Los Angeles-based design/animation company Visual Creatures (directors Ryan McNeely and John Cranston) and the newly launched commercial production division of Funny or Die, Gifted Youth, create a zany world in desperate need of Snapdragon processors in the 3:00 music video “Shoulda Shoulda Got A Snapdragon” for Qualcomm. Editor Doobie White of Therapy Studios collaborated with Visual Creatures to craft the animated video that features a robot, dancers, and rap duo Parker & The Numberman.
Visual Creatures’ John Cranston and Ryan McNeely
Qualcomm mixes hip-hop and colorful animation for its video promotion of “snapdragon.” The video takes a vibrant journey of cell phone mishaps leaving the rap group, Parker & The Numberman, to deliver its catchy hook, “Shoulda Shoulda got a snapdragon.”
The Creatures modeled and designed the digital sets prior to shooting so that the camera angels could be easily communicated to the DOP Eric Haas and so the wardrobe stylist Melissa Gould could design the outfits to compliment the color palates of the sets. The talent was shot entirely on green screen with tracking media to aid in the extensive tracking and animation process that all had to be completed in the very tight two week schedule. Working with only the furniture as practical elements, the Visual Creatures team built the virtual environments that transport the energetic rappers into a colorful alternate reality. The Creatures focused on keeping the aesthetics of the video relevant to draw in youth culture. McNeely notes, “The image of hip-hop is changing—it’s not just about cars and money anymore. I wanted the video to feel colorful, vibrant and cartoonish to reflect this movement.”
The video begins with Parker telling the story of calling his girlfriend while on tour as he’s holding a phone with a bad speaker. It muffles him saying, “Girl, you’re my lady, my super sexy baby and I miss you like every single night.” However, his curly hair girlfriend in her animated bedroom hears, “There’s a lady who said I had her baby ‘cause I go out almost every single night.”
In the next scene his reception fails when he’s trying to call Numberman for help on the side of the designed road with his car broken down. Then quickly leads to more dating scenarios. Numberman gets dressed for a date and jumps off the elevator to find his phone with the address in it has died. Leaving him to say, “I wish my phone had a better battery life. Shoulda got a snapdragon.”
Following a dance break, Parker now encounters troubles navigating NYC, continuing, “My GPS won’t activate so my smartphone can’t navigate. She said she’d wait but now it’s late. Shoulda got a snapdragon.”
Finally, not having a snapdragon makes it difficult to share photos, upload and stream videos taken during the fun times in college. Subsequently, he gets dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend and sent away and walks into a snapdragon window display as if it were a diamond with bright arrows pointing to it. The video ends with various shots of dancing from the dancer, robots, and Parker and Numberman.
About Visual Creatures
Visual Creatures is a collaborative effort to create new and innovative works across a wide variety of artistic disciplines. From design to animation, visual effects to cinematography, writing to creative development, founders/partners John Cranston and Ryan McNeely love creating moving images, telling stories and showing each other things they find on the internet.
They are Visual Creatures!
Credits:
Client: Qualcomm
Production Company: Gifted Youth
Directors: Ryan McNeely, John Cranston (Visual Creatures)
DP: Eric Haase
Executive Producer/Producer: Josh Martin
Executive Producer: Dal Wolf
Prod Supervisor: Anthony Ficalora
Asst Prod Supervisor April Castaneda
Stylist: Melissa Gould McNeely
Production Designer: Sean O’hara
Choreographer: Kathryn Burns
Design Company: Visual Creatures
Partner/Co-Creative Director: Ryan McNeely
Partner/Co-Creative Director: John Cranston
Designer: Marcos Girado
Designer: Peter Tarka
Designer: Nick Forshee
Designer/Animator: César Carvallo Gutiérrez
Designer/Animator: Felipe Medina
Animator: Rafael Emidio
3D Lead: Dustin Bowser
3D Animator: Kyle McCauley
3D Animator: Tony Banik
Compositor: Sam Winkler
Flame Artist: Glen Bennett
Smoke Artist: Omar Inguanzo
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Editorial Company: Therapy Studios
Editor: Doobie White
Assistant Editor: Thomas Tedesco
Executive Producer: John Ramsay