Snow tells the story of Mpho, a little girl who dreams of snow, despite living in the Karoo. Her grandparents intervene to help her dream come true – with a little help from Cerebos Salt.
We put a lot of thought into the shape of the characters. Mpho is shaped like an upside-down triangle, her cuteness factor largely comes from her having such a big head in relation to her body and her tiny feet. Her grandma on the other hand is bell-shaped, completely the opposite or rather the reverse of Mpho. Her shape is an ode to her larger-than-life personality. She is definitely the matriarch of the family. Gramps on the other hand is a skinny bean of a man. He takes up very little space in the house and is quiet and unassuming. However, he observes everything so closely and in the end it’s his patient tinkering and exquisite mind that brings so much joy to Mpho and Grandma.
To create Snow’s distinct look,we used a combination of stop motion and CG, creating the miniatures inhouse and collaborating with BlackGinger on the animation.
In terms of the art direction we stayed true to the stylized, comical, and carefully-thought-through designs but then sourced many different materials to bring a feel of realism into them through textures and finishes.
