Shopping Made Easier With Amazon‘s Alexa App Clim Studio on how they created a colorful mixed-media spot using Cinema 4D, Redshift and After Effects.

Energetic colors, smart design and playful motion take center stage in a 30-second spot Clim Studio created with Amazon Alexa’s team to highlight new ways to shop.

Produced in collaboration with New York City- based production company Hornet, the campaign combined 2D, 3D and live action and involved a number of tools, including Cinema 4D, After Effects and Redshift.

Climent Canal, better known as Clim, founded his studio in 2014 and is an award-winning creative director. Passionate about excellence, he leads an international team of artists and directs global brand campaigns. Watch Clim Studio Reel 2022.

Clim’s work with many talented collaborators has led to multiple entrepreneurial ventures—including cofounding the animation studio Sebas & Clim, which began with classic “Make it Better" kinetic type animation in London before heading to New York City to direct for Hornet.

Adept at working independently, Clim Studio’s clients include Apple, Samsung, Christie’s, Logitech and others who value direct relationships. For clients who prefer a more conventional agency-led structure, the studio also partners with well-known production companies like Hornet, Hesty, L’Éloi, Nomint and many others.

The invitation to pitch for Amazon came via Clim’s longstanding partnership with Hornet. “As creative director, I wanted an eye-popping aesthetic,” he explains. “From crafting the story to hitting all the marketing flags, it was about finding, perfecting and translating the right visual analogies into elements, color palette and compositions. We paid special attention to detail in the animations, particularly the transitions.

Once the live-action shoot wrapped, the footage was transcoded, leaving the compositors to integrate CG with the live-action elements. After Effects was used for all 2D work, Cinema 4D for the CG and Redshift for rendering. The team also used Miro as a production tool so they could stay connected and aware of what everyone was doing at the same time.

C4D’s Sun Light helped add depth to the scenes with products against flat backgrounds while a custom light setup on the Amazon card made it visually pop. “The realism that we achieved thanks to C4D and Redshift is incredible. I love how we could mix graphics and boldness with realism and rawness,” Clim recalls.

Reflecting on the challenges, Clim noted that 30 seconds is a dauntingly short time to deliver complex information, but it helped that Amazon gave the team the creative freedom to simplify their product and go to a more abstract/graphic world.

“Our success depends on how collaboration works, and with Amazon it was amazing,” Clim recalls. They were so invested, and they listened to us and trusted our expertise and advice along the way.”

Looking to the future, he sees the industry evolving in favor of independent creatives who work directly with clients. “Big agencies and clients realize that there is no need for an enormous structure for a collaborator/partner to be efficient and trustworthy. I think the time has come for a more freelance-powered industry.”