The latest iteration of Rovio’s “Angry Birds” franchise is the epic Pirate Pig Attack” board game, which combines the familiar birds with Hasbro’s Jenga. The game is presented in the new animated 30-second ad created by Calabash Animation via UPROAR! of New York.
“One of the challenges posed to us by the agency was to maintain a unified look between the game and the various brands that were involved,” said Sean Henry, Calabash Animation’s executive producer. An additional challenge was to present the characters in a more cinematic way.
The cinematic look of the spot combines traditional design with 2D and 3D digital animation techniques, with much of the design being inspired by the “Angry Birds” mobile game and by Rovio’s own “Angry Birds Toons.”
“We needed to capture the Birds’ 2D animated look, but we also needed to take advantage of our full range of digital animation tools,” said Wayne Brejcha, creative director at Calabash. “Using ToonBoom’s Harmony software we were able to get that analog, hand-drawn feel, while still having all of the benefits of other CG programs we use.”
Henry added, “Whether we are working in 2D or 3D, the same principals of character and story development are at work. The key is to know the limitations of each medium and how to push past them, and to maximize the benefits offered by the technology.”
“It was a fun challenge to go into the Angry Birds’ world and bring it to life in a way that you can’t through a mobile app. There was a certain amount of aesthetics that needed to be fleshed out, while also making sure we didn’t depart too much from the look of the game,” said Brejcha.
