San Diego Zoo
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San Diego Zoo

'Africa Rocks - Destination'

Alongside our friends at M&C Saatchi LA, we set out to establish Africa Rocks at the San Diego Zoo not just as an exhibit—but as a destination chock full of adventure and discovery.

In the films, we follow a troop of Hamadryas Baboons as they make their way through the breathtaking Ethiopian Highlands terrain. Surrounded by vibrant bright orange Hot Poker plants, our hero Baboon and real-life San Diego Zoo celebrity, Elvis leads the way. 

Credits

Design & Animation
Scholar

Creative Director
Will Johnson

Managing Director
Jo Arghiris

Executive Producer
Kirsten Noll

Head of Production
Tyler Locke

Lead Designer
Cam Floyd

Associate Producer
Kev Jones

Designer
Jina Kwon

2D Animator
Kenny Kerut

Cel Animators
Laura Yilmaz, Ana Chang, Blake Patrick

 

Mix & Sound Design Company
Margarita Mix

Mix & Sound Designer
Paul Hurtubise

 

Client
San Diego Zoo

Agency
M&C Saatchi LA

Next to a field of Pincushion-Protea flowers, we dive head first off of gigantic granite boulders and into the water with a colony of Cape Fynbos Penguins. Finally, we even spend some time hanging out underneath the majestic Africa Rocks Waterfall.

Process

Channeling the magic and nostalgia of vintage travel posters, we created bright, bold illustrations and brought them to life using a combination of contemporary and classic animation techniques.

We continued to develop the vibrant and graphic world of the Ethiopian for San Diego Zoo's Nighttime Zoo Campaign. Following our troop of baboons, we make our way through misty mountains and lush valleys to a sweeping vista after dusk.

Merging the graphic charm of vintage travel posters with the awe-inspiring beauty of the Ethiopian Highlands at dusk, it was a fun challenge to transform familiar environments from day into night and provided us an opportunity to push creative boundaries once again!