Universal Everything / Nokia

Universal Everything recently updated with a whole host of new work to tickle your visual taste buds. One piece that particularly stood out for me was the Nokia Heathrow project. It’s one of those ideas that you just wish you’d of had, or if you’ve had a similar idea then an excuse to make it!

I managed to get a quick insight to the project from our favorite northern designer, Matt Pyke;

We’ve wanted to make a Global Animation since 2004, the idea of having two parallel narratives : the animation frames alongside the locations, creating a story which jumps from place to place.

When Nokia approached us for more screen content for their flagship stores and the huge Heathrow Terminal 5 videowalls this was the perfect match to their brief of ‘The Big We’ – how connections between people are empowered by Nokia.

A series of short, handmade cell animations were made, each starting and ending on a
flat horizon line, creating a seamless expandable set of films – allowing more to be added in the future.

Visitors to Heathrow airport are in the excitement of travel, which led us to the theme of “What is over the horizon” for the cell animations, including migratory birds, 747 takeoffs and rolling valleys.

To collect the 500+ global blank frame images needed, we created a flickr group which attracted entries across the globe from Tokyo to the Swiss Alps. We received plenty of horrifying and bizarre entries which didnt make it through moderation.

Also, be sure to check out their Nokia Friends project:

A procession of diverse characters glide by on a travelator – friends, families, kids, lovers, rugby teams, fat couples, thin models – celebrating the diversity of people seen at Heathrow Terminal 5. Every character riding the travelator is unique.

Using Processing generative software to create an ever-growing population, we are developing Nokia Friends to continue living as a mobile application.

Credits
Creative Direction / Matt Pyke, Universal Everything
Animation / Trev Henderson, Universal Everything