Ninja Phoenix & The Gloopy Glop

Coming to us with an off-the-wall script written by a very talented ten year old, this short animation was created in order to describe a health condition called Glue Ear, for the National Deaf Childrens Society. The video conveyed, in a fun way, the symptoms of the condition, and the realities of living with it, to a young audience, to help them better understand it.

Cutting back and forth between a team of ninjas and an audiologist that anchored our story in scientific reality, this was a blast to make - a big ‘gloopy glop’ monster representing the buildup of sticky fluid in the ear, that defines the Glue Ear condition, and fun illustrations that aimed to make hearing aids and grommets seem fun, cool, and appealing to kids.

This was a lip-synced animation, performed by a young actor, a colleague, and myself. Rigs were created with Duik and joysticks and sliders.

Above: Development sketches of the Glue Ear Ninja Squad