NEW YORK — Animation, design and development studio Nathan Love (www.nathanlove.com), here, gave a wildly nontraditional looks to a National Geographic Channel promo for the network’s new The 80s: The Decade That Made Us miniseries.
Jim McKenzie directed the project, which is in stark contrast to National Geographic’s traditionally grounded advertising. The promo features a trio of goofy-looking characters, who are exercising in synch to a song reminiscent of the 1980s.
“This is a completely different look for the network, and that’s exactly what National Geographic wanted,” notes executive CD, Joe Burrascano. “Because the series itself – which details the many unsung cultural revolutions ignited during that time – was such a departure from their traditional programming, the goal was to catch people by surprise, piquing their interest while connecting them to the light-hearted spirit of the 80s.”
The studio decided to pursue a hand-drawn animated look featuring crudely drawn cartoons. The looks is based on illustrations by studio collaborator Ana Benaroya and includes loud colors, tacky outfits and unintentional humor.
Nathan Love designed the initial key frames for The 80s Promo in Photoshop, and then hand drew each frame in Flash. Once the client signed off on the final images, the studio compiled the final cut in After Effects.