loto-quebec – the mechanical cuckoo clock fantasy

WORK DESCRIPTION:

STARNO.net played a key creative role in the development of a whimsical 30-second television spot for Loto-Québec. The commercial features an intricate, antique Grandfather-style cuckoo clock that comes to life. Inside this mechanical marvel, a vibrant world unfolds, celebrating a lottery winner surrounded by an array of colorful and eccentric characters.

Our mandate focused on the Concept Design of the entire cast of wooden mechanical figures. The challenge was to create a cohesive "hand-crafted" aesthetic that looked like traditional carved wood while maintaining a high level of expressive personality. We designed everything from the lucky winner to the most far-fetched and wacky imaginary creatures that pop out of the clock’s gears.

Working closely with the talented team at Rodeo FX, who handled the stunning 3D animation and rendering, STARNO.net provided the artistic blueprint for these characters. Each design had to account for mechanical joints and "toy-like" movements, ensuring they felt like authentic parts of a vintage clockwork mechanism while bursting with modern, saturated colors.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY:

The Loto-Québec "Clock" campaign required a delicate balance between nostalgia and fantasy. By utilizing Character Archetypes found in folk art and merging them with a "farfelu" (wacky) sensibility, we helped create a visual universe that feels both magical and tangible.

Our design process involved deep exploration into wood textures and mechanical constraints, ensuring that when Rodeo FX began the 3D modeling process, the characters were already optimized for the specific "staccato" movement style of a mechanical clock. This project highlights STARNO.net’s ability to lead the artistic direction of complex, character-driven VFX productions.