Collaborating with director Saman Kesh on “Start Your Engines,” this new film kick offs pre-registration for the official release of Mario Kart Tour on Google Play. Produced out of Golden LA for TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, “Start Your Engines” follows frenzied smartphones taking their users on an epic ride filled with references and clues from Nintendo’s iconic game title.

VFX Supervisor Jake Montgomery says: “Saman had unique direction and ideas as a true Mario Kart fan. It was an absolute pleasure collaborating with him to bring this chaotic and fun ‘phone chase’ to life.”

Prior to the shoot, animation tests were completed to develop how the phones would move throughout the scenes, working closely with Saman to outline the general pathway the camera would follow.

Animation approaches varied depending on the sequence at hand, to ensure the phones matched the frenetic energy of the go-karts as they moved through each environment. For instance, the team utilized rigs on set to convey the friction of the Google mobile as it raced across the coffee shop countertop.

Our team recreated the CG smartphones and completed look-dev on the phone cases, as each one represented a specific character: Donkey Kong, Peach, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad, Mario and Bowser.

Another seamless creative collaboration with the TBWA\Chiat\Day LA team, “Start Your Engines” transforms the everyday world into the Mario Kart racetrack, conjuring the infectiously playful spirit of the classic game franchise for its highly anticipated mobile debut.