The Reel Blog
NSPCC - Real Call - Jake Mengers Interview
23/07/2010
0 Commentsadd commentWe bloody love animation here at The Reel. Limited only by the imagination of the artist, the vast majority of animated work we get submitted managed to boggle our eyes and blow our brains. However, the toons we love to love don’t always have to be filled with flash-whizz visuals, as this delicate spot for the NSPCC goes to prove.
Directed by VFX master Jake Mengers, the crux of the commercial is to demonstrate the harrowing content of the type of call the helpline receives in a striking and hard hitting way, albeit without literal representation of the serious issues of physical child abuse. The result is a beguiling journey of two waveforms; the fluttery, nervous and scared voice of ‘Emily’ juxtaposed by the calm, supportive and soothing voice of the counsellor. Hard-hitting without ‘showing’ anything, the spot provides an insight into the content of the type of calls received by the charity.
We spoke to the Lightparade director Jake Mengers to get his view on the production.
The NSPCC work must have been a tough nut to crack. How did you approach it, and how much came from the initial brief?
It was difficult to achieve a look that would appear more captivating than just watching an oscilloscope. However, the human characteristics came from evaluating the audio waveform and combining this with hand animated peaks and troughs similar to a heart monitor to exaggerate the emotional journey of the caller. I felt it was important to place the animation in an empty 3d space, suggestive of the loneliness of the caller. The visuals don’t represent very much from the initial brief other than reference to the look of audio waveforms.
Was it difficult applying human characteristics to what are essentially streaks of light?
Yes it was hard to make what is effectively a line have character. We attempted to make the counsellor's waveform appear as though it was listening and comforting by animating in a much less frenetic style but then calmly rushing ahead to cushion the emotions of the caller or hanging back gently swooping round as though listening intently without pushing. The girl’s waveform animation was intended to be almost the opposite, erratic, nervous and anxious.
Were you involved in the directing of the vocal performances?
No, but there was an advisor present from Childline.
Without getting too technical (we're luddites round here), what were the techniques and software you used to create the piece?
A plugin was written to evaluate the audio and convert to a 3d line representing the waveform. This had controls for frequency and jitter for even more animation control. In XSI (the 3d software used) we could animate a point in space that represented the emotions of the relevant character, this 3d waveform would then pass through this point emitting particle trails that would hang in 3d space gradually dissipated over time.
You're probably best known for your photo-realistic special effects animation work. Was it nice to do something different?
Yes it was quite refreshing, but no easier. How a glowing line looks best is quite subjective which allows for different interpretations. It’s all about creating something that looks nice at the end of the day.
How would you describe yourself - an animator, a director, a VFX supervisor?
Each of these disciplines describe my progression through the post-production industry over the years and all still very much a part of my role as Creative Director of MPC 3d commercials and as a commercials director through LightParade.
What's next on the slate?
I'm currently directing a 3d character animation piece with photoreal penguins and polar bear.
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