New Zealand animation house Cirkus teamed with agency BWM Sydney on a new campaign for Internet service provideor iiNet.

BWM Sydney’s creative team Matthew Ennis, Blake Arthur and Producer Ian Ford presented Cirkus with a VERY quirky script following Iinet founder Michael Malone's progression from Uni student to International internet entrepreneur. Showcasing Malone as the original Upgrader, the script came with a brief to create a hand-made, DIY-looking online video.

The main objective was to tell Malone’s and iiNet’s story by using simple, chic and clever animation techniques. A lot of the content is hand drawn. Some has been traditionally (cell) animated with the majority 2D animated using After Effects. Other styles/techniques Cirkus used were live-action, which was then outlined and tracked, 3D animation, photos, cut-outs, info-graphics and type, making this mish-mash of animation really stand out from the crowd.

The team was headed by Animation Director Romain Borrel aka Human Cannonball, now famed for his somewhat unusual but always creative illustration approach. Quite a few Cirkus performers had a go at his project; Juggler Christian Greet, Knifethrower Layne Howe, Daredevil Chris Lyne, Firebreather Sandesh Codhadu, Mime Priyan Jayamaha, Fortune-teller Kylie He, Strongman Scott Wilkinson and Rodney Selby with Liontamestress Felicia Brunsting as producer.

Source: Cirkus