Commissioned by Sunset and Vine, Jump has created a new visual identity for Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympic Games in Rio. London 2012 first introduced us to “The Superhumans,” many of whom are now household names. Jump selected six of the nation's finest and hand crafted beautiful expressions of their abilities, personalities and Paralympic glories through authentic Brazilian illustration and painstaking cel animation. The sequence, which was designed and animated in-house at Jump, which is also the official visual graphics supplier of the BT Sport Industry Awards, using 2D Flash Animation, Cinema 4D & After Effects, picks up our Team GB athletes from London 2012 and delivers them to Rio 2016 in an explosion of Brazilian energy and colour. By animating directly on-top of footage from London 2012, they were able to transport the athletes into a new word whilst retaining the visceral emotion which triggers such vivid memories of the incredible achievements in London.
The film was directed by Lee Jacobs, artwork and illustration was by Gabriel Silveira, 2D Flash Animation and Effects were by Harriet Gillian & Sabine Volkert, cinema 4D & After Effects Animation, Tracking and Composite were by Callum O’Reilly, and Sound Design was by Echoic. Jacobs said of the film: “Channel 4 allowed us a blank canvas brief, and with their mantra 'Born Risky' ringing in our ears, we were able to let rip creatively. Armed with all the colours in the box and a reason to use them, we worked with cel animation to realise a set of truly fantastical ideas in this sequence.”
The film sees Jonnie Peacock proudly strut with resplendent feathers, Ellie Simmonds become one with the water that she so effortlessly glides through, Hannah Cockroft engulf her competitors with the power of a hurricane, David Weir transform into an unstoppable “Weir Wolf,” Sarah Storey, (Paralympic Royalty) becoming literal liquid gold, and Richard Whitehead blasting through his competition in the final 100m. It's a genuinely beautiful and inspiring piece of work that needs to be seen to be believed.
