Portland, Oregon-based Hinge Digital has build an impressive roster of clients since opening in 2009, working with major brands like Microsoft, Adidas, Electronic Arts and Dunkin Donuts. But the studio took on a very different sort of project with “Suitcase,” a 30-second public service announcement for AdoptUSKids, Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Frankie turned out to be an essential tech tool for this project, thanks to its web-based video review functionality which allowed remote parties to view the work in real-time and easily collaborate.
“Suitcase” shares a succinct yet powerful story about the love and stability provided by an adoptive family. In the animated vignette, a young girl who has bounced between foster homes grows accustomed to living out of a suitcase. But when she finds a permanent home, she finds a new use for that baggage.
“It was important to use emotional storytelling and illustrative design to tell this story, along with the software magic of Maya and NUKE to create the dynamic visual narrative,” says director Alex Tysowsky. He had a team of eight focused on the PSA, which was in production for about six weeks. “We wanted to create a spot with a uniquely engaging look that combined toon-shaded CG characters and watercolor backgrounds…Once the concept designs were approved, we built the 3D assets to match the look and feel of the artwork. The fun part was animating and bringing the characters to life.”
With creatives and clients spread across the U.S., Hinge needed a solution that would allow for an effective review process. The studio had previously used cineSync, but needed something that offered greater accessibility to clients this time around. Tysowsky calls Frankie “the perfect blend of cineSync’s power with web-based eas of use.” The tool allowed his team to overcome the barriers of distance and facilitated collaborative review sessions. Favorite features include the real-time markup tool and ability to export notes into PDFs.
