Always keen to stand out from the crowd, Fred & Eric relished the opportunity to create a cast of unique characters for this Channel 4 TV Promo. Their job was to voice the opinions of Channel 4 viewers and introduce the Core4 scheme, which encourages viewers to give feedback. Our lively animation aired across Channel 4's TV and social media platforms.

The spot features a cast of eccentrics including a bespectacled Scottish triangle, a rectangle with wind, and an impressive moustachioed man who is "down with the kids". Here's how we developed the project:

Our Process

Character design was key to creating this animation. The initial reference from our 4Creative clients was Antony Gormley's "Field is a sculpture" installation (a huge crowd of small clay figures...) Taking inspiration from this reference, and the script which references 'standing out from the crowd', we got to work! Our team concentrated on designing key characters floating up into the air from a crowd. A varied range of style options were developed in the process of finalising this motley crew:

After careful deliberation (no one wanted to upset any of the characters), our clients chose a flat, vector style of illustration. This inspired a little more character development and a casting, to match each voice to their character. The result was this shapely gang of characters; eager and ready to roll (or float)!

Expressive character animation breathed comedy and colour into the promo. Additionally, animating lip-sync was essential to each character's performance. Animating this detailed mouth movement takes time, but it totally pays off! A fast-paced edit added to the comedy timing. Et voilà! This fun call to action, encouraging Channel 4 viewers to get their own voices heard, was born!