it into six different languages. The film launched online and on social media to great acclaim and continues to be used in over 15 markets. Its success prompted Epson to commission two additional films, also featuring Usain Bolt, which you can see elsewhere on our website.
We are immensely proud of our collaboration with Epson and Usain Bolt and hope you enjoy the results as much as we enjoyed creating them.