
Disney
Christmas Special
A miniature Christmas Disneyland rollercoaster
Disney needed an opening title sequence and stings for their Christmas and Thanksgiving programming.
Wanting to capture the warmth and charm of classic Disney storytelling, we imagined iconic Disneyland locations rebuilt entirely from paper.
It had to be festive, recognisably Disney and have the flexibility to serve both Christmas and Thanksgiving.
The Approach
Working with Lost and Found Studio, we explored several visual directions: 2D paper-cut scenes, layered dioramas, and finally, a full 3D paper world for the camera to fly through, settling on the latter.
The approach brought energy and a cinematic feel, like taking a miniature rollercoaster ride through a festive Disneyland.
To heighten the mood, we layered in snow, tinsel, Christmas trees, and a touch of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust.
And, because it wouldn’t be Disney without a little magic, we hid a few Easter eggs along the way.
The Craft
The technical challenge was showcasing multiple Disneyland locations in one shot whilst keeping render times and scene complexity under control.
We explored several approaches:
Flying one continuous camera through all the scenes (a heavy lift for Cinema 4D).
Loading the world into Unreal Engine for performance, though this came at the cost of control over our aesthetic.
Or, matching camera moves scene-to-scene and stitching them together in post.
It’s that classic choice: the slick, technical shortcut or the hands-on route. I’ll usually pick the route that gives the most creative control and flexibility.
We landed on the third route - rendering each scene independently from Cinema 4D and compositing in After Effects gave us full creative control. It also allowed for greater flexibility when rendering iterations and in team collaboration further down the line.
A Curveball
Towards the end of the project, experimenting with ways to add a little extra sparkle, the client loved a test render featuring a glitterball material.
“Can we have more of that… in everything?”