Studio Projects

Bounc - Studio Film

Production | Buff
Sound Design | Pelican Sound

The playful outcome of curiosity-led motion design experimentation

In between client projects, the Buff Motion team wanted to channel their energy into a creative experiment. The aim was to play with perception, specifically how materials, weight and physics can be subverted on screen, while also exploring the contrast between 2D and 3D design.

The Challenge

The project began with the idea of creating a tongue-in-cheek brand around a simple inanimate object, like a rock. We called it Bounc, a playful name that gave personality to something so basic and crude. From that starting point, the work evolved into a series of short scenes where flat 2D textures collide with fully rendered 3D objects. By exaggerating weight, flipping expectations and breaking the rules of physics, we were able to inject humour and surprise into each interaction.

The Solution

We set them the challenge of creating a soundscape that would bring the visuals to life and amplify the playful contradictions of the piece:

The sound became a crucial layer of the project. The mix of instrumentation with moments of restraint heightens the sense of uncertainty and adds another twist to how expectations are challenged. The audio not only reinforces the mood but also enriches the overall experience, making Bounc feel complete and immersive.

Bounc is a self-initiated creative experiment by Buff Motion, a B Corporation-certified motion and animation studio based in Brighton, conceived as a short-form animated film exploring the contrast between 2D and 3D design through subverted physics and material perception. The project originated around the idea of a tongue-in-cheek fictional brand built around a simple inanimate object — a rock — with the Bounc name chosen to give personality to a deliberately crude subject. Buff Motion's in-house team developed the animation, with sound design handled by Pelican Sound, whose collaborator Stefan Kostaras described the approach as pairing a playful, fluid sound palette with the visuals to shape a unified creative vision. The animation technique involved flat 2D textures colliding with fully rendered 3D objects, using exaggerated weight and broken physics to introduce humour and surprise. Project files were made available for download via Gumroad, with all proceeds directed to The Hummingbird Project, a Brighton-based charity supporting young refugees and asylum seekers. The project received a Video of the Day Award from Motion Design Awards and was featured across several editorial platforms.

The Impact

Bounc became a playground for curiosity-led making. It proved the value of carving out time for exploration around client work. The project not only stretched our technical and creative muscles, but also reinforced our belief in experimentation as a catalyst for fresh ideas and new perspectives.

We also made these project files available to download for the price of a coffee, so the motion community can peek behind the scenes, learn from our process, or remix them in their own way.

All proceeds go to support The Hummingbird Project, a Brighton-based charity supporting young refugees and asylum seekers through one-to-one help, youth groups, advocacy, and education.

We’re so grateful for the amazing response to the project. It was featured across several editorial platforms and even picked up a Video of the Day Award from Motion Design Awards.

Download the project files for Bounc via Gumroad here →


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