Human Resources, Made Simple.

XLHR are a new company who offer an online staff management system for Human Resources, which also includes an extensive library of resources to help manage staff and keep up to date on employment law.

XLHR approached us to create an animated video to coincide with the launch of their new website, explaining how quick and easy it is to sign up and how a business can benefit from using the system and the resources on their comprehensive website.

Story

We worked with the client to devise a script that was able to get across as much information as possible through a story that fitted within the 1 minute and 30 second duration. We worked with Paul Dean (aka Crimson Leaf) who helped us tighten and polish the script. Once that was locked in, we were able to call on the aid of Richard Heathcote who provided the voice over for the video. His quick response helped us achieve a quick video turnaround. The story follows Mr.Smith who runs a busy restaurant, but finds that most of his time is spent managing his staff instead of working on improving and expanding his business. He discovers XLHR online and finds that through their online system and resources, he is able to manage his staff more effectively and get the time to expand his business into a chain of restaurants

Design

Character

Mr. Smith | From sketch to final design

The lead character; Mr. Smith was described to be a square that represents the brands imagery that features on the website, and that also the colour scheme match the brands colours. The idea for the client was inspired by the BUPA adverts which feature simplistic characters of different shapes. So as not to copy BUPA’s minimalistic style, the designs  immediately focused on adding more detail and limbs to the characters, and to make the set pieces 3D compared to BUPA’s  2D, side scrolling style. [Top right] Here you can see the development of Mr. Smith, starting with the obvious square shape, adding limbs, accessories and facial expressions. The design is quite consistent and was nailed from the start. The choice to add eyes came in later as without eyes, he would need arms to help using his body to express any emotion, and there was also feedback that people couldn’t adjust to him being faceless and came across as a bit creepy. Once the design of Mr.Smith was locked in, the other restaurant staff fell into place to match their job roles. The design and colour of the customers in the restaurant are neutral and bland looking so that the focus was on the staff.

Mr Smiths Office | From sketch to final concept

Sets/scenes

From reading the script, the scenes were drawn up quite easily. The difficult task was working with XLHR’s limited colour scheme.

Some scenes were built quickly using google sketchup.

Each scene was sketched out then redrawn in Illustrator to experiment with the brands colour palette. Once these images were approved, they were dissected so that each element could be built in 3D space within After Effects. In After Effects, further tests were done to achieve the final look, these included lighting tests, camera angles and movement tests and also depth of field tests. All these elements together brought a new sense of life to each scene. Some scenes, like XLHR’s office, I had difficulty creating and working out the best shot. Using Google Sketchup, I was able to build the office relatively quickly and position the camera until I found a shot that worked. From there, I took a screenshot and imported it into Illustrator to apply the colour scheme and prep for use in After Effects.

Final Video

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Sketches

Early sketches after reading the script

Inside Mr.Smiths Restaurant

Related Links

• XLHR
• Richard Heathcote | Voice Over Artist
• Paul Dean | Copywriter
• Google Sketchup
• Video: A Marketing Tool

Sugar Flower by Ceri Dz

Ceri D.D. Griffiths, widely considered as a leading light in the cake and sugar-craft industry, will be creating a cake artistry video tutorial series which will also be supported by a new website and brand identity. Ceri, from Cardiff, will provide demonstrations of some of the key techniques he has used to produce cakes and sugar-craft which have gained him international acclaim. The videos will be hosted on a brand new website which will also feature written and illustrated tutorials as well as Ceri’s delicious Portfolio for hobbyists and professionals to use as a source of inspiration and resource.

The entire project will be carried out by Cardiff creative agency, Jammy Custard Studios. Matthew Creed, co-founder and head of film & video production at the agency described the opportunity as a “delight” and a “privilege to be working with someone whose intricate artistic talents are used so deliciously.”

Ceri, who frequently publishes articles in industry publications and provides demonstrations at international conventions, explained his hopes for the project; “When looking for a design team to create a new contemporary website and video series, I just had to zone in on a company called “Jammy Custard”, after all I am a Cake Artist. The guys at Jammy Custard Studios don’t just think ‘outside the box’, they think ‘outside the cake box’ so to speak, drawing inspiration from a wealth of subjects. I am very excited to announce that by December 2010 my new website will be launched and if the creative ideas the guys are generating are anything to go by, then watch out world, here I come.”

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Davy Cartwright: Acoustic Singer-Songwriter

Llantwit Major’s Davy Cartwright is in the process of completing recording for his new album entitled “More Like The Sea”; a follow on from his wondrous album “Brittle”. To complement the release, the folk songwriter has appointed Cardiff-based Jammy Custard Studios to create a music video for the song “Rambling Rose” which will feature on the album. There are currently no release dates for either the album or the music video, but announcements are expected to follow next month.

Jammy Custard were approached by Davy on the back end of seeing filming and graphic work created for last year’s Rumney Folk Festival and their work with singer/songwriter, Elaine Morgan.

Matthew Creed, head of video production at Jammy Custard, explained what can be expected of the video “Davy Cartwright’s lyrics are quite layered in their meaning and open to interpretation. So, we’re expecting the video itself will follow a narrative of the lyrics, but with a few twists here and there to capture the same affect. We’ll be looking to use digital motion graphics and possibly stop-motion animation for added texture.”

Davy will be making an appearance at this year’s Fishgaurd Folk Festival in Pembroke on the 28-30th May.
For more information about Davy, including upcoming performances and discography, visit his website www.davycartwright.com. [tweetmeme]