The joy of playing with miniature cars as a child. We brought that sense of immersion and excitement to the screen by fusing the warmth of handcraft with modern technology. The art direction was built by the director and production team using reclaimed materials. The character and background illustrations were also developed through repeated trial and error, down to the paper quality, printing, and finishing methods, in pursuit of textures that would suit the world of the film. Working with a small crew, we brought AI in as a “partner” for processes beyond our capacity. Rather than using the generated output as-is, we layered it with human touch, warmth, and texture, carefully bringing out the contours of each material. Taking into account the product’s size and structural constraints, we carried out extensive testing in the planning of the direction, aiming to create a cohesive on-set environment.

Music video for Haru Haru Mai’s “Ano Machi.” Created around the keywords “homeward journey,” “memory,” and “nostalgia.” Used her own past photos and video tape footage as textures.

We were responsible for the direction and production of “Nissan Future Movie,” the main content at the Nissan booth for “JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023,” held from October 26, 2023. Using full CG, we depicted the future of mobility through Nissan’s EV concept cars and advanced technologies, blending cel-shaded characters with photorealistic backgrounds. The film was projected onto a massive 35-meter-wide LED wall, and the show cars, lighting, sound, and LED pillars throughout the venue all worked in sync to create an immersive experience in which the real and digital seamlessly merged. In addition, the characters and background world, which we designed and produced, were expanded across various platforms, including YouTube, social media, and Fortnite.