Challenge

To streamline their offerings, Westland Horticulture set about consolidating 3 of their best loved brands (Marshalls, Bird & Bees and Unwins) under the umbrella of Marshalls and required an animation to accompany this transition. With a brand new website to explain the merger in more detail, the animation requirements were centred around creating buzz and excitement, rather than explaining the company’s new structure.

The focus of the animation was to showcase the variety of gardens and gardeners across the UK.

Solution

We wanted to bring a sense of togetherness and community to the animation so it was important to have lots of characters interacting. Variety in this piece was king – from the characters, to the spaces themselves to the way in which these spaces are enjoyed. It was important to display spaces that could be from across the country, from suburban gardens, to city balconies to allotments. The goal was to get people excited about gardens, no matter what their situation or interests.

Style development

Another element we had to consider was composition to ensure the locations felt genuine. It was important that the locations were recognisably British and that there was clear differentiation between a garden in a town and garden in the country. Styles of buildings needed to refelect their settings and alluding to cities or hills in the background helped to ground each scene.

Designing a seamless shot

The tricky, paradoxical issue we faced was to create loactions that felt varied and unique that were stitched together seamlessly in one sweeping pan. We acheived this by varying the speed of the camera while making sure the camera never remained stationary. Slowing down and lingering on the full garden scenes allows the viewer to take in the details, while accelerating between scenes helped to maintain a smooth flow.  Strategically placed foliage further masks the seams between each scene.