Gorillaz Monkey Around With Olympic Trails

creative showcase 1 4 idents

gorillaz monkey around with olympic trails Not since King Louis swung on to our

1970s Japanese TV import Monkey. The

coverage involved Hewlett rejigging the

frame task, it was a rewarding experience

screens in Jungle Book has an animated

trailer shows Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy

character design to make him TV-

for all involved. “We kept it reasonably

primate been so famous. Thanks to the

battling hazards and demons as they

friendly, and Albarn creating a

organic, and within certain stylistic

latest project to emerge from the

travel to the Beijing Olympics. All, of

soundtrack that had a more beefed-up,

boundaries. Little details were coming in,

combined talents of of animator/artist

course, in the inimitable Hewlett style.

edgy vibe than the more traditional show.

either from the animators or compositors,

Jamie Hewlett and musician Damon

Hewlett and Albarn had already been

In keeping with the ancient roots of the

and everyone contributed something

Albarn, cartoon simians are back on

working with the Monkey story for the

Monkey characters, the idents were

special,” says Robert Valley, who was

top of the tree.

last three years, on director Chen Shi-

created using traditional animation

animation director on the project,

The duo’s stunning two-minute trailer

Zheng’s Monkey: Journey to The West, a

techniques. This meant that the

together with longtime Hewlett

and spin-off idents for the BBC’s

Chinese opera-inspired stage show which

production company, Passion Pictures,

collaborator Pete Candeland.

coverage of the Beijing Olympics features

has been shown in various venues

had to conscript a team of animators

Hewlett’s company, Zombie Flesh

characters borrowed from the classic

around the world.

versed in old-school animation techniques.

Eaters, teamed up with Passion, and

Chinese novel Journey to the West and

Their work for the BBC’s Olympic

And although it was a gruelling frame-by-

Zombie’s producer Cara Speller

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idents 1 5 creative showcase

explains the daunting scope of the

Damon’s a rock star, and they’ve got

project. “The most challenging aspect

their own cool stuff going on,” he says.

was its sheer size,” she says. “The BBC

But Hewlett and Albarn admired the

told us early on that they expected 98

BBC’s bravery in making an animated

per cent of the UK population to see the

campaign for the Olympics, so they

Monkey footage on TV at some point

were keen to bring the much-loved

during the Olympics coverage.” She adds

characters to life.

that the BBC did a great job on a brief

Hewlett first encountered Sun Wukong

for what turned out to be a massive

the Monkey King during his childhood.

campaign, covering broadcast, online,

“Monkey, the Japanese TV series shown

print, mobile and radio.

in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was

“Additionally, they asked for the film to

our first introduction to the story – and

be delivered in HD, which looks beautiful

to Chinese culture – along with the Water

but certainly slows everything down from

Margin and Bruce Lee films,” he explains.

a production perspective as the material

“It’s a fantastic story about a group of

becomes so huge.”

mythical but really interesting characters

The agency RKCR/Y&R had the task of

on a journey of discovery.”

tying together the different companies

Hewlett and Albarn are not quite ready

involved in the project – Passion, Zombie

to part ways with Monkey and co just yet.

and the BBC. Executive creative director

August saw the release of an album of

there, Damon Collins, says that working

Albarn’s music from the opera, and

with Hewlett and Albarn was certainly not a typical advertising experience.

“They had never worked on a brand other than their own, so it was kind of a long shot to get them to do it. Hell,

SH110_P14-15_monkey.indd 15

Hewlett is just putting the finishing touches to a short film to accompany one of the tracks. We’re squealing like chimps at a tea party at the prospect.

“The film, Monkey Bee, is part Chinese

“The most challenging aspect of the project was its sheer size. The BBC said they expected 98 per cent of the UK population to see the Monkey footage at some point.”

1970s spaghetti western, part Korean

we’re just finishing the post.”

horror movie, and part Monkey, the TV

Monkey Bee will look like a small section

series,” says Hewlett. “But this project

of a much longer feature, and Hewlett

isn’t animated – we managed to film it

hints that we’ve not seen the end of

towards the end of July, using some

Monkey projects quite yet. “We have

members of the opera cast, and now

many more plans to come,” he teases. LS

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