Birmingham-based animation company Yamination Studios played a key role in creating a national TV advert for the UK’s biggest milk brand.
The 30-second 'Barry the biscuit boy' advertisement for Cravendale, which made its debut to six million ITV viewers on Saturday evening, uses an innovative mix of techniques including puppetry, stop motion animation and computer graphics to tell the story of the adventurous young biscuit boy Barry and his love of milk.
Production company Blinkink worked with Yamination to create the main elements of the set for the advert having worked with Yossel Simpson Little, head of art department at Yamination Studios, on their John Lewis Christmas commercial Hare and Bare.
The Yamination team, based at The Custard Factory in Digbeth, built the set in just three weeks.
Managing director Drew Roper said: "Cravendale is known for its quirky, catchy adverts, so it is great to see the company exploring the medium of animation, which works brilliantly as it appeals to audiences of all types and ages.
"It was a tough project because of the tight time frame, sheer amount of props that had to be made and the scale of the set, which was a lot larger than usual.
"However, it was a hugely rewarding and exciting experience, with our clients so impressed with our attention to detail that they want us to rebuild their own kitchens at home!"
A multi-award winning animator, Roper started Yamination Studios shortly after he graduated in 2009.
As well as handling big budget adverts for companies such as Cravendale and Coca Cola, the Yamination team is working on Roper's short animation film 'At-issue' due for release later this year and funded by Sky Arts and Kickstarter.
Roper met model-making expert Yossel Simpson Little when they worked together on the set of Wes Anderson's Hollywood blockbuster Fantastic Mr Fox in 2009. Simpson Little moved to Birmingham in 2013 and began working as head of art department at Yamination Studios.
In addition to Fantastic Mr Fox, Roper and Simpson Little have worked on a number of acclaimed productions including The Sun's The Sun on Sunday (2012), children's TV Series Shaun the Sheep by Aardman Animations(2012) and Walt Disney's Frankenweenie (2012), directed by Tim Burton.
Birmingham has one of Britain's best performing digital economies with more than 2,500 companies collectively delivering a £745 million boost to the local economy.
Wouter Schuitemaker, investment director of Business Birmingham, the city's inward investment programme, said: "Birmingham is building a reputation as one of the most exciting destinations in the country for digital and tech companies thanks to a strong talent pool, lower cost base and flexible working spaces.
"Yamination Studios' innovative project serves as a perfect illustration to a national audience of the sheer talent of this sector in the city, which will only increase as more and more ambitious digital companies are attracted to what Birmingham has to offer."
