Thrilled to be part of the new Great Western Railway campaign!

Glassworks Barcelona created the animation and was in charge of post-production, while Not To Scale and Merman co-produced this original and iconic GWR ad.

Inspired by Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books, our talented Barcelona team expertly blended 3D and 2D animation techniques to achieve the perfect visual balance between illustration and cinema.

The 3D animation was converted into 2D frames, allowing us to redraw specific details, such as the birds, chickens, and the characters’ facial features and hair. FX such as the simulation of mud, smoke, and the flurry of stones were also crafted in Houdini and then treated in 2D. Incorporating a selected paper texture, offset, noise, and dust particles enhanced the overall CGI with a beautiful, crafted aesthetic.

In order to bring the 2D backgrounds to life while maintaining their illustration-like appearance, our team skilfully added depth and placed them within a three-dimensional space. Dynamic camera movements and a parallax effect were also implemented to mimic the feel of a live-action film, further enhancing the desired visual balance.

After our animation team expertly handled the 3D modelling, rigging, 3D and 2D animation, textures, lighting, and look development, our brilliant colourist, Dani Granado, seamlessly unified the overall look of the film.