ABOUT

Concept
The Journey of Electricity is a series made in partnership with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions and Hitachi Energy, designed to help children better understand energy concepts. We were asked to create Season 2, consisting of four films that explore essential themes about the role of energy in daily life, to be published on the client's YouTube channel. To appeal to 8-17 year-olds, the films had to be upbeat, playful and highly visual, engaging viewers across the age spectrum. The client wanted a fresh design, but with some familiar features from Season 1 and a more energetic, sassy 'Electron' character.

Execution
Using a unique blend of 3D and 2D animation techniques, we created engaging, playful content that makes energy concepts accessible to young viewers. While the 3D elements provide dynamic movement and visual depth, the deliberately imperfect 2D animation adds character and warmth to the series. We created 3D base characters embellished with 2D line-work, creating a visually rich world that's both contemporary and dynamic. We intentionally kept the 2D layer imperfect, avoiding the reliance on a render effect to create the line details, therefore maintaining a 2D charm to the character animation. The films were produced using Cinema4D and After Effects.

Results
The technique of creating 3D base characters embellished with 2D line-work gave a charming feel that tied in with Season 1, whilst enabling us to be dynamic with the shots and camera moves. It also facilitated the narrative and character energy the client was expecting, resulting in 2.36 million video completions, 1.15 million true engagements and 853 million impressions. This technique was also highly efficient in allowing us to work to timing and budget limitations. It offered flexibility, which was perfect for animated transitions that added some visual flare in spot moments.