Marylebone Cricket Club

Project Overview

The project commenced with an inquiry from MCC, a cricket club deeply dedicated to sustainability. Their ambition was clear: to reduce their carbon footprint significantly and attain zero net carbon emissions by 2040. MCC sought to inform and celebrate their achievements with their fans and those interested in Lord’s Cricket Ground.

However, MCC faced a creative challenge. They wanted the animation to be engaging and entertaining without undermining the gravity of the subject matter, global warming. The balance was crucial, ensuring it wasn’t too playful or cartoonish while still being engaging.

Bold Content proposed a unique approach for their brand, combining collage-style animation with 2D animation. The goal was to incorporate numerous photos and videos relevant to Lord’s Cricket Ground, creating a tangible connection between the animation and the venue. The use of collage animation aimed to bridge the gap between the message and its audience effectively.

Key elements included a photo of Lord’s Cricket Ground itself and sound design to enhance the collage style. The project started with scriptwriting, incorporating statistics provided by MCC. These statistics, such as the weight of recycled waste equating to 400,000 cricket balls, played into the collage style, allowing for visually striking comparisons. Once the script was finalised, the team moved on to style frames. MCC granted creative freedom in terms of colours and brand fonts, contributing to the project’s unique visual appeal. The collaboration extended to the exchange of photos provided by MCC, making the animation more personal and locally relatable.

Rotoscoping was a significant element in the animation. It involved cutting around cricket players in video footage to bring a sense of movement and depth to the otherwise static collage style. This process was marked by trial and error, as not all footage yielded satisfactory results. A careful selection of high-quality footage was required to ensure a crisp and polished final product. Furthermore, a balance of male and female cricket players was maintained to represent both MCC teams.

The animation process progressed smoothly, thanks to the extensive collaboration during storyboarding and style frame development. Sound design was integrated during the animation phase to add depth to the visual narrative.

A second version of the animation, featuring embedded subtitles, was created to accommodate MCC’s website and promote it before a major international cricket game.

Client Collaboration and Success

What stood out most in this project was the close alignment between Bold Content and MCC regarding the creative vision. MCC’s willingness to entrust the animation’s creative direction to Bold Content allowed for a highly successful collaboration.

Rotoscoping was a crucial aspect of the animation, adding fluidity and character to the collage style. A meticulous selection of video footage and continuous back-and-forth communication with MCC led to satisfying results.

The choice of voiceover artist was pivotal, as it contributed to achieving the desired tone. The project’s success hinged on the animation’s ability to be playful yet sincere, striking a balance that was closely monitored throughout the process.

Despite a tight turnaround, the project was delivered on time and within budget, ensuring it could be launched as scheduled.

This collaboration with MCC not only resulted in a visually striking animation but also effectively conveyed MCC’s commitment to sustainability and their aspirations for a greener future. The successful project reflects the dedication and partnership between Bold Content and MCC in delivering a meaningful message in an engaging manner.