Evolve Skateboards

Partners-in-style

When the animation-dabbling creatives at Fotomedia met the skateboard-loving animators at Jumbla, it was a match made in heaven.

The brief? Take the electric board of Fotomedia’s client, Evolve Skateboards, and illustrate its innovative inner workings. Then, transition from the animation back into live footage Evolve had already shot.

Rebuilding the board 

“Luckily, our client knew exactly what they wanted for the skateboard look - tough and badass,” Motion Designer Bruno Borio said. “It helped that the team at Fotomedia were animators in their own right, as well. We just needed to light the scene nicely and make sure the materials and model we used in Cinema 4D matched the real product.”

Jumbla’s creatives were initially supplied with a digital version of the skateboard’s industrial 3D model, which they recreated in Cinema 4D, then lit and rendered out. 

Their main challenge was create electricity that sparkled realistically around the board – an integral part of the animation.

Two options were proposed: one using a particle formula, the other using a 2D animated texture projected into a distorted (i.e. wavy) 3D plane. This made each render a lengthy – but necessary – process. As a workaround, the team settled for scrutinising low-res previews to make sure the movement of the electricity was right. 

A new use of technology

“We animated the skateboard and the scene in 3D, because our client needed to show both the inside of the skateboard and the skateboard in a 360 degree rotation,” Bruno said. “But the assets we used to create the electricity were 2D.

“We needed to complete work on the two separate files individually before we composited [combined] them in After Effects.”

Seamless delivery 

Shared interests aren’t a prerequisite for Jumbla jobs, although in this case, it certainly helped.

“The guys at Fotomedia did animation themselves, so they had a good understanding of what was involved in the process,” Bruno said. 

A shared vision, clear deliverable dates and a quicker-than-expected turnaround led to a seamless project delivery. The results are live on Evolve’s Youtube channel -- and based on the comments section, we’d call their audience well-hyped!