Christmas Card 2011 - Havas Digital

I was commisioned to develop the Christmas Card 2011 for Havas Digital a multinational advertising agency. The agency wanted something nice and funny to send by email to its employees working in all the offices around the world. Despite the concept was clear we had to be very careful with the treatment of the idea because the people whi would receive it come from everywhere and Christmas doesn't mean the same for everyone.

This is why I decided to start with a main character who represents this period but unrelated with any religious paradigm. Then, my own version of Rudolph the reindeer was born. So I started sketching him and playing along with this idea...

MODEL SHEET
As soon as I got the definitive character I created the final versions of him. This process allowed me to start with the modelling process in 3D Maya which took me a couple of weeks to have it done.

LIGHT AND TEXTURE

After Modelling process I faced the challenge of give my chracater the texture I wanted and the needed light. I had an old puppet which helps me as a reference for the texture of Rudolph. I wanted the audience to feel this was an imaginary character like a real puppet who had turned into life suddenly.
For the Overall light I needed something bright enough to see the character and his actions but that same light should allow the nose light to bright enough, being a point of interest as well because is relevant along the story.
I tried different materials and I received some good advices (thanks Claudio Lopez).
Here are some tests of that process.

Last step before ending was the eyes finding. It was very hard to determine the final shape of them because every pair of eyes changed a bit Rudolph's personality. I did finally understand that "Eyes are windows of our soul"...

ANIMATIC AND FINAL VERSION
Finally these are the final versions of the Animatic and the Card totally finished with final music, sound and lught effects and logos.
I do really hope you like it!
Merry Christmas!