SANCZEL CREATIVEHome of Pencilman Animations
Behind the work

Case
Studies.

A closer look at the thinking, craft and production behind selected projects.

More case studies will be added as the collection grows.

Case Study • Character animation01 Vehicle Protection
Five vehicle-protection superheroes flying through a glowing copper frame

Vehicle Protection —
A Superhero Team

Five animated superheroes. One guided experience for car buyers.

Working with Perlow Productions and the dealership, Sean transformed client-supplied character artwork into a fully animated 3D superhero team for an in-house vehicle-purchase experience. Five films were created and brought together in an interactive iPad presentation, helping sales staff introduce protection products with clarity, energy and a little fun.

Deliverables
Five character films and an interactive presentation
Sean’s role
3D character development, modeling, rigging, scene creation, lighting and animation
Production
Perlow Productions
Kid Wheels beside a red sports car
Featured film

Meet Kid Wheels

One member of the superhero team, created to make vehicle protection feel clear, memorable and entertaining.

Watch the film
Kid Wheels shown half as a polygon wireframe and animation rig, and half as the finished red superhero character
Behind the scenes

From artwork to a character who’s ready to perform.

The original drawings had to be modeled, rigged and fully lit as 3D characters—built not just to look the part, but to act, move and carry each story.

Kid Wheels: from polygon mesh and animation rig to finished character.
Case Study • Live action & character animation02 Brasure’s Pest Control
Two Brasure’s Pest Control technicians facing an animated furry pest wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar in a real living room

Bugged…
No More.

Brasure’s Pest Control — Real technicians. Animated pests.

After years of creating fully animated commercials for Brasure’s Pest Control with Steve Farkas of VistaMax Productions, Sean proposed a new approach: film the company’s real technicians at a real house, but keep the animated bugs and pests.

Steve asked Sean to write the script, and Brasure’s embraced the idea. Drawing on his earlier live-action compositing work for the Tampa television show Animal Outtakes, Sean helped take the concept from script to shoot to finished animation.

Project
A commercial combining live action and animated pests
Sean’s role
Original concept, scriptwriting, co-direction, all animation and compositing
Production
VistaMax Productions
Brasure’s technicians encountering an animated pest in a living room
The finished commercial

Real technicians.
Animated pests.

See the idea come to life as Brasure’s own team shares the scene with animated pests.

Watch the commercial
Behind-the-scenes photo montage showing Sean Sanczel in the foreground and a crew working with cameras and lights in a living room
Behind the scenes on the Brasure’s Pest Control commercial.
Sean Sanczel and Steve Farkas reviewing the camera setup beside a fireplace during the Brasure’s Pest Control commercial shoot
Sean Sanczel and Steve Farkas of VistaMax Productions on set for Brasure’s Pest Control.
On set

Directing characters that weren’t there yet.

Sean co-directed with Steve, guiding where the animated pests would appear and how the technicians should look, move and react. Working with Brasure’s own team brought the company’s real people into the story, while careful direction helped make room for their imaginary counterparts.

In post-production

Making the interaction work.

The toughest shots left limited space for the pests or special effects, or captured only part of the intended performance. Animation and compositing required creative adjustments to work with those takes and bring the technicians and pests together in the same scene.

Case Study • Cinematic 3D animation03 Helicopter Association to Vertical Aviation

Helicopter Association
to Vertical Aviation

From celebration to transformation

Two projects from one company brought very different animation challenges: an unusual holiday greeting for Helicopter Association International (HAI), followed by a cinematic reveal for its new name, Vertical Aviation International (VAI).

For the holiday film, miniature helicopters had to build and decorate a celebration cake. For the new identity, the aircraft itself took center stage—with glossy surfaces, carefully controlled lighting and a high-tech finish.

Deliverables
HAI holiday greeting and VAI brand reveal
Sean’s role
Reveal concept development, scene creation, animation, textures and lighting
Production
Perlow Productions
A glossy helicopter in a cinematic blue-lit scene
Transformation

A new identity takes flight.

The finished VAI reveal, bringing aircraft detail, reflective materials and dramatic lighting together.

Watch the film
Miniature helicopters decorating a large anniversary cake on a helipad
Celebration

A holiday greeting with a lift.

HAI asked for something unusual: little helicopters assembling a cake, spreading icing and adding the finishing decorations.

Watch the film
The animation challenge

Making helicopters act like cake decorators.

The small aircraft needed to do more than fly. Their movements had to make the spreading of icing and placement of decorations feel intentional, readable and playful.

The visual challenge

Finding the right kind of realism.

The reveal called for a different approach: modifying the helicopter and refining its textures, lighting and animation to create a polished, high-tech look. Reflective surfaces had to show the aircraft’s form while preserving the drama of each shot.

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