Our goal was to create an animated film from concept through execution. From flat tires, to wipeouts, to tackling huge coastal hills, the geographical Fireflies route was used as an analogy to reflect the struggle of those who suffer and their families. The film was intended to inform and educate while using animation to elevate the power of the film’s communication.

Creating the film was more than a contribution to the Fireflies West’s promotional toolkit to reach those interested in cycling, cancer research and charity work. As a truly original piece created entirely in-house, ‘A Journey to Hope’ employed original, eye-catching animation and writing backed by a powerful production team in order to truly set the Fireflies West apart from similar groups and events.

After briefing our in-house design team, designers came up with a series of treatments, each involving the use of animation.

Using a combination of 3D and cel animation, the chosen treatment built a unique world with a minimalist aesthetic and a strong illustrative style.

The layout, color and sound design are used to create a calm, peaceful environment while highlighting the positivity and hope of both Fireflies West and City of Hope. Our motive was to use these elements in order to bring people together to support the journey to a cure.

"A Journey to Hope" was the first project of its kind ever created for the Fireflies West. As the open brief was set in-house, the final product not only achieved the brief, but demonstrated a wide scope of talent from writing, to production, to design and animation that excelled expectations from ourselves and the Fireflies West community.

During the film's launch in front of an audience of advertising and entertainment professionals, co-founder Bryan Farhy announced that no other form of content had ever come as close to communicating all that Fireflies West embodies.

The film will serve as Fireflies West's primary marketing tool starting late spring 2016.

Fireflies West is made up of professionals from the advertising and entertainment industries. As a company that specializes in both of these industries, it made sense not only to create the Fireflies West’s very first animated piece as a promotional tool, but to lend our artist’s strengths to the production side as well.

The film was intended to be easily shareable, living exclusively online following a live launch at the Fireflies West 2016 Rally in Los Angeles hosted on our company’s grounds.

For eight years and counting, a group of cyclists known as the Fireflies West have embarked on an annual 550-mile trek down the California coastline in support of City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment facility in Los Angeles.

As avid supporters of the Fireflies West since its inception, we decided to use our in-house talents to create an original piece of content to raise awareness for the cyclists’ mission.