London motion design studio Art&Graft unleash a torrent of frenetic, isometric fun for Boomerang, Turner Broadcasting’s cartoon classic network with an eye to “re-align the branding across territories and create a complementary channel to Cartoon Network, whilst establishing its own identity & personality.”

Art&Graft CD, Mike Moloney: “We looked to create a wonderfully playful brand identity – a fun-filled playground of surprise and excitement.

“The use of blocks relates to its ‘bigger brother’ Cartoon Network, allowing the two brands to complement one another yet, with the use of rich color and isometric grid, also enables Boomerang to stand out clearly as its own destination. A place packed full of magic and wonder, where things are constantly revealed and appear in unexpected and entertaining ways.”

Concept, Design & Direction by Art&Graft

Creative Directors:
Mike Moloney (Art&Graft)
Michael Ouweleen (Cartoon Network)
Jacob Escobedo (Cartoon Network)
Lead Creative:
William Mercer (Art&Graft)

Producers:
Beth McQueen (Art&Graft)
Susan Shipsky (Cartoon Network)
Lead Designers / Animators:
Martin Salfity (Art&Graft)
Clement Bolla (Art&Graft)
Stephen Middleton (Art&Graft)
Jim Wheeler (Art&Graft)

Animators working as part of the in-house team at Art&Graft:
Martin Aggerholm, Jason Drew, Carlos de Faria, James Hatley, Jamie Hoy, Sebastian Livingston, Sam Munnings, Marco Savignano, Joseph Winston.

Music & Sound Design: Bluetube

London motion studio Art&Graft just sent us their latest in-house animated short “The Walk.” Marked by a peaceful/atmospheric tone and meticulous palette, the film “about the simple pleasure of putting one foot in front of the other” was inspired by the spectacular Lake District in the North-west of England.

Watch Art&Graft’s previous Studio Film “Gizmosis”

London design studio Art&Graft step up with a 30-second blast of 3D abstraction and typography for the animated title sequence fronting AMV BBDO’s new creative showcase event titled Gunpowder, a curated screening of work across music videos, content, experiential and short films.

Concept, Design and Animation by Art&Graft
Sound Design: Factory Studios
Music Composition: Walter Mair & Siren

London design and motion studio Art&Graft take on the challenge of conveying a character’s emotions without the benefit of facial features in this 3D animated charmer for Costa Sunglasses thru agency McGarrah Jessee.

Mike Moloney, Creative Director at Art&Graft: “Tasked with bringing this timeless tale of adventure to life, we set out on our own journey too; creating a warm-hearted, cinematic film of the little Leafcutter.

“Throughout the process this always felt more like we were making a short film rather than a commercial; spending equal time on crafting the narrative storyline and rich, illustrative visual treatment as on the subtle 3D character animation of the finished film.

“Surely we all recognise a bit of ourselves in the Leafcutter’s quest for adventure. At times we follow the journey in microscopic detail, watching as huge raindrops crash all around, before viewing the same landscapes in glorious wide shots, utilizing the full range of scale that animation affords.”

Client: Costa
VP of Marketing: Al Perkinson

Agency: McGarrah Jessee
ECD: James Mikus
Creative Director: Joel Clement
Writers: Joel Clement, Andy Greenaway and Elliot Nordstrom
Art Directors: Joel Clement, Eliott Nordstrom and Bruce Matchett
Executive Producer: Meredith Roach
Producer: Marlena Villery

Design, Direction and Production: Art&Graft
Creative Director: Mike Moloney
Head of Animation: Clement Bolla
Creative: Stephen Middleton
Producer: Tom Bromwich
Animators: Ricardo David, Tim Kirby, Guitty Mojabi, Florian Mounie, Sam Munnings, Han-Ter Park and Vincent Techer.
Music & Sound Design: Brains & Hunch

London motion masters Art&Graft blend 3D character animation with a warm illustrative style for both an intimate and sweeping showcase of how sales of lottery tickets in the UK support the 1,300 athletes of Team GB and their quest for victory at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Art&Graft creative director Mike Moloney: “We wanted to create the epic, cinematic scenes synonymous with an Olympics launch, yet also introduce a warmth and charm that is sometimes missing when representing our heroic athletic superstars.

“Influenced by the paintings of Norman Wilkinson; his beautiful representations of British landscapes and sense of four seasons in one day, we sought to incorporate stunning lighting and a warm color palette into the design of the environments.

“We wanted the tickets to feel magical and mischievous as they spring to life in the morning sunlight then, once they join together in a flock, to feel graceful and elegant as they sweep through the air and transform our Team GB athletes.”

Client
The National Lottery / ITV

ITV
Executive Creative Director — Tony Pipes
Creative Director — Anton Ezer
Campaign Manager — Heena Jivan
Marketing Manager — Natasha Reddy

ITN Productions
Executive Producer — Jemma Cassey
Campaign Producer — Jennifer Collins

Art&Graft
Creative Director — Mike Moloney
Head of Animation — Clement Bolla
Head of 3D — Martin Salfity
Art Director — Stephen Middleton
Producer — Tom Bromwich
Illustration — Coline Bigelow, Clement Bolla, Stephen Middleton, Guitty Mojabi, Jim Wheeler
Character Animation — Clement Bolla, Ricardo David, Ellie Dupont, Sunil Kumar, Florian Mounie, Vincent Techer
Animation — Clement Bolla, Nicolas Canticus, Joe Maker, Stephen Middleton, Sam Munnings, Martin Salfity, Jim Wheeler
Print Artworker — Stephen Everett

Music — Nothing But Love by James, BMG Rights Management
Sound Design — Grand Central Studios

London design and animation studio Art&Graft infuse Indian children’s TV channel Pogo with primary colors and an irrepressible energy in their quest to establish “the ultimate Indian kids entertainment destination.”

Art&Graft: “With branding dating back 12 years, the channel had underlying design principles but needed a cleaner, more contemporary update.

“We built on the existing core elements of the logo and color palette and then developed an elegant, grid-like structure that could house characters and type in a sophisticated yet playful environment.”

Client: Turner Broadcasting

Designed, Directed & Produced: Art&Graft
Creative Director: Mike Moloney
Head of Design: Will Mercer
Creatives: Jim Wheeler, Mikey Dowdle, Sam Bevington
Producer: Helen Randall

Music and Sound Design — Dave Meckin

Exactly two years ago London design and animation studio Art&Graft released their wonderful in-house project “The Walk”, a calm, almost ambient ode to light and perambulation.

Their newest short, inspired by the films of John Carpenter, is the fourth in their animated Studio Film® series. “Lost Hope” retains the languid pacing of “The Walk” but trades sunlight for raven darkness, and discovery for night-shrouded mystery.

Art&Graft: “Lost Hope is a film about the dark places we travel to when feeling lost and alone.

“Distilling photographic techniques into an illustrative style, the film charts a cyclical journey of escaping the city and venturing into the wilderness. Plug in your headphones and head for the light.”

Created & Produced — Art&Graft
Music and Sound Design — Echoic

From the release:

Seattle, WA – Seattle animation and design production company, Anchor Point, has added Art&Graft to its roster for exclusive representation in the United States.

Art&Graft is an award-winning team of creatives, design specialists and producers crafting distinctive and insightful visual campaigns for the world’s most dynamic and ambitious brands.

Founded in 2010 by creative director Mike Moloney, the Art&Graft team has enjoyed creative success across both Europe and the US with campaigns for Virgin, Cartoon Network, BBC, The Washington Post, ITV, The National Lottery and Harrods.

Moloney on the decision to join Anchor Point’s roster: “Both Art&Graft and Anchor Point are defined by their creativity, integrity and independence. We’re looking forward to working with a similarly tenacious company that shares these same values, and is equally committed to achieving outstanding creative projects for our clients.”
Art&Graft joins an all-star roster that includes Brikk, Wonderlust, Blame Your Brother and Part One.

Anchor Point is a full service digital production company that offers collaborative and creative solutions by pairing clients and agencies with the right studios in their collective. Their creative partners offer a wide range of design and animation skills and a passion for storytelling. With a priority in coupling artistic integrity with client satisfaction, Anchor Point provides hands-on support and guidance through each step of production.

anchorpointanimation.com
 

Wieden+Kennedy, London: “‘SMARTY/not SMARTY’ playfully illustrates there are SMARTY and not so SMARTY choices in life.

“Using charming 3D animated storytelling, produced by Art&Graft, played out in everyday scenarios, the spot highlights the brand’s killer USP (money back for unused data) with a witty tone.”
 

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, London
Creative Directors: Hollie Walker, Kit Dayaram
Creatives: Joris Philippart, Arnab Chanda, Tomas Coleman
Executive Creative Directors: Iain Tait , Tony Davidson
TV Producer: Jo Charlesworth

Production/director: Art&Graft
Producer: Tom Bromwich

Sound Company: 750 MPH
Sound Designer: Sam Robson
Producer: Mary-Ann de Cruz
 
 

Weaving together 2D and 3D techniques, Art&Graft in London conjure an inviting and atmospheric illustrative style for Tilal Al Ghaf, a new community-driven property development in Dubai.

From Art&Graft: “Creating warmth whilst retaining a graphic, architectural style was a driving force for the visual direction. By combining traditional animation techniques with 3D elements we were able to strike upon this delicate balance to create a charming yet modern aesthetic.

“From the outset we knew the design of the characters should be stylized and elegant, to highlight the beauty of the Hikayat Al Ghaf area. Adding overlapping shapes and curves to the designs helped create a visual link with the stylized forms of their surroundings.

“It was important for our central characters to feel aspirational yet retain a charm and approachability to resonate with the viewer. Careful attention was made towards the intricate design details to help define this, such as the print of a shirt or the shape of their glasses.”
 

Design, direction, production: Art&Graft
Music, sound design: Brains & Hunch
 
 

Art&Graft are back with a second helping of well-crafted character silliness for UK mobile provider SMARTY thru Wieden+Kennedy, London.

From Art&Graft: “Set in a garish high-street tanning shop, the Art&Graft team developed a brand new comic duo of a chancing likely lad and non-plussed salon beautician to deliver Smarty’s innovative brand message.

“The design of each character accentuates the playful contrast between their personalities and body shapes, charmingly brought to life through the humorous subtleties of movement and expression.”

Watch the first SMARTY spot here.
 

Client: SMARTY

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy London
Executive creative directors: Iain Tait, Tony Davidson
Creative directors: Hollie Walker, Kit Dayaram
Creative: Joris Philippart, Arnab Chanda, Tomas Coleman
TV producer: Jo Charlesworth

Design/direction/animation: Art&Graft

Sound: 750 MPH
Producers: Sam Robson, Mary-Ann de Cruz
 
 

The latest edition of London motion meetupSee No Evil presents Art&Graft Oct 2 at Cafe 1001, 91 Brick Lane London E1 6QL.

Doors Open: 7:00pm
Talk Starts: 7:30pm

Watch the show live on the Instagram from 7.30pm @seenoevillondon.

As usual, it’s FREE. So get down to SNE where you can meet some liked minded creative people, and have some fun in the process!
 
 

From the release:

Final Frontier has announced the addition of Art&Graft to its now 16-strong roster in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Australia.

Art&Graft specializes in character-driven 2D and 3D narrative animation, character design and channel rebrands, and has also created a significant body of original shorts.

Founded in 2010 by Mike Moloney, the London-based studio currently comprises 12 full-time staff bolstered by freelance talent. Recent clients have included Google, Amazon, Virgin Media, Wieden + Kennedy, Asics, Soho House, and Turner. Frequent flyers may know the studio’s lauded Virgin Atlantic pre-flight safety film.

Describing the studio’s work, Moloney says, “We’re best known for our character-driven films, crafting a narrative and directing the action through the design and personality of our characters. We focus a lot of effort into crafting each frame and the nuances within them. We hope viewers will continue to spot new details each time they watch them.”

Art&Graft have recently begun to expand their work into more tech-driven areas, including designing characters for Google augmented reality apps, and a self-initiated ‘future safari’ motion capture project.

On joining Final Frontier, Moloney says, “The market in Asia feels exciting and full of opportunity. It is uncharted territory with so much potential. Final Frontier is going for it, and it felt right to get involved. The roster feels very complimentary to the work we do at Art&Graft.”

Final Frontier executive producer Gustavo Karam says, “We’ve been huge admirers of Art&Graft’s work for years. They are among the global vanguard in character design and animation, and we’re super excited to see what emerges when their unique quality reacts with creativity in Asia.”

Art&Graft is the latest addition to Final Frontier’s growing roster in Asia, which already includes international animation studios and directors across the technique spectrum, including Tendril, Le Cube, Los York, Wonderlust and CanCan Club.
 
 

In a rare example of a Chinese broadcaster working with international creatives on a rebrand, London’s Art&Graft launch a complete make-over for the kids’ channel of China’s national broadcaster CCTV thru Shanghai prodco Final Frontier.

Executive Producer Gustavo Karam at Final Frontier: “The brief called for a full visual rebrand for the channel including logo design and animation, idents, and mixed media live-action and animated promos.

“Art&Graft devised a three-tier brand system to appeal to the channels wide demographic. The package also includes a family of original brand characters. In total, the studio delivered over 60 final assets in the package.

“China Central Television (CCTV) is China’s national broadcaster and one of the most-watched television networks in the world, with more than 1.3 billion viewers per year. CCTV Kids is the broadcaster’s only dedicated children’s channel and features original IP, licensed Chinese programming and a block of international shows.”
 

 
Client: CCTV
Production: Final Frontier
Executive Producer: Gustavo Karam, Chris Colman, Julieta Zajaczkowski
Project Manager: Bella Jiang
Concept, Design, Direction: Art&Graft
Character rigging: Martin Gunnarsson
 
 

The Stash Permanent Collection just keeps growing with the latest bundle of motion brilliance included on STASH 138 – another feast of design, animation, and VFX projects curated to keep you inspired and informed.

STASH 138 includes work from:

KATY WANG • ANDREW VUCKO • PETER TOMASZEWICZ • TENDRIL • SUPAMONKS STUDIOS • SUGAR BLOOD • DANIEL STANKLER • SHYNOLA • KEVIN “TEAU” ROSE • REVOLUTION STUDIO • EUGENE PYLINSKY • PASSION ANIMATION • ORDINARY FOLK • NOTREAL • NASH • MIXCODE • THE MILL • MEGACOMPUTEUR • MANVSMACHINE • EDDY LOUKIL • LOBO • EUGENE LEKH • KORB • HIDEKI INABA • IMAGINARY FORCES • ILLOGIC • HUE&CRY • GUNNER • ELASTIC • NICK DENBOER • BLOOM PICTURES • BLINKINK • RICARD BADIA • ART&GRAFT • ANIMADE • ANALOG STUDIO • AMBRE COLLECTIVE • GAUTIER ALFIREVIC
 

Preview editor: Dylan McLeod @ FauxPop Media
Preview music: Borrowed from Magali García and Nacho Velasco’s delightful “Love Loosen’s Limbs” music video for Tom Rosenthal (included in Stash 136) – buy Tom Rosenthal music here.
 
Experience the Stash Permanent Collection FREE for 30 Days!
Stay inspired and get the stories behind the work with streaming access to over 5,000 outstanding design, animation, and VFX projects plus behind the scenes features and exclusive interviews.
 
Subscribe to Stash and SAVE upto 38%. Join the Stash family of creative, production, and education professionals at 1000’s of studios, agencies, networks, brands, and schools that rely on the Stash Permanent Collection to stay informed and inspired.
 
Thanks for watching!

Stephen Price
Editor
Stash Media, Inc.

@stash_magazine
@stashmag
 
 

London design and motion mavens Art&Graft let loose with an inclusive and brilliantly bonkers rebrand for Boing, the global division of Warner Bros. Entertainment aimed at kids and young adults.

From Art&Graft: “Together with our friends at Boing HQ we conceived and crafted a flexible visual design system that is infinitely expandable, exchangeable, and extraordinary.

“It combines the order of a graphic design framework with the chaos of a ‘creativity toolkit’ – an updatable library of stickers, gifs, and assets created by the audience that brings their voice on screen.”
 

Client: Boing
Production: Art&Graft
Direction: Art&Graft

Welcome to Mokapzu Park, a safari experience like no other. After years of hard work, experimentation, and science London studio Art&Graft is throwing open the gates for everybody to enjoy!

Art&Graft: “It’s the not too distant future, Earth is barren and dead. The beautiful flora and fauna that once covered its surface have been completely decimated and destroyed. Humans are left with nothing to entertain them, until now.

“Thanks to the latest developments in motion capture technology and genetic modification, the scientists here at Art&Graft have managed to bring Earth’s wildlife back from the brink. So what are you waiting for? Buy a ticket and join us.”
 

Production: Art&Graft
Director: Art&Graft
Music/sound design: Echoic

Motion capture suit: Rokoko
Motion capture actor: George Kemp

Yes, 2020 feels like a write-off in many ways but Stash 144 proves the planet’s designers, animators, and VFX artists faced the storm with unwavering resolve and new levels of innovation.

The final issue of a demanding year, Stash 144 adds another 31 brilliant motion projects plus behind-the-scenes insights and exclusive interviews to The Stash Permanent Collection.
 
STASH 144 includes work from:
 
DAVID ZAMORANO • WE ARE ROYALE • FOKION XENOS • THE VANITY • UNTOLD STUDIOS • UNIT IMAGE • TRIZZ • NEIL STUBBINGS • FRANCOIS ROUSSELET • PROPER • PRIVATE ISLAND • PLAYD®TEAM • OPTICAL ARTS • MPC • THE MILL • MATHEMATIC • DANIL KRIVORUCHKO • JELLY • IAN PONS JEWELL • ANTOINE BARDOU JACQUET • GOLDEN LA • HORNET • GOLDEN WOLF • FINCH • ELASTIC • DVEIN • REZA DOLATABADI • COLOSSAL • BUCK • BONFIRE • BRENT BONACORSO • ART&GRAFT • ANTIBODY
 

 
Experience the Stash Permanent Collection FREE for 30 Days!
Stay inspired and get the stories behind the work with streaming access to over 5,000 outstanding design, animation, and VFX projects plus behind the scenes features and exclusive interviews.
 
Subscribe to Stash and SAVE up to 38%. Join the Stash family of creative, production, and education professionals at 1000’s of studios, agencies, networks, brands, and schools that rely on the Stash Permanent Collection to stay informed and inspired.
 
Preview credits
Editor: Dylan McLeod @ FauxPop Media
Track: Borrowed from “What You Gonna Do???”, the riveting music video by director Reza Dolatabadi for Bastille included in this issue.
 
Thanks for watching!

 
Stephen Price
Editor
Stash Media, Inc.

@stash_magazine
@stashmag
 
 

Art&Graft in London: “[We were] approached to direct and animate the first live performance from ‘We Are OFK’, a new interactive series and music project that launched at the opening of The Game Awards show in New York.

“Working closely with the creators, we produced a sequence that acted as part-trailer and part-music video, debuting their song “Follow / Unfollow” to the award show audience.

“The dreamlike performance offers a first glimpse of the series’ beautifully designed characters and reveals previously unseen in-game footage.”
 

Production: Art&Graft
Director: Art&Graft
Creative Design/Concept: Team OFK
“Follow/Unfollow” performed by OFK
Written & Produced by Luna Shadows & Thomas Powers

The post Art&Graft Unleash “We Are OFK” at The Game Awards appeared first on Motion design - STASH.

London design and motion force Art&Graft (who recently graced the cover of Stash 144 with their Boing Channel rebrand) just released an ambitious and energized retrospective of their first decade in the business.

Mike Moloney, founder & ECD at Art&Graft: “2020 afforded us the opportunity to reflect on the past decade – all the learnings and opportunities to adapt to a changing industry each project has provided in order to get us to where we are now.

“We’ve poured it all into a visual manifesto as a kind of public commitment to our values and process (for our team, our clients, and everyone we work with) and as a way of setting our intentions for the future while acknowledging the past.

“Starting and building a creative agency is no easy task yet it’s been hugely fulfilling 10 years as we’ve continued to grow and adapt to the shifts and changes in our industry.

“The talented Art&Graft team is at the core of everything we do and this film reflects the shared values that play such an important part of our creative ethos. I’m truly excited to see all the things we’ll achieve together over the next 10 years.”
 

Production: Art&Graft
Director: Art&Graft

Sound design/Mix: Dave Meckin
Music: Bonobo “Hatoa”, Theon Cross “Activate (Fyah)”

The post Art&Graft Celebrates 10 Years with Visual Manifesto appeared first on Motion design - STASH.