A dot bounces around a radio dial reacting to the different music it hears, screaming at things it likes, wilting at the corny stuff, and at one point falling off the dial with boredom in a new animated spot from Montreal’s Michael Mills Productions for Ottawa’s Kool FM 93.9.

The 30-second traditional 2D animated spot was pulled together on a very low budget by animators Michael Mills, Chris Goodkey and Vu Dac Ho.

Mills, who likes to work traditionally, planned the commercial out in a linear form, animated in 2D and rendered in 3D, giving the spot ‘feel’ and allowing for what he refers to as a ‘friendlier result.’

‘A lot of computer animation looks very cold,’ says Mills. ‘The computer can only work on mathematics, it can’t work on emotion, whereas the animator can work anyway they want, and if the animator is happy with the look then that’s what we go with whether or not it is mathematically correct.’

Mills says he prefers to do computer animation that is worked in a traditional way whenever possible as it allows for greater artistic freedom, is cheaper and in some cases is faster than a computer.

Animators worked on this spot for three weeks, and according to Mills, it would have been a much longer process had they done the whole thing on computer.

In order to achieve the look he wanted Mills mixed and matched bits of one software program with parts of others.

‘If you go with one of the established programs they try to do everything and fail,’ he says. ‘If you try to do everything with the same paintbrush or pencil you are quite limited.’

The three main software programs used for this spot featuring the energetic dot were 3D Animation, Photoshop and Axa.

Agency is Acart Communications of Ottawa and Michael Mills Productions will be handling post.