Puns, Background Gags & Pop Culture References: Unseen Animation Artwork

07 Jun 2018

Our recent training animation, for the Video Standards Council, was created to demonstrate when a DVD/games shop salesperson would find it necessary to ask to see ID, what types of ID were acceptable, and why this is so important. We wanted to create a tongue in cheek animation, that appealed to the target audience of 18-30 year olds who would be likely to work selling DVDs and games – ie. pop culture nerds.

So, after watching ‘Clerks‘ a few times to research what it might be like to work in such a store, we got to work creating the following animation:

We structured the film around two distinct worlds: that of two teenagers playing a game, and game itself, which is set in a DVD/game shop. This gave our background and concept artists ample opportunities for puns, background gags and pop culture references – opportunities that they seized with both hands.

So here, to celebrate the gloriousness of puns that were gone too quickly from sight to fully appreciate, are some of our favourites:

The PUNS:

We needed a series of DVDs and game covers that the shoppers wanted to buy. Some are on screen for only a few frames, but all are lovingly designed by background artists Fern Bailey or Zoe Buyers. We think ‘Kingdom Farts’ is a personal favourite, but feel free to suggest your own in the comments below!

The BACKGROUND GAGS:

Backgrounds are carefully constructed to help convey the atmosphere, tone and character of an animated film, and these are no exception. Eagle eyed viewers may catch a few of the film and game references littered in these designs (created by Niall High and Fern Bailey respectively) as the film plays out, but it’d take several viewings to catch them all.