Produced by: Think Twice Media
Storyboard: Rodrigo Dominguez, Daniela Varon
Storyboard: Rodrigo Dominguez, Daniela Varon
Styleframes and Character Design: Laura Acevedo
2D Animation: Rodrigo Dominguez, Daniela Varon
Character Animation: Daniela Varon
3D Animation: Rodrigo Dominguez
Sound design: Think Twice Media
Brief
An animated video raising awareness about H. pylori, a common stomach bacterium that can sometimes lead to serious health issues. The video informs the Miami community about the importance of testing and highlights the University of Miami’s research leadership and efforts in this area.
Branding assets and a script were provided.
Concept
The domino effect is a simple, universal metaphor that shows how one small trigger can lead to bigger outcomes, and it also happens to be a familiar and playful symbol of Miami culture. By stopping the chain reaction, UM is positioned as a trusted partner that helps restore balance to both our community and our health.
Design
The designs are built around a simple graphic language, grounded in geometric shapes and a strong use of color contrast. To enhance the visuals and achieve a more refined finish, we incorporated lighting, shadows, and texture.
Characters
The characters in this project were a fun part of the development process. We initially explored different styles and gravitated toward a geometric approach, using abstraction and a varied color palette. Our human characters represent three key niches: older adults, adults, and younger people.
For our protagonist, the H. pylori bacterium, we explored multiple ways of abstracting its distinctive real-world form. Ultimately, we settled on an elongated, peanut-shaped silhouette, complete with arms and legs.
Animation
The characters were rigged and animated entirely within AE using DuIK with controls covering everything, making the animation process much more manageable.
Blending 2D and 3D is never without its challenges, but watching those characters sit naturally in a 3D space built to look and feel like a flat, 2D world makes it all worth it.
