NEMO is a collectible mascot from Rama Works in collaboration with Kimparks Lab. The name NEMO means square (or cube) in Korean, which is where Kimparks Lab is located. The design of NEMO is based on Kimparks' Cubing character. We were careful in considering the Cubing character's backstory and lore when making decisions for the trailer.

Since NEMO is a physical product, we decided to build the spot around the idea that everything could have been created in stop motion. Our hope is that when people receive their NEMO figure, they might make some animations of their own and share them.
NEMO EMERGING FROM A CONTAINER OF RW GRID CAPS
It's challenging to make a hard surface cube feel alive with energy and expression. We wanted the use of the character to feel accurate, no deformations that wouldn't be possible with the actual toy. We decided to utilize the interchangeable faceplates to show expression, just like you would with real stop motion.

STOP MOTION sTYLE SMOKE WORKFLOW

One of the biggest challenges was creating the smoke for the surprise ending. Since we were committed to the stop motion feel, I wanted it to look like the smoke was made from cotton.
To achieve this look, I used Turbulence FD to create a smoke simulation, then converted the native BCF files to VBD. I took the VDB sequence and loaded it inside a volume mesher to create an animated mesh. Finally I developed the final look by growing millions of very fine hairs on top of the mesh.
Dan roughed out some of these scenes by hand to give everything that hand made feel. 
EDDy's CLAW SKETCHES
As we continue to work with Joe and Jeremy to develop the sonic brand of Rama Works, we are always trying to push ourselves to think about unique solutions. We developed NEMO's voice similar to Animal Crossing's "animalese" language, where we use sounds of letters or syllables to create a speech that sometimes is recognizable.

NEMO WITH TRAY BASE

When I originally received the NEMO assets, he had a square base with two feet holes. I immediately saw an opportunity to combine his base with the existing Rama Works Tray, giving added value to the part, allowing people to store small items like screws or paper clips. RW loved the idea, and this is the base that launches with the product.
Creative Director: Todd Hersey
Animation: Eddy Nieto, Dan Stack, Todd Hersey
Audio Post Production: Another Country Detroit
Composer: Joe Philips
Sound Design: Joe Philips, Jeremy Schemm
Mixing Engineer: Jeremy Schemm