August 28, 2023
NDIS - Part of my story
NDIS - Part of my story
Projects
leave a COMMENTNDIS can be part of your story.
Giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ownership within the NDIS.
At Mello we love projects with challenges that traverse several mediums, and it’s only more rewarding when that project is for such a great cause.
Mello was approached by Rhythm Films to develop visual concepts, design and animation for a suite of content pieces using five commissioned artworks created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, paired with five unique personal NDIS stories told by First Nations people with a disability.
Mello was asked to bind each of the stories to the artwork, and using design and animation, accompany each story with a moving, animated, visual interpretation.
From a creative standpoint we took a conceptual look at each of the commissioned artworks, along with their stories. We crafted storyboards that represented the personal journey of each participant, visualised through scenes that were derived and inspired from elements of the hero artistic pieces.
Once in production the team explored mixed techniques that traversed traditional sketching, procedural AI, cel frame, After Effects animation, and mind-bending layers of compositing. Along the way we built more than a few custom bird-rigs.
Due to the bespoke nature of each of the artworks, we had to approach each spot as a completely new endeavour stylistically.
To come up with 5 spots that felt unique in approach was certainly a creative mountain to climb, but furthermore we had to ensure that the designs were an extrapolation of the original artists works - careful to derive almost all assets from somewhere within the original artists artwork.
The journey is about Jason going through the ups and downs on having a disability, the empowerment and resilience he has in facing any negativity in his life but you can see through that he has overcome those obstacles. This holistic healing comes from being involved with NDIS, friends and family but also in his culture.
- Ailsa Walsh-Davidson
original artist for JASON artwork
The last of the challenges was to then connect the feeling of the stories to the tone of the artworks through movement; animation - the final piece to the puzzle.
The beautifully complex nature of the artwork from Tyrown Waigana for the Warren story was initially confronting; to conceptualise scenes that could honour the diverse, layered artwork once in animation was no small feat. We chose to draw from the form of the 'story lines' in the artwork to pull out hero figures that we called 'wisps' around the studio.
We had a special opportunity for this project to step into some areas that we don’t often step; technical and creative. Those areas that are just a little too dangerous on certain projects. That said, it’s those areas that provide an exciting challenge and an opportunity to grow as artists. And the final work is always better for taking that risk.
- Lance Clayton
Mello Co-Founder and Creative Director
You know that the project has become a personal investment of love for the artists when peppered throughout are easter eggs - such as a lovely brotherly fishing moment hidden as a substory and the original artwork by Ailsa Walsh-Davidson hung upon the wall of Jason's living room.
This truly was a dream-come-true project and we cannot thank enough each of the original artists, the NDIS participants who bravely told of their journeys, and the team at Rhythm Films for trusting us to create something special.
Read more about the project here.
Watch the final spots
KALLARA
JASON
WARREN
MOMO & SARAH
SHANICE
Projects
leave a COMMENTNDIS can be part of your story.
Giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ownership within the NDIS.
At Mello we love projects with challenges that traverse several mediums, and it’s only more rewarding when that project is for such a great cause.
Mello was approached by Rhythm Films to develop visual concepts, design and animation for a suite of content pieces using five commissioned artworks created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, paired with five unique personal NDIS stories told by First Nations people with a disability.
Mello was asked to bind each of the stories to the artwork, and using design and animation, accompany each story with a moving, animated, visual interpretation.
From a creative standpoint we took a conceptual look at each of the commissioned artworks, along with their stories. We crafted storyboards that represented the personal journey of each participant, visualised through scenes that were derived and inspired from elements of the hero artistic pieces.
Once in production the team explored mixed techniques that traversed traditional sketching, procedural AI, cel frame, After Effects animation, and mind-bending layers of compositing. Along the way we built more than a few custom bird-rigs.
Due to the bespoke nature of each of the artworks, we had to approach each spot as a completely new endeavour stylistically.
To come up with 5 spots that felt unique in approach was certainly a creative mountain to climb, but furthermore we had to ensure that the designs were an extrapolation of the original artists works - careful to derive almost all assets from somewhere within the original artists artwork.
The journey is about Jason going through the ups and downs on having a disability, the empowerment and resilience he has in facing any negativity in his life but you can see through that he has overcome those obstacles. This holistic healing comes from being involved with NDIS, friends and family but also in his culture.
- Ailsa Walsh-Davidson
original artist for JASON artwork
The last of the challenges was to then connect the feeling of the stories to the tone of the artworks through movement; animation - the final piece to the puzzle.
The beautifully complex nature of the artwork from Tyrown Waigana for the Warren story was initially confronting; to conceptualise scenes that could honour the diverse, layered artwork once in animation was no small feat. We chose to draw from the form of the 'story lines' in the artwork to pull out hero figures that we called 'wisps' around the studio.
We had a special opportunity for this project to step into some areas that we don’t often step; technical and creative. Those areas that are just a little too dangerous on certain projects. That said, it’s those areas that provide an exciting challenge and an opportunity to grow as artists. And the final work is always better for taking that risk.
- Lance Clayton
Mello Co-Founder and Creative Director
You know that the project has become a personal investment of love for the artists when peppered throughout are easter eggs - such as a lovely brotherly fishing moment hidden as a substory and the original artwork by Ailsa Walsh-Davidson hung upon the wall of Jason's living room.
This truly was a dream-come-true project and we cannot thank enough each of the original artists, the NDIS participants who bravely told of their journeys, and the team at Rhythm Films for trusting us to create something special.
Read more about the project here.
Watch the final spots
KALLARA
JASON
WARREN
MOMO & SARAH
SHANICE
Projects
leave a COMMENTNDIS can be part of your story.
Giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ownership within the NDIS.
At Mello we love projects with challenges that traverse several mediums, and it’s only more rewarding when that project is for such a great cause.
Mello was approached by Rhythm Films to develop visual concepts, design and animation for a suite of content pieces using five commissioned artworks created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, paired with five unique personal NDIS stories told by First Nations people with a disability.
Mello was asked to bind each of the stories to the artwork, and using design and animation, accompany each story with a moving, animated, visual interpretation.
From a creative standpoint we took a conceptual look at each of the commissioned artworks, along with their stories. We crafted storyboards that represented the personal journey of each participant, visualised through scenes that were derived and inspired from elements of the hero artistic pieces.
Once in production the team explored mixed techniques that traversed traditional sketching, procedural AI, cel frame, After Effects animation, and mind-bending layers of compositing. Along the way we built more than a few custom bird-rigs.
Due to the bespoke nature of each of the artworks, we had to approach each spot as a completely new endeavour stylistically.
To come up with 5 spots that felt unique in approach was certainly a creative mountain to climb, but furthermore we had to ensure that the designs were an extrapolation of the original artists works - careful to derive almost all assets from somewhere within the original artists artwork.
The journey is about Jason going through the ups and downs on having a disability, the empowerment and resilience he has in facing any negativity in his life but you can see through that he has overcome those obstacles. This holistic healing comes from being involved with NDIS, friends and family but also in his culture.
- Ailsa Walsh-Davidson
original artist for JASON artwork
The last of the challenges was to then connect the feeling of the stories to the tone of the artworks through movement; animation - the final piece to the puzzle.
The beautifully complex nature of the artwork from Tyrown Waigana for the Warren story was initially confronting; to conceptualise scenes that could honour the diverse, layered artwork once in animation was no small feat. We chose to draw from the form of the 'story lines' in the artwork to pull out hero figures that we called 'wisps' around the studio.
We had a special opportunity for this project to step into some areas that we don’t often step; technical and creative. Those areas that are just a little too dangerous on certain projects. That said, it’s those areas that provide an exciting challenge and an opportunity to grow as artists. And the final work is always better for taking that risk.
- Lance Clayton
Mello Co-Founder and Creative Director
You know that the project has become a personal investment of love for the artists when peppered throughout are easter eggs - such as a lovely brotherly fishing moment hidden as a substory and the original artwork by Ailsa Walsh-Davidson hung upon the wall of Jason's living room.
This truly was a dream-come-true project and we cannot thank enough each of the original artists, the NDIS participants who bravely told of their journeys, and the team at Rhythm Films for trusting us to create something special.
Read more about the project here.
Watch the final spots
KALLARA
JASON
WARREN
MOMO & SARAH
SHANICE
Credits
Client:
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
Original Artworks:
Kimberley Engwicht / K-Rae Designs, Coree Thorpe, Ailsa Walsh, Tyrown Waigana, Tori-Jay Mordey
Mello
Creative Direction – Lance Clayon,Brad Chandler
Design – Lance Clayton, Brad Chandler
AE Animation – Brad Chandler, Matt Lukins, Lance Clayton
Compositing - Lance Clayton, Brad Chandler
Executive Producer - Isabella Cooper
Frame-by-Frame – Brad Chandler, Matt Lukins
Rhythm
Creative Director / Art Director: Stef Langton
Executive Producer: Candice Shields
Director / Photographer: Matt Sav
DOP: Lewis Potts
DOP: Jack Shepherd
1st AC: Dan Stone
1st AC: Jason Vanstone
Sound Recordist: Richard Hubbard
Sound Design: Ned Beckley @ Envelope Audio
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