"We are all at risk of manipulation online, can you spot the signs?"

We designed 3 animated films for one of Google’s biggest online campaigns, which spread across 27 European countries. The series aims at educating people to better identify misinformation and steer away from unreliable sources.

When the creative team at Rumpus approached us to create the designs, we got very excited to get on board as we are huge fans of Film Noir. We started by drawing a style frame for the first film.

Across all films, the main character is a Detective who is curious and observant. Referencing crime genres, we sketched different shapes in order to reach the final direction. To put in more mystery, we added a fedora to the character, which also helped with the expressions of emotions.

Each film had a different color palette, and characters with various traits and shapes to promote inclusivity. We designed locals and tourists at the park, pet owners in a vet’s waiting room, and protesters at the square.

We enjoyed sketching the other environments, playing around with lights and shadows following Film Noir themes.

We then combined both characters and environments into the final designed shots. Having the background in one desaturated color helped the colorful characters pop and be in focus.

For the lion run sequence, we designed wide strips to match the camera pan, as the AI changes the background.

We also created some separate assets that were used in the films as props and in the background.

Following the successful release of the films, we were later asked to create two posters to pitch new film ideas for the same series.