When New Zealand animation studio Yukfoo first started selling its wares 15 years ago, the world of animation was a much different place. Sure Pixar had already come out with some of its masterpieces such as Toy Story, but it was still very much a pencil and onion paper affair for many studios.
Modern animation technology and techniques are different, not necessarily better says executive producer Glen Real.
“What we do is character animation and that’s a fairly specific skill set that tends to draw its genesis from traditional, 2D animation. Pencils and paper and that sort of thing,” he says.
“The difference between now and then is some of those classic skills used to bring characters to life aren’t so important. Modern work looks fantastic, the technology is amazing, but I feel some of the core animation skills are often missing.”
Yukfoo is now in its teens and all the pimply awkwardness it implies. It’s taken on clients ranging from McDonald’s to Subaru and the core team of four has grown to 10, including and now also includes a sales office in Melbourne to service what’s become a very important market for the studio.
Real says Yukfoo isn’t able to talk about any current commercial work, but it’s in the midst of completing a feature animation called Shirley and the Hungary Bear (as in a bear from Hungary).
To celebrate the past 15 years, Yukfoo has released a showreel of its earliest works â including this infamous bunny-laden piece for Vodafone New Zealand.
Here are some of the other highlights from Yukfoo’s first fifteen years:
