ROOF Studio Animates a 3D Call for Nature and Community in New 4-H Canada Short

Animation studio ROOF Studio (ROOF) partnered with 4-H Canada to produce a 3D animated short for 4-H Canada, a not-for-profit organisation focused on world-class positive youth development experiences. Conceived by communications marketing agency Edelman Canada, ‘4-H Forever’ demonstrates the impact 4-H in Canada has on preparing youth for their futures and the role volunteers play in making that happen. The piece can be seen on social media, programmatic placements, SEO, and connected TV.

Led by ROOF creative directors Vinicius Costa, Lucas Camargo, and Guto Terni, the film follows the path of four children involved with 4-H. From their early days in a community garden to the building of a community centre, this captivating story provides a powerful testament to the impact of volunteerism, the enduring bonds of friendship, and the crucial role that community engagement can play in making lasting and positive change in the lives of young people.

“4-H volunteers are there to support youth as they learn to do by doing, which empowers them with skills to lead and often creates bonds that last a lifetime,” said Shannon Benner, CEO of 4-H Canada. “ROOF Studio did an incredible job of distilling the impact of our program with animation that beautifully gets to the very core of how our program impacts young Canadians.”

“Bringing ‘4-H Forever’ to life was an exercise in blending meticulous planning, masterful design, and compelling storytelling – all hallmarks of our approach to animation,” said Guto, partner/creative director at ROOF Studio. “Our storyboard laid out vibrant scenes, interconnected through fluid camera movements and transitions, setting the stage for an animation journey that was both challenging and rewarding.” 

The film’s scenic transitions give the viewer an active sense of involvement and progress as the four young characters set out on their shared journey. 

ROOF also used time-lapse to showcase the youth’s teamwork and evolution in building the community centre. This visual device allowed for the camera to be a silent observer, providing a sense of continuity and continuous creation.

Sunlight is just one element of the natural world to feature in the short. Nature and all its breathtaking components prove pivotal throughout, with landscapes acting as fulsome story elements – providing animators with a chance to showcase the studio’s passion for detail. Costa explained their expert approach to realism and detail: “This focused approach crafts an immersive world, where sunlight not only enhances realism but also warmly illuminates the children's journey, adding depth and symbolising hope and unity.”

From the film’s inception, there was a clear need to create a world that both complemented and highlighted the enthusiastic quartet at the film’s core: “Their unique stylised forms spawned the world building around them. The spaces they interact with are never squared perfectly; we let the forms flow to infuse realism in our render with an organic spatial dynamic,” said Camargo, who took on the roles of director, creative director, and art director. “The overall mood we wanted was to feel like a dream, a memory. We are with them in that warm sunlight, and I think we achieved that.”

The final short film is the result of a large and dedicated team of talented individuals with a truly innovative spirit. “The technical challenges were considerable, from the creation of multiple detailed environments to a rich cast of characters, each requiring an enormous amount of detail,” concluded Guto. “But these challenges served as catalysts for our creativity and innovation.”