Schwab rotoscoped ad

The "Broker's Kids" ad from Charles Schwab featuring the "Waking Life" rotoscoped animation.

• Category

  Entertainment

[WessValor]

Everyone's saying these commercials suck because of the "cartoony" look. That just shows how many people lack listening skills... They gotta see to believe. If so, then why do we have ears?

[Powerof1000Lemons]

But that's not really the problem. The problem is that the animation is so jarring - because it's just real enough not to be a cartoon, but far too cartoony to just be normal - that it distracts from what the guy is saying. My question to you would be, why was the animation necessary for the message? (My personal answer: it's not, but it gets people talking about the ads, which Schwab considers a positive.)

[EatMyOREO5]

I can't believe you motherfuckers don't like this rotoscope. These commercials are by far the coolest commercials ever made.

[Attila shrugs]

I think they are fascinating. When they were running I would replay them slowly on DVR, and reverse slowly.  What they are doing is manipulating micro-expressions. These fleeting millisecond escapes of emotion betray true feelings. Here upper-middle class, happy friendly folks emit for a split second the true ANGER under their politeness.

[Wyatt Kunzelman]

Right. It's uncanny valley.

[EatMyOREO5]

Glad someone agrees. People are just ignorant, I guess.

[Caqui]

Not to mention hard to do. I guess that's just how society views animation in the US. This sort of backlash wouldn't happen in France or Japan, where animation is also targeted to adults. This isn't a cartoon.

[Caqui]

Just because it's animated, doesn't make it a cartoon.

[CylindricalWhistle]

If you want to make a cartoon, make a cartoon. If you want it to be realistic, use real people. What's the point of this? It's exactly the same as using real actors, except creepier.

[Timstuff]

These commercials are a waste of resources. Most people think that it is just an ugly camera filter and don't even realize how much work it takes to make rotoscoping, and people like me, who actually know a thing or two at animation, see it as a waste of time because it's used so frivolously and no-one appreciates it. The message of these commercials is so boring and the only thing anyone remembers about them is that they look ugly.

[Count Nomis]

it frowns on it. So . . . they shorted (sold) my own stock.