Introducing: Clubcamping

CLUBCAMPING portfolio here.

Tell us a bit about yourselves.... What’s your story?

Ana: Before Clubcamping, the two of us had different but complementary paths in the industry. We worked in various areas, companies and boutique studios, and when we crossed paths on a few projects, it quickly became clear that we shared the same love for animation and a similar vision of what makes a strong, healthy team in this crazy industry.

Clubcamping started in 2018 with the idea of creating a collaborative and easygoing spirit; like the one you experience at a camp, while also aiming for the level of animation we’ve always admired. It’s been an intense but incredibly rewarding adventure. The industry and the world have changed so much in these years, but we take pride in knowing that we’ve never lost the spark we lit on day one of this camp.

What’s your mission? Why do you do what you do?

Ana: There are many things that drive us, but two stand out, and we need them to be present in every project, whether it’s commercial or personal.

The first is taking care of people. In this industry, it’s easy to forget that behind every beautiful piece of work, there’s a team making it happen. Animation should work like a perfectly synchronized ballet and when everyone is respected, the whole production flows better. That’s why we put people first: our team, our artists, and our clients. Clear communication, an organized pipeline, and making sure our clients feel heard and get their expectations met (or better yet, exceeded): on time and in the right way. Just like we always say: it should be collaborative and easygoing, like camping.

The second is always pushing our craft further. With every project, we aim to take our animation and creativity to the next level; something more refined, more original, and better executed than the one before. That constant pursuit of improvement is what keeps us motivated and ensures we never lose the love we have for this craft.

We noticed you like cats 👀 Tell us more about your mascot and how they evolve and change based on where they appear, much like your style and work…

Mariano: Baté, the mascot, represents the drive we feel of always needing to be changing. It's a symbol that asks to be constantly recreated and redesigned. There are some essential elements that need to be there to be Baté, but other than that, it’s a different character every time it comes out.
That’s the soul of Clubcamping's artistic journey.

Now, Baté, the character, is the cosmic, timeless, omnipresent being that serves as overseer and caretaker of Clubcamping’s vital pulse and soul. That’s why it looks both like a person and a cat. And that’s why it’s so important to us: it is us.

How do you work together as a duo? What’s your approach? How do you deal with creative differences?

Ana: I feel like we have a well-balanced structure; shared core values, but different perspectives. I come from a creative production background, and even though I’ve always had a strong creative side, my brain is wired for production. I kind of see things like a chessboard, moving pieces strategically. That allows us, along with our amazing production team, to build pipelines that let artists focus entirely on pushing their craft to the highest level.

Mariano, on the other hand, is the heart and soul of the creative side. His mind never stops! He’s always coming up with ideas and solutions that inspire and push the incredible artists we bring into each project. He blushes and hates it every time I say this, but he is the best, sweetest, and most talented director I have ever worked with.

We have a very open dialogue in our partnership. There’s a lot of idea-sharing and a deep trust in what each of us brings to the table. That mutual respect has made us more than just business partners: we’re family.

Mariano: **blushes angrily**

How do you think strong characters/character design can help brands create more memorable, emotionally resonant stories that connect with their audience?

Mariano: Well, my grandpa used to tell me before sleep: “A good character, strong in personality and rich in distinctive traits, has the ability to create an emotional response in the audience, making ideas memorable.” Leaving me puzzled. But now I understand that’s the quest: To continue exploring what that exactly means, and how it translates to our characters.

We vibe with the impulse of bringing unexpected aspects to our characters: Something that makes them visually appealing, while also carrying something special, quirky, strange, in terms of their design and spirit. Could be their overall morphology, faces, clothing, colors, gestures, movements or realistic traits in a completely unrealistic setting.

We keep finding our identity and distinctiveness through them, which makes them feel alive and relatable. An animated character that feels alive, relatable and original, is irresistible!

What’s your approach to storytelling? What kinds of stories do you like, and what do you think makes a good story?

Mariano: We daydream with starry eyes of those initial moments of a project, when we’re setting the bases of the world we’re specifically creating. We just ask questions of the idea: How should this look? How could this change of scene be explored? What is not important here?

Being a kid in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there’s some analog and early digital aesthetics floating around that transpire into everything we do. But the answers come from research and intuition. We love creating moodboards, style frames, and trying stuff out. We discover the tone and vibe from experiments and explorations we do. We like to hear our intrusive thoughts because they’ll surely lead to surprises! And it’s obviously packed with some moments of delicious existential dread. From there, it could be action or cinematic drama, or mograph oriented. We love challenging our creativity to adapt to different formats.

We love stories that are character-driven because those are the ones that represent the more fertile grounds to keep pushing forward our vision and ideas. The short formats we’re getting accustomed to pose really interesting challenges to our understanding of “what makes a good story”. I think a good story catches your attention from early on. And it keeps a narrative flow that carries the audiences through the visual ride. Be it 10 seconds or 2 minutes, if the storytelling is good, you won't want to get off once it starts.

Can you talk us through one of your favourite commercial projects - what was the brief and how did you approach it?

Ana: Ohhh, that’s a tough one, it’s like asking me to pick my favorite cat. Don’t do it, I have four, and I could never choose! Haha.

We have many favorites, but one that was truly defining for us and that we hold very close to our hearts is Porsche: The Legend of Pedro Rodríguez.

From the very first lines of the client’s brief, we knew this was going to be a challenge, and that’s exactly what hooked us. It was a great story, centered around a deep and fascinating character. The client trusted us completely with both the creative and the craft, which allowed us to really push ourselves and aim high (or should I say, drive fast? Haha).

They provided the VO and just a few guidelines on how they envisioned the story visually, but from there, we had the freedom to propose something original and authentic. It was the perfect opportunity to experiment with animation and visual techniques we had always wanted to bring into a commercial project.

Both of us were 100% immersed in this one. Mariano led the pre and post production and stayed deeply involved in every single frame during the process, while I focused on production, building the foundation to make sure we could achieve all the ambitious goals we set for this piece. No pun intended, but it really felt like our "pilot" project, the one that set us on the path we’re still following today.

Every now and then, we revisit that render, not just to remember where we started, but also to feel a little bit of pride for what we accomplished.

Tell us about your favourite comics/TV shows/films/musicians/podcasts/books...

Ana: Being a true Gemini, it’s hard for me to pick all-time favorites, but I can definitely share some that I’m currently or have been obsessed with.

As a former teenager completely addicted to Lost, I’m now absolutely hooked on Severance. The mysteries, the way the story pulls you in: it’s just brilliant. The characters are so well-written, and the narrative unfolds alongside the audience in such a clever way. Plus, visually, it’s stunning. Honorable mention to some of my long-time loves: The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and Succession.

When it comes to films, I love movies that feel natural, with layered, real-feeling characters. I’m very drawn to strong screenplays. Noah Baumbach is one of my favorite directors and writers; Frances Ha has been with me for years. Recently, I fell in love with Anora, and of course, the Brazilian gem I'm Still Here. If you haven’t seen it yet, drop everything and watch it now. Honorable mention to Kiki’s Delivery Service. I know it’s not the most common Ghibli pick, but it’s my favorite.

Music-wise, it depends! If you check my Spotify, you’ll probably find a lot of funk carioca. It's my go-to for gym playlists, haha - But in my headphones, there’s always plenty of Brazilian music, like Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben and Liniker.

For podcasts, I usually listen to a lot in Portuguese to stay connected to my home country, even after so many years abroad. But one in English that really stuck with me recently was the episode with Jane Fonda from Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me. What a life she had!!

The book that’s stayed with me the most since I read it is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I love everything she writes, but this one was an obsession from page one. I just finished All Fours by Miranda July, and as I approach 40, it hit really close to home.

Mariano: It’s so hard. I’ll write whatever image my mind shows me first.

I think the Argentinian comic “Cazador” really ignited a twisted kind of humor in me as a kid, that still greatly influences me. And I remember the Spiderman comic miniseries, Maximum Carnage, because I kept looking and comparing the different pencil artists styles.

I love A24 movies. I love how you can say “A24 movie” and can get an idea of what type of movie it is. “Under the silver lake” still resonates. It walks such a fine line between realism and surrealism. And not from A24, but I enjoyed Nosferatu. I love Eggers. That guy is nuts.

After a lot of years of working with music on my earphones, I’m starting to enjoy void silence. So I’m not listening daily to podcasts or the radio.

Now that I’m older, I enjoy lo fi artists, like José González or Tommy Guerrero. But from time to time I tap my punk and metal roots at the office. Just those days when I’m the only one there.

I recently finished “Our Grateful Dead: stories of those left behind”(it has nothing to do with the band from Vinciane Despret). I just saw it at an immense bookstore, at the very bottom of a pile of books, and felt instantly compelled to grab it. It’s a captivating view on existence and communication beyond death.

Any dream clients or types of project?

Ana: So many! If you look at our portfolio, you’ll see a lot of versatility; our projects always focus on characters, but with different paces and aesthetics.

Right now, we’re really excited about projects with more dynamic animation, pushing the limits of 2D with fast-paced action. You see a lot of that in the world of sports and gaming, which is something we’d love to dive deeper into.

At the same time, we’re also really interested in exploring long-format and serialized projects, where we can develop characters on a deeper level and build more immersive storytelling. There’s something special about having the time to craft nuanced personalities, relationships, and worlds that evolve over multiple episodes. It’s a different kind of challenge, but one we’d love to take on.

See more from CLUBCAMPING here.