Ponvory - Blackout
In the fall of 2024, Vanda Pharmaceuticals reached out to us with an exciting request—to create a one-minute animated commercial in an anime-inspired style. We were thrilled to take on the challenge and got to work bringing their vision to life.
From character design to animation, we focused on crafting a visually engaging piece that aligned with the brand’s message. After months of creative collaboration and careful production, the commercial made its debut on March 2, 2025, during the Oscars broadcast on ABC, reaching a wide audience across the U.S.
We’re proud to have been part of this project and look forward to future collaborations that push the boundaries of animation and storytelling.
Client: Vanda Pharmaceuticals
Production Company: Studio Konkret
Producer: Linus Rosenqvist
Line Producer: Olle Bergmark
Director: Andreas Nilsson
Character Animation: Sebastian Ljungdahl, Debbie Ekberg, Line Hagsand
2D Animation: Olle Bergmark, Line Hagsand
3D Animation: Viktor Jämterud
Compositing: Olle Bergmark
Background Illustrations: Keen Art
Music & Sound Design: Oldenburg Sounds
Storyboard
The first step in the process of working with animated film is script development and storyboarding. This is where ideas are transformed into concrete visuals, and the story takes its visual form. Through careful planning and detailed sketches, we map out each scene, determining composition, movement, and transitions to create a clear and engaging narrative. It is also at this stage that we first see what works—and what needs to be adjusted to make the story as strong and dynamic as possible. Here, we see a draft from the storyboard slightly later in the process, where a character sketch has also been added.
Many of the scenes retained the same framing as in the final version.
Charachter devolpment
At the same time, we worked on developing the film’s main character. In close collaboration with our client, we created Priscilla, who became the film’s protagonist. We experimented with different hairstyles, expressions, and details before settling on her final design—a look that not only suited the story but also gave her a unique personality.
Behind the scenes
In true anime fashion, we relied heavily on traditional hand-drawn cel animation. Combined with full 3D and 2.5D techniques, the process became a dynamic mix of classic craftsmanship and modern technology. By integrating these techniques, we were able to create depth and movement, giving the film a rich and vibrant feel. The cel animation contributed to the organic and familiar aesthetic that traditional anime is known for. Here’s an example of how we set up scenes in After Effects to add movement, dynamics, and depth to otherwise flat illustrations.
Here, you can follow the process from the first sketch, also known as rough animation, to the final scene with full composition and color correction. Along the way, the animation goes through several stages, including clean-up, shadow passes, coloring, camera settings, placement of objects in 3D space, atmospheric effects, and other animated elements. Finally, everything is refined through styling and detailed adjustments, giving the scene its final look.
.png)
