A 2D and 3D Animation Film
Xbox Sparkle
Film for PowerA new Xbox Sparkle controller.
When PowerA approached us to create a launch film for their new Xbox Sparkle controller, we were excited to tackle the creative challenges involved.
When PowerA approached us to create a launch film for their new Xbox Sparkle controller, we were excited to tackle the creative challenges involved.
Client: PowerA
Production Company: VM

Animation: Ivan Semchuk + Daniel Zhukov
Creative Direction: Gabe Blank
Art Direction: Ivan Semchuk + Nick Kelley
Project Manager: Nick Kelley
Producer: Joel Van Zeventer
Sound Design: VM
Task

To begin, the creative brief involved producing a film in both 2D and 3D which is a huge challenge in itself. There needed to be consistency with the art on the controller packaging as well as with the photography campaign created by the creative team at PowerA.
Task
To begin, the creative brief involved producing a film in both 2D and 3D which is a huge challenge in itself. There needed to be consistency with the art on the controller packaging as well as with the photography campaign created by the creative team at PowerA.
Another creative challenge with this project was lighting the controller. This controller has glitter embedded into the face plate of the controller which lights up in different colors depending on the angle and light which hits it. As you can see in the above images, you have different shades of purple being reflected in different parts of the controller. In the packaging art, we see shades of yellow and green popping out which makes this controller incredibly unique.
VM had to come up with a solution to help the viewer see how the sparkle of the controller changes as light moves across it.
Below is an initial animatic blending both the 2D and 3D worlds:
Another creative challenge with this project was lighting the controller. This controller has glitter embedded into the face plate of the controller which lights up in different colors depending on the angle and light which hits it. As you can see in the above images, you have different shades of purple being reflected in different parts of the controller. In the packaging art, we see shades of yellow and green popping out which makes this controller incredibly unique.
VM had to come up with a solution to help the viewer see how the sparkle of the controller changes as light moves across it.

Below is an initial animatic blending both the 2D and 3D worlds:
So how did we do it? The creative solution was to begin in the 2D world, tilt up to the stars above our landscape and see a two start collision resulting in an explosion teleporting us into the 3D world. After we move around the 3D world with several macro shots of our sparkle controller, we enter a black hole through the controller to port ourselves back to the 2D animated world where our 3D product softly lands. Here is a breakdown of the explosion:
What tools were needed to create this film? As a 2D and 3D hybrid project we used three tools to execute the vision:
1. After Effects
2. Cinema 4D
3. Houdini (For particle simulations)