3D Animated Characters: Joyful Animals for DNA

As a continuation of the Joyful Animals concept, we created two new lovable additions for DNA’s growing character family: an energetic bunny and an excitable dachshund. Discover how we crafted this magical set of 3D animated characters, bringing high-resolution still images and animations to life!

3D ANIMATED CHARACTERS: PROJECT OVERVIEW

The joy just keeps growing! 🤩 Folk Finland once again invited us to expand DNA‘s world of joyful characters, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

This time, we introduced two brand-new characters—a playful dachshund and a lively bunny! These high-resolution 3D still images and animations build upon the Joyful Animals concept, adding even more charm, fun, and motion to DNA’s brand identity.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in this fantastic project! 🥰 Keep an eye out for these delightful creatures—and let the happiness shine!

Client

DNA

Agency

Folk Finland

DESIGN PROCESS: 3D ANIMATED CHARACTERS

Every iconic character animation project begins with a solid foundation in character design. We started by exploring different shapes, personalities, and poses through rapid sketches. Collaboration played a key role in refining these concepts, ensuring that each character perfectly embodied the DNA brand’s joyful and friendly nature.

The visual character design process always starts with creating a set of initial rough sketches of the character. We then collaborate with the client, gather feedback from the initial designs, and iterate it towards the desired end result. This stage is fast, fun & visual!

After the initial sketches, we developed expression sheets to showcase a variety of emotions and movements. These sheets helped establish how the bunny and dachshund would behave in both animation and still images.

TURNAROUNDS FOR 3D ANIMATED CHARACTERS

To ensure consistency in the 3D modeling phase, we created turnarounds—blueprint-style images displaying each character from multiple angles. Turnarounds are crucial in 3D animation, as they guide the modeling team in faithfully translating 2D designs into fully realized 3D characters.

COLOR SKETCHES

In the final stages of the design process, we refined the characters with carefully selected colors. The color palette was designed to align with DNA’s visual identity while making each character pop with warmth and energy.

PRE-PRODUCTION FOR 3D ANIMATED CHARACTERS: STORYBOARDS

While character design was in progress, we also mapped out key animation sequences through storyboarding. Even before finalizing the characters, we planned movements, expressions, and interactions to ensure a seamless animation workflow. Below are a few storyboard samples illustrating the dynamic poses and action points we developed.

FINAL STILL IMAGES

Once the look development was complete, we rendered high-resolution images of the characters. Each image then went through a detailed post-processing phase to refine colors, enhance details, and create modular deliverables that DNA could use across different advertising formats.

PREVISUALIZATION IN A PRODUCTION WITH 3D ANIMATED CHARACTERS

Once storyboards, character designs, and asset production (including modeling and rigging) were complete, we moved into the 3D animation phase. Previsualization, or Previz, provided a rough version of the animations to refine movement and composition. After feedback and approval, we enhanced the animations by adding textures, lighting, and shading before moving to the rendering stage.

FINAL 3D ANIMATED CHARACTERS

With all elements in place, we polished the character animations for final delivery. The animations were designed with flexibility in mind, allowing DNA and its partners to use them in multiple formats. After final testing, we rendered the sequences and sent them to compositing for the finishing touches. Enjoy the lively energy of our adorable 3D animated characters in action!

MORE CHARACTER DESIGN, ANIMATION AND JOY?

Looking for more joyous animal animations? Check out our previous DNA Joyful Animals project. You can also explore our high-quality 3D work for Panda! If frame-by-frame animation is more your style, take a look at K-Citymarket Kalakaverit Remix and Veikkaus Herkkuzoot for even more cute and expressive characters brought to life through animation.