Corporate Animation Showcase 7 – The Thick Line
We’ve done the ‘thin line’ technique so it would be rude not to focus on the new ‘thick line’ trend that is appearing. This month’s corporate showcase focuses on the delightfully bold aesthetic of the thick line which seems to be cropping up and outlining many a corporate animation.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the approach, let’s dive right in to the first entry. Fred & Eric‘s film for Watermelon. Animated by showcase favourite Simon Tibbs, its focus is on clear, bold and colourful design. The thick line in this case mainly focuses itself on secondary elements such as the background and buildings. Primary elements having little or no outline really helps to pinpoint them as the main focus. This is something a bit alien as it is usually the other way around. It works in this case due to the line work being a shade of colour similar to the fill, blending it in and not making a show. Use of strong, contrasting colours make this video a stunning example of the technique and one that will certainly stand out from the crowd.
Flying V Studios soar in with our second film this month for the European Commission, called Bioeconomy Starts Here. With a film about the environment you have to make it feel natural, homely and dare I say, organic. Flying V’s animation does just this by keeping the palette simple, warm and using bold, thick lines to contrast. With the thick lines being coloured in, a higher saturation really helps to bring out the animation and key images to make them pop. Strong shadows, as with the tractor, really compliment the thick line technique helping to create images that are instantly recognisable and based on shape instead of a technical overload of details. A beautiful film full of charm and childlike innocence. Perfect for the theme.
Last but by no means least comes another animation from the guys at Young with their film Picota Summer. There couldn’t be more thick lines in this if they had tried, yet they manage to pull it off without ever overcomplicating it. As the story travels to Leeds we see a lot of line work in the close up of the Picota apple which somehow works and doesn’t seem overused. Once again, as with the previous films, this is achieved by great use of colour. As we journey from one place to another the palette changes but never overshadows the main character, keeping him in stark contrast to the backgrounds. The thick line is used throughout at the same weight but once again the main focus – the apple – is slightly thinner, bringing him to the forefront. A great approach to showing off the UK’s sights and allowing for instant recognition to some of our icons. It would have been easy to make realistic representations but this far out does that approach creating a stylised and unique little film.
The thick line technique seems to be taking off within the UK’s corporate animation and building momentum. It’s a wonderful technique and one that brings with it a slightly childish quality and in no bad way. Making corporate films means you sometimes have to engage an audience with a lot of jargon, so if they can feel instantly at home and revert back to childhood memories then that’s all well and good. With the bold design and contrasting colours done well, films can have the sophistication and graphical prowess to still effectively communicate the message intended, not talking down to but engaging and delighting audiences.
Don’t forget to head over to the Corporate Animation Showcase Vimeo page to add your films and you could be featured in the next showcase: https://vimeo.com/groups/corporateanimation