[youtube=http://youtu.be/LTpKaVbjVEU]

Client: Bankwest

Agency: Hostville

Production Company: Plaza Films

Brief: Create a 3D, animatronic puppet referencing the well-known ‘Sun’ character from Bankwest’s Happy Banking campaign

Big Kahuna Imagineering continues to work hard on the Bankwest ads with almost too-hot-to-handle agency Hostville and production company Plaza Films. In Bankwest’s post-GFC splurge on TVCs with fellow puppeteer and witty director Paul Middleditch, BKI was called upon to create a three-dimensional puppet referencing the well-known ‘Sun’ character for the continuing Happy Banking Campaign.

Previously computer animated, Big Kahuna wanted to give the ‘Sun’ puppet features that would allow it to interact with actors face-to-face. So, we designed and built custom mechanisms that make the mouth move asymmetrically, sunbeams wiggle and eyebrows arch independently or together. It’s all of these expressive nuances that brought a level of realism to the set offering greater viewer affinity for the character.

And while we’re on the Bankwest subject, here’s a look at all of the Happy Banking characters that BKI has been involved in puppeteering.

Big Kahuna custom built the original ‘Goldfish’ and ‘Grass Head’ puppets. As to ‘Flower’, ‘Dog’ and ‘Teddy’; we disassembled the original model of each and inserted the required animatronics such that they could act and be animated live on set. We then went behind the scenes on the set of the Bankwest commercials to manipulate and sync the characters’ movements with the live audio playback.