ROOF Studio Brings CG Magic to Learning Platform Juni

Animation studio ROOF Studio (ROOF) animated a new spot for Juni Learning, an online learning experience that prepares kids 7-18 for the real world by teaching them the skills needed to succeed in the industries and career paths of the future. Blending spirited 3D animation, motion graphics, and live-action, the spot highlights Juni's award-winning learning experiences led by instructors from top universities. 

The spot opens with a bold statement: “Your child can’t learn everything at school." An enthusiastic, purple-haired kid bursts out of a schoolhouse and into a playground-style world representing Juni's unique curriculum dedicated to preparing children for the real world -- from coding to investing to storytelling. 

“I was always a fan of ROOF’s work and how detail-oriented they are,” says Rodrigo Burdman, Juni creative director. “I knew if we partnered with them, they would take the Juni concept to another level. When I saw the first animatic, I was blown away by the potential of the film. ROOF turned it into something much greater.”

“This project was an opportunity for us to bring something unexpected to traditional motion graphics advertising," explains Guto Terni, ROOF Studio co-founder/creative director. "Incorporating 3D-animated characters and scenes provided a strong foundation to tell Juni’s story in a playfully appealing way, while emphasising the unique learning experiences they offer through bold typography cleverly integrated into the scenes. In contrast, the 2D elements kept the fast-moving message of the spot clear and concise.” 

ROOF conceived Jonas, the delightful 3D character in the spot, as a device to stitch all the scenes together. Representing Juni’s core audience, Jonas hops and flips through storybook and video game-like environments anchored by bubbly typography and text art. 

ROOF deployed a range of animation techniques for the spot, designing each word to be unique and giving the film a mixed-media approach. Guto says the intention was to maximise the meaning of each one while ensuring visual unity with the vibrant colours and geometry of the Juni brand. 

According to Guto, pacing was everything as ROOF needed to ensure the viewer had enough time to absorb every word and image while keeping the energy up. Within that challenge, the team also needed to be conscious of maintaining visual cohesion zig-zagging between the 3D-enriched worlds and the motion graphics script. 

“Ultimately, the key to making our mixed-animation technique work was approaching the spot as one entire sequence, as opposed to multiple scenes,” concludes Guto. “It feels like a graphical piece but with all the texture details and lighting, the scenes are balanced and enriched. We had five weeks to complete the whole project, so everything needed to be planned and executed perfectly on time. Juni was an amazing client. They believed in our vision and always carefully considered the timeframe we had to make the film better. We’re really proud of the end result.”