Rafael Grampá’s Dark Noir Premieres at MADE
The Brazilian artist’s dream of bringing his cartoons to life are realized with this 3D animated short
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For the debut of Brazilian illustrator Rafael Grampá’s 3D animated short with #NextFrame, Absolut toasted the artist’s success with a private screening of the film, “Dark Noir.” Fittingly, the premiere took place at the brand’s Berlin-based creative space, MADE studios, which also served as Grampá’s headquarters while putting the finishing touches on the project. The much-anticipated screening marked both the end of a journey and a first for the artist, who spent months working with the UK animation studio Red Knuckles to bring his signature 2D universe to 3D life.
Tapped in 2013, Grampá played a critical role in developing a model for Absolut’s #NextFrame project along with setting a tone for the overarching global campaign, Transform Today. Drawing on the collaborative nature of the program, the illustrator invited fans to contribute story ideas at critical junctions throughout the narrative of “Dark Noir.”
“The #NextFrame project builds on Transform Today’s idea of ‘The future is not a given, it’s yours to create’ by offering an opportunity to those who were inspired by the campaign to actually co-create with one of the artists in it. But that was only half of the project,” explains Jonas Tåhlin, Absolut’s VP of Global Marketing. “We also wanted to find a way for Grampá to push his own boundaries by transforming his illustrations into 3D animation.”
Incorporating submissions from over 20 countries, the cartoonist had his work cut out for him. “This idea came to life through #NextFrame, where I’m making the transition from cartoonist to director. A translation of my art from 2D to 3D,” says Grampá. Inspired by the experience, the artist plans to continue working in the medium: “I already explore my style through image, sequence and space. Now I’m experiencing telling my stories with image, movement, time and sound.”
“Dark Noir” is now available to stream at Absolut.com.
Images courtesy of Absolut
