We can’t say much about this project beyond that it was commissioned, then sadly canceled late into production. It was a Christmas campaign directed by Moth (although, that is probably obvious!). With permission, we are presenting it here repurposed, and despite the lack of context, we hope you enjoy it!
According to Moth, "Our north star was the Rankin Bass stop-motion films from the 60’s and 70’s. It was important to have a nostalgic warmth to shine through and to wrong-foot the audience into thinking this was a classic Christmas tale. We wanted the emotional twist at the end to be a total surprise."
Throughout production, Moth embraced a rougher style of animating, forgoing smooth movement for carefully constructed keyframes and poses. The characters were animated without the use of 'squash or stretch' which kept them feeling like actual models in a real space. The technique kept it feeling authentic to the reference while also being a handy time-saving device.
One of Moth's main challenges was using this technique but to make sure the characters stayed relatable and emotive. "We looked at how we could push emotions through simple face shapes for eyes and mouths, and rely on the lighting to dramatize specific moments," says Moth Studio.
Using real textures at a slightly enlarged scale to make the characters and sets seem miniature helped keep the cozy, stop-motion feeling to the 3D world. All in all, it was a joy for Moth to flesh out this Christmas world with elves, gingerbread men, and of course, Rudolph.
