Hannah Jacobs has directed this beautiful and technical spot for AXA Ireland Community Bike Rides scheme. It comes to life animated on the side of a real life bicycle wheel before leaping into full 2D animation.
The film’s unique technique takes inspiration from a zoetrope, a pre-film animation technique using multiple frames viewed inside a spinning cylinder. Transposing this idea onto a bicycle wheel, a “cyclotrope” is created with the animation captured in spinning the wheel. With a stationary camera trained on the wheel and some frame-rate trickery, the effect of animation is achieved.
The film’s unique technique takes inspiration from a zoetrope, a pre-film animation technique using multiple frames viewed inside a spinning cylinder. Transposing this idea onto a bicycle wheel, a “cyclotrope” is created with the animation captured in spinning the wheel. With a stationary camera trained on the wheel and some frame-rate trickery, the effect of animation is achieved.
I was Art Director for the shoot; sourcing brandless bikes, helmets and accessories for 6 adult cyclists; organising printing, cutting, delivery and mounting of cyclotropes onto the hero front bike wheel.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1c547c43-3dc0-48a2-9100-e703ac64dd6b/7ac4cc39-f490-4cd8-9a36-622931888aff_rw_1200.png?h=3d4cc7ed2e2af1721ee309fa0602b43a)
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![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1c547c43-3dc0-48a2-9100-e703ac64dd6b/3172995e-0b11-4930-bed7-ec96dadd5ab4_rw_1200.jpg?h=f387d5917735c8c0032287f83b2341e9)
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![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1c547c43-3dc0-48a2-9100-e703ac64dd6b/66b68edf-6470-4ac1-bf63-e1d6d01f8771_rw_1200.jpg?h=b3c3f485bd1c8e53cc39c319163f03bf)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1c547c43-3dc0-48a2-9100-e703ac64dd6b/9cca262a-64e9-495a-af09-eb4e58a9b3a8_rw_1200.jpg?h=f915aef0975482c728beadc5eb4df977)
Director: Hannah Jacobs
Live Action Director: Alice Trueman
DoP: Ben Moulden
Art Department: Abdalla Allam & James Daniels
Printing & Cutting: Good Empire
Animation: Harriet Gillian & Thea Glad
Colouring: Natasha Pollack, Katy Wang & Caitlin McCarthy
Comping: Tom Fisher
Sound & Music: Phil Brookes
Production Company: Strange Beast TV
Live Action Director: Alice Trueman
DoP: Ben Moulden
Art Department: Abdalla Allam & James Daniels
Printing & Cutting: Good Empire
Animation: Harriet Gillian & Thea Glad
Colouring: Natasha Pollack, Katy Wang & Caitlin McCarthy
Comping: Tom Fisher
Sound & Music: Phil Brookes
Production Company: Strange Beast TV
IMAGES: Strange Beast TV & Good Empire