Case Study: Made with Love. Christmas Animation and Character Art by SHED

The new case study is up, filled with the spirit of the Christmas holidays. This time, it’s a story about the creative process behind the fantastic and festive animated video “Made in Love” by SHED Studio, an animation and post-production company based in Canada.

Let’s take a closer look at the character art and 3D design stages the studio team shared in the Behance presentation for the project. But first, enjoy the video and catch the vibe of Christmas magic.

Generally, this story shows the relationship developing between a teenage girl at home and a sick boy in the hospital. Through a messenger, the girl’s mother, a nurse, we follow the exchange of baked goods from the girl and origami thank-you notes folded by the boy. As the film comes to an end, the boy and the girl wave to each other after he gives her folded origami boy and girl, representing the friendship they built and the strength they gave to each other.

The Process

In this project, the team worked with their client, SID LEE, on IGA and invested nearly 10,000 hours. This involved 45 artists, mainly from Montréal but also from Europe, California, and Asia, for four and a half months of production. Grooming was completed entirely in Houdini; it took them three weeks to create and animate only the cat, Pudding.

Artistically, the challenge was to ensure the work did justice to the story and conveyed the emotions, while remaining aligned with IGA’s values on nutrition and quality. The creators also sought to depict a well-lit, modern, and colorful hospital that reflects the values of the Charles-Bruneau Foundation. This was emphasized by the contrast between the house’s rich decoration and the functional look of a modern hospital. Note that every object in the house was meticulously selected and crafted to create the right mood in the setting. The neighbourhood where Alice and Helene live is representative of large Quebec towns without being modeled on any specific one.

Character art

The director, Chloé Robichaud, wanted the focus to be on the characters and their experiences. That was achieved through small subtleties that help the viewer feel instead of simply being told the story. We made the animation feel cinematic through highly realistic lighting and rich, lively textures that draw the viewer into the action alongside the characters. These efforts ensured true feeling of the Christmas spirit without being overwhelmed by holiday elements.

Environment art

The film was entirely made from scratch. This means no images or characters were purchased, and you will see only original materials. The team invested around 2,600 hours to create the six environments featured throughout the ad and developed multiple clothing arrangements for the characters as the story progresses. Let’s look closer at the details.

Both the global situation and the story SHED was trying to tell with the client, along with how they wanted to uncover it, made this an exceptionally challenging project. Anyway, it has resulted in a great and touching animated story.

To see more work by SHED Studio, visit their website or Behance portfolio.

New design case studies are coming soon; stay tuned for new posts.

For more inspiration, check the sets of other posts from our D4U Gallery, where we gather impressive creatives to share their art with you, for example:

• Christmas greeting cards with cute characters
• logos and identity design
• character illustrations for an educational project
• wildlife-inspired illustration projects
• vibrant digital illustrations collection
• illustration-based packaging for food and beverage
• artistic packaging design for biscuit brand
• abstract poster designs
• food lovers guide: illustrations and graphic design
• 3D character art projects
• wine packaging design
• captivating 3D animation concepts
• impressive packaging designs 
• childhood illustrations
• 3D illustrations