When our friends at Utah Education Network (UEN) asked us to do a holiday spot, we sprang into action. We’ve loved doing these over the years, and for this season, they had a very simple list of must-haves:

• A theme of togetherness
• Animals in the woods, in winter

Weeks 1-2: Discovery and Storyboard

The planned runtime was 20 seconds, so the discovery phase was completed in a day or two. The trick with a short spot is coming up with storyline that’s quick and punchy, but still memorable. We chose long-eared owls because they have so much personality – they can look aloof, sarcastic, funny, and sweet. Here are a few stills from our original storyboard:

Week 3: Designs

We generated about ten different owl styles before we settled on the one that had the personality we were looking for:

Next, our illustrator added the background and textures:

Weeks 4-5: Animation and Sound Design

Animation lasted two weeks, including a soundtrack that brings everything together. Enjoy the final video, and warmest wishes this holiday season!