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Breath of Nature with AIR WICK directed by PETER S.

Breath of Nature Air Wick by NERD Productions directed by Peter S.

‘Every single decision we made, had that “Zen feeling” in mind’.

It only takes pressing the play button to take a deep breath in and exhale in relief. This wonderfully textured photorealistic CGI piece, crafted by NERD Productions x Havas London for Air Wick, takes rhythmic pulsing and deep breathing to a whole new level. Just when the world needs to breathe in the new season; the film brings the whooshing sound in the ear, blended with the graceful flower dance and water rippling effect, right on time for spring!

Orange Air Wick - still from the film
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Director, Peter S says:  ‘A blossom’s wonder only increases the closer you investigate them. For this film, I was surprised to find that lavender bulbs are so fuzzy!’ The spot transports us to an enchanting garden, warmer climates and reminds us that you can experience calmness from the comfort of your couch.

Peter’s local flower market visually inspired the animation during the pandemic. The sound design, which is so important to immerse the viewer in this Zen zone, echoes the beauty of what we are witnessing visually.

Lavender Air Wick still from the film

It all comes down to the pace.’ says Peter, ‘Having the edit and animation work together at a unified pace which were treated with cross dissolves so that absolutely nothing disturbed the film’s tranquility. Every single decision we made had that” Zen feeling” in mind. Each camera movement stays at a certain speed. The animation of the flowers sticks to a certain rhythm.

Rose Air Wick still from the film

Executive Producer from NERD, Milana Karaica also mentioned: ’Working on this piece during winter, being in lockdown made it very special as we were all looking forward to those much-needed brighter days’.

From the client, agency, and down to the last animator, this brief felt exceptionally refreshing.

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Body Positive Visual Artist Esther Lalanne Joins NERD Productions

Esther At Work

On the International Women’s Day, Esther Lalanne joins the diverse and inclusive NERD family, led by Executive Creative Producer/Founder Milana Karaica. NERD welcomes Esther Lalanne, body positive and whimsical visual artist.

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Esther is a prolific visual artist who accurately represents bodies and identities, primarily women, who make our society. Esther’s bubbly and quirky aesthetic is inspired by everyday life and human interactions.

Esther has always loved to draw women; she says: ‘Growing up, I have always felt frustrated in this all-white-cis-male world, and drawing has been a useful way of expressing myself and others like me.’ 

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Esther is well-placed in a ray of talents at NERD, including powerful Animation Directors like Sharon Liu, Elmaz Ekrem, Hayley Morris, Corinne Ladeinde, Heather Colbert and Peque Varela. Visual Artists like Blake Kathryn, Helena Elias and Lana Dudarenko. And our Live-Action Directors – Kyla Philander, Cherish Oteka, Shona Auerbach, Harriet MacDonald and Meriem Adib.

Esther wants to depict a world where women, people of every race and sexuality, can be more visible and free to exist without expectations or limitations. She believes that the power of craft influences real life and people.

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She creates fun visuals that touch the soul and speak to a vast array of people. Esther has worked with Refinery29, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The Body Shop, King’s College London, Green Peace, ITV, and NHS.

See more of Esther’s work here.

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Discover a Heart-Warming, Stop-Frame Spot Directed by Hayley Morris

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Prepare to be moved by the latest online commercial for the eco-conscious baby brand, Charlie Banana, where we are introduced to the heart-warming story of a mother bonding with her newborn baby while pledging to take action to create and protect the future of our planet, our home.

Watch our fun behind the scenes

Teaming up with Curiosity, we mixed two marvellous animation techniques; stop-frame and hand-drawn animation to develop the whimsical online commercial. This beautifully crafted piece walks us through what it takes to make a better world for future generations and celebrates motherhood and all-around sweetness.

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‘’ Am I choosing the right products to put on my baby’s skin? Am I taking action to protect the environment for future generations?‘’ Milana Karaica

This was a very relatable situation for Milana Karaica, Executive Producer at NERD Productions who was eight months pregnant when the script landed on her desk. We were thrilled to craft the ultimate maternal bond at this extraordinary time.

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‘’ Working with a brand that cherishes sustainability and has it as their mission statement feels very special.’’ Hayley Morris

Hayley is coincidentally, currently eight months pregnant and has a real passion for sustainability in her own work. Throughout the creative process, Hayley used sustainable and recyclable materials.

Every element in this stop-motion animation was entirely handcrafted, from the characters to the plants and flowers, using layering and watercolour techniques.

To bring this delightful film to life, even more, Hayley created jointed paper dolls to heighten the interaction between mother and daughter through to the end of the blossoming visual tale.

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An essential part of telling a story is to feel the characters’ emotions. To really make the characters extra charming, we started by making the puppets with blank faces. Facial expressions were then added frame by frame using an animation style hand-drawn technique and tracked to the stop-motion film.

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Milana says ‘’We were proud to be able to feature and hero a mixed-race family which is important for us at NERD. Even if they are animated characters, they are essentially our actors so we want to craft those carefully and make sure that we are representative and reflect the reality of our audiences.’’

At a time where diversity & inclusion is talked about a lot in the advertising industry, actions are more important than words. It was particularly vital to us to show characters that will make the world a more inclusive and tolerant one for the future generations to come. We believe that championing diversity is the key ingredient to producing powerful visuals that stand out and engage with real people across the world.

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Click here to view Hayley’s portfolio.

Want to work with Hayley Morris or another NERD? Click here.

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NERD’s Black Stories: Animation Director, Corinne Ladeinde

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Although our peers feel that efforts for a more diverse industry are being made; we still think that the actions taken are surface level, and black people are a rarity in our industry.

We spoke to black creatives who contribute significantly to their field and have asked them words of advice for current and future artists of colour wanting to break through the creative industry.

Next up is Animation Director Corinne Ladeinde.

Corinne is an award-winning animation director with a passion for storytelling, design, animation and illustration. After working as a lead compositor on projects such as The Snowman and the Snowdog and We’re going on a Bear Hunt! for Channel 4, Corinne further pursued her directing ambitions and has since directed a range of commercials and online films for clients such as Dove, Bach, Bonjela and Liz Earle amongst others.

When did you decide to become an animator/illustrator?

From the age of 6 and growing up, I had in mind that I will become an animator; but once I had graduated and dive into the professional world, I realised that I love storytelling and from then on, started directing.

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How has your upbringing influenced the work that you do today?

My mum is a true stoic. She is my inspiration to always investing my time in the things I truly enjoy. My mother used my brother and me as an excuse to watch the latest animated Disney films at the time. I grew up on a diet of animation from the Lion King to Aladin and The Nightmare Before Christmas. When I was a kid, I was reading a lot, attended regular arts and crafts activities, theatre and galleries. All these things have influenced my vision as an artist.

What advice would you give your younger self?

“To act as if it’s impossible to fail”. This is an Anthony Hopkins quote, that I have learned to live by.

How has it been transitioning from composing to directing?

Directing my first spot was challenging and also very rewarding. It was such a pleasure to work with a team committed to support and nurture young directors.

Working with NERD Productions has allowed me to work with other directors of different disciplines which have helped me to broaden my horizons and offer clients a more varied approach to their work.

Click here to view Corinne’s portfolio.

Want to work with Corinne Ladeinde or another NERD? Click here.

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NERD Productions’ Roman Bratschi crafts mouth-watering visuals for Sephora

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Sephora is launching its first natural ingredients perfumes collections this September. Roman Bratschi, tastefully designed the gorgeous CGI ”DO NOT DRINK” key visuals for the campaign – so good; we want to taste these!  

The collaboration between Roman, NERD Productions and Sephora is a splendid one, just like the mix of elements inspired by nature and texture details that ultimately enhance the overall aesthetic of the products. We spoke to the team about the ways they brought these mesmerising concepts to life.

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NERD Productions’ Billelis Continues To Reach New Mythical Heights With An Epic TROY Key Visuals & Animation

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After last year’s legendary collaboration, NERD’s Billelis, SEGA & Creative Assembly bring back some new epic artwork to support Total War Saga game: TROY launching on August 13th. Set against the stunning setting of the Bronze Age, TROY explores the epic conflict from both the Greek and Trojan’s perspectives. 

Continue reading “NERD Productions’ Billelis Continues To Reach New Mythical Heights With An Epic TROY Key Visuals & Animation”