The Key to Creating CG Characters That Stay with You

While CG characters have been around for a few decades now, it’s hard to argue that in more recent years, the work has struck all new levels of memorability 

Think of the first time you saw a rat named Remy cooking up beautiful French cuisine in the Parisian kitchen of Gusteau’s. Or Woody getting outraged that Buzz Lightyear isn’t flying, but rather falling with style. Strong animation is an art form, and when paired with the right creative aspects, truly, it can stay with you for a long time. 

So, this begs the question, what factors contribute to a CG character being memorable? And more importantly, are there lessons to be learned from this in an industry that so often strives for memorability?

According to Paul McAfee, executive producer at PXP, you really have to look no further than the work Pixar Animation Studios has done in recent years to find the answers. 

Citing ‘Ratatouille’ as a strong example - incidentally, the first feature he worked on during his seven plus year stint at the studio - he notes that relatability is always a valuable tool for forming audience connections – something emphasised by both he and Remy running parallel paths from the start. 

“As I cut my teeth on learning theatrical feature CG animation, Remy cut his in Parisian cuisine,” Paul explains. “Together, we both climbed from obscurity to learn the intricacies of 'Michelin Star rated' institutions, and the personalities and creative energies that drive them.”

Of course, for the non-Pixar employees in the audience, the film still needed to have pull. And this is where the cruciality of authenticity can’t be overstated. Even if you are dealing with something as whimsical as a culinarily-gifted rat, should you want a piece of work to be relatable, it needs to have a compelling draw. 

On a practical level, this was achieved through effective consultation enabling visually-striking imagery of food, which lent further depth to the journey of the central protagonists. Thomas Keller, an American chef and restaurateur was pivotal in the film’s development, with his restaurant, The French Laundry, being a place where ample production time was spent. 

But, on a more technical level, the team was equally required to push the boundaries on what was artistically feasible. As Paul says, “At the time ‘Ratatouille’ was made, Pixar animated its films using proprietary software called MENV. It featured an ingenious system of 'hooks' and 'cues' to reference in data, making for efficient and quick loading of configurable assets and setting adjustments.”

Adding that character rigs for the rats required walking quadruped animation cycles, but also the ability to stand and walk on hind feet, Paul observes that the rigs and character sculpts were built with that in mind. And, while this process would lead to an astonishing amount of complexity, the end result was also well worth it – demonstrated effectively in the scene where Remy is nosing around in the spice rack of the countryside cottage. Herein, this deceptively simple shot required the animators to fit him into such a tight space without having him collide or penetrate objects, leading to seamless audience immersion – something which cannot be undervalued.

Speaking of strong artistic endeavours, art director Pat Clarke of We Are Royale cites Earthworm Jim (from the ‘90s video game on Sega and Nintendo) as a great example of the power of compelling design work. 

“While not boasting a super deep backstory, there's a clear and instantly memorable character that shines through in his humorous and wacky design, standing out from other video game characters of that era,” he says. “You could see the goofy, silly humour in his physical traits and the way he moved through the gameplay. Being a popular video game at the time, there was something about this character that resonated with lots of kids – not just me.”

What Pat would later discover was that the artist behind Earthworm Jim was none other than Doug Tennapel, who worked on many other beloved ‘90s games such as ‘The Neighborhood’. “Who knew I had a favourite artist? It was a revelation that reminds me of that moment where Remy’s ratatouille takes the food critic back to his childhood, reminding him why he became a food critic,” he continues. 

To this end, Earthworm Jim is a strong reminder that when artists take the opportunity to be original, work with their own point of view and aesthetic, and take chances, the work can also prove highly memorable. 

“Doug talks about this in one of his books, actually,” concludes Pat. “He stays true to himself stylistically, which you can see across all of his work; the humour and the soul he fearlessly brings to each character is what I want to bring to work in my own way.”

With all that said, artists aren’t the only ones with a responsibility toward the success (or lack thereof) of a CG character. For, as great as strong visuals are, one can never undervalue just how instrumental a role actors can play in making a character become memorable. 

Weighing in again, Paul recalls the experience of working with Brad Bird on both ‘Ratatouille’ and ‘The Incredibles’.  In the case of the former, he notes that some of his favourite ‘acting’ scenes were almost identical emulsions of in-the-moment acting by Brad during the animation dailies. 

“For example, the scene in the kitchen where Remy is about to escape out the window, but he can't hold himself back from fixing Linguini's soup,” Paul explains. “Remy skids to a stop on one foot while wagging his finger in the air for having forgotten a key herb — that was all Brad ad-libbing in the moment.”

And, in the case of the latter, Brad’s performance as the eccentric Edna Mode was just as pivotal to making the character memorable as the art and writing itself. “You have lived well when you are sitting in animation dailies with Brad Bird and he gives notes in his Edna Mode voice,” he continues. “In fact, it was ‘The Incredibles’ that made me pause the trajectory of my career to work my way into VFX and CG.” 

As a final note - albeit a luxury more afforded to movie and TV studios rather than brands - Paul mentions that Easter eggs and self referential humour are a final, bonus way to make your characters memorable. 

In fact, there’s many in each Pixar movie, but for the less eagle-eyed viewers, ‘Ratatouille boasts several great ones, including the roach that scurries away when Linguini entres his tiny apartment being an early character development for ‘WALL-E’, and the shadow of the dog Remy encounters being an early iteration of Dug from ‘Up’.

“Clearly, I have so much to say about Pixar and the characters it has brought to life,” finishes Paul. “My son, Phoenix, is credited as a ‘production baby’ on ‘Ratatouille’, but even still, the film and its characters will always be part of the fabric of our family.”

While theory, big studio cases and inspirational video game characters are great for study, how does this actually apply to the work of the advertising industry on a one to one level? Well, it’s such a broad industry with so many specific demands that truly, it just depends what you’re looking to achieve. 

Take the iconic ‘Chefbot’ character of Kroger’s long-running campaigns, for instance. While yes, according to Hornet CG lead Natalia Perez Melendez, memorability was important, it specifically needed to give recipes created with whatever leftover ingredients a person had in their fridge, which fundamentally influenced the design process. 

Of course, regularly successful traits such as making the robot cute and quirky certainly weren’t amiss here, but under director César Pelizer’s guidance, this character was able to transition into something memorable, which could subsequently be associated with this useful technology. 

“Here, we had a lot of fun leaning into the transformative capabilities of robots,” Natalia recalls. “For instance, the eyes were super flexible with the pupil as a separate piece so it could expand or contract, turn into scanning beams, or hide completely depending on his current emotion and the story. And we went with spaghetti arms for both form and function – the arms could stretch and bend so freely that each pose automatically felt more dynamic and fun, and it could reach for things out of frame or interact with the camera easily.”

Incidentally, the concept of looking at great cases of past work was a boon for this project. Mentioning ‘WALL-E’ and the Jetsons’ robot as points of inspiration, she adds that these influenced traits such as the final product having big, innocent eyes, swiftness, expressiveness, and the aforementioned long spaghetti arms.

In conjunction with César’s pre-existing design language of grid systems and clean geometric shapes for the brand, this really led to an end result that was appealing and full of charm. “We could push for more extreme movements or give Chefbot some human-inspired expressions like a classic chef’s kiss and the graphic visual language will keep everything feeling smart and not too silly,” Natalia reflects. “I loved how these spots turned out, and this little guy will remain one of my favourite characters I’ve worked with.”

On the other hand, the approach one takes when advertising a job searching platform might be a smidge different. Per the team at TELEVISOR, one of their proudest projects was the creation of ‘Marian Halski - the sheep from Halskie’ and his hilarious meetings with various animals of the ‘professional jungle’. 

Once again, there was a degree of meticulousness that simply seems required for the creation of any CG character. But rather than opt for immediate visual memorability, the team wanted the entire work to create a harmony that resonated with viewers and their imaginations. 

“The spot is a fusion of three things: traditional aspects of the Polish mountain region Halskie, ‘90s NYC hip-hop culture, and the corporate world,” they explain. “It materialises in the character, background design and directing as well.”

Specifically, from the concept stage, Marian’s character was all about transformation, rather than a set end goal. He took on various shapes, body builds and hair grades. There were decisions revolving around choosing the right amount, and density, of wool. And even after it was decided Marian would be a hunk, there was still the pivotal discussion of anthropomorphisation to be had, which, while not uncommon in animation, was done with the express intent of allowing viewers to quickly recognise emotions.

“Through this, the meaning is remembered,” the team continues. “Details are what give a character a unique personality and humorous traits. Changes in Marian’s clothes and body language underline the evolution of changing jobs. He starts scared of the corporate world, with his shoulders down and fear in his eyes at first. Later, he finishes with a head up and confident gesticulation.”

Yet, even with all that said, the similarities between Marian, Chefbot, and even any of the aforementioned characters can be seen clearly. And this is probably due to the fact that as cliché as it might be, with good CG work, the devil is in the details. 

From integrating a MoCap session to moving each limb and joint of the characters manually, frame by frame, timings were nailed down, exaggerated behaviours - to allow Marian’s personality to be fully expressed - were enabled, and the work was better for it. 

“What gives a spice to animation are details that are not visible at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they have a positive effect that contributes to the overall design,” the team concludes. 

So, we’ve got examples from Pixar, examples from video games, and characters designed for specific advertising cases… but what about the benefit of having an original character for pure inspiration? As it turns out, it’s a very real niche, one which CG character animator Neil Stubbings is quick to extol the virtue of. 

Referencing ‘Hukkles’, a chubby pink alien who has served as the artist’s alter ego and inexhaustible source of creative inspiration for over a decade, Neil notes that it was Hukkles who first sparked this artistic passion within him, marking the beginning of an incredible journey. 

“In the early days, Hukkles was a purely two-dimensional creation – a simple yet captivating character who marked my initial foray into the world of character animation,” he explains. “This journey began with my first short film, ‘Lost And Found’, which represented my maiden attempt at both story writing and storytelling. Before venturing into this realm, my work was predominantly focused on motion graphics.”

With that in mind, should it be understood that sometimes memorability drives creativity, and not the other way around? Sure, it all starts with an initial creative concept, but seeing as how ‘Lost And Found’ was met with resounding success, and it was actually that which pushed Neil to further explores Hukkles’ universe, this is clear proof that sometimes, you don’t actually need to build with memorability in mind, but rather, because of it. 

“The overwhelming positive feedback I received for Hukkles motivated me to delve deeper into the intricacies of 3D character animation,” Neil adds. “Over time, an entire world and intricate backstory blossomed around this beloved character. Hukkles has made appearances in almost all of my passion projects and has even subtly featured in some of my commercial work, often hidden in plain sight as a nod to his enduring influence.”

Of course, there’s still a lesson of memorability to be learned here, even if it wasn’t Neil’s initial intention. In this case, it’s the fact that creating a figurehead character can often cause people to rally – especially when the subject becomes a lot more prominent down the line. Case in point, Hukkles was non-binary long before the topic gained mainstream attention, which made them both a trailblazer, but also a point of relatability for many audience members questioning their relationships with social gender normalities. 

“Hukkles’ non-binary nature allowed me to explore themes of identity and acceptance, resonating with audiences in profound ways,” he says. “This journey with Hukkles has been one of continuous learning and discovery – each project an opportunity to delve deeper into the art of storytelling. This charming pink alien remains at the heart of my creative journey, continuing to inspire and evolve with each new project. As I look to the future, I am excited to continue exploring new stories and expanding the world of Hukkles, knowing that this chubby pink alien will always be by my side, guiding and inspiring me every step of the way.”

So, what are the biggest takeaways from all of this? With all these words said, what is the secret to creating a CG character that stays with you? As it turns out, there’s no singular right way to do it. Sometimes, the authentic route is best – telling a story in a true and heartfelt way that audiences can appreciate. Sometimes, strong design work is everything, be is the decision to anthropomorphise, add cute details, or create a video game character with a unique design. And then, of course, sometimes, it’s just not about trying to make it memorable – people just latch on because the base concept is strong. 

Ultimately, at the end of the day, as long as you know what you’re trying to achieve, and you take the time to craft the project with care and love, that’s probably the secret ingredient to a great CG character.