#TBT: 3D Animation Raises Funds for Cancer Charity

Dan Smith, aka MC Pressure of Australian band Hilltop Hoods, turned his lifetime tragedy into a true musical work of art after the singer had to go through a devastating time when his eight-year-old son Liam was diagnosed with leukemia.

Feeling powerless, when faced with the illness, the singer looked to express the sense of alienation in his music. So, he decided to write “Through the Dark,” a song from the Walking Under Stars music album. Moving lyrics helped the artist cope with those terrible feelings he experienced at the sight of his son enduring the effects of chemotherapy.

MC Pressure and his son’s strength, courage, and determination to face leukemia were applauded by the singer’s colleagues from the hip-hop group, a full service digital agency R/GA Sydney, and also by Google Play Music. As a tribute to their experience and to the song, the partners created an impressive 3D animation which introduces the father and his son as the main characters.

Our weekly #ThrowBrandThursday column brings to the forefront an interactive made-for-mobile film that shares the duo’s hard journey between two distinctive worlds: The Dark one, ruled by fear, and The Light one, represented by hope. The contoured image represents an artistic metaphor that depicts just how thin the line between victory and failure can be in the fight over cancer.

Created for Android smartphones, Google’s ambition was to allow users alternate between the two opposite places as they watch the video. Based on the device’s orientation, viewers have the ability to choose the side of the story that attracts them more.

To enable fans to explore the two universes simultaneously, the team mapped the cameras to the phone’s accelerometer. “Through the Dark” is also available for desktop, only, in this case, users need to use the mouse to control the animation they feel drawn to the most.

The award-winning project was born after Smith’s song was complimented with positive reactions from families who faced similar tragedies. Google’s Sophie Hirst wanted to capture the audience’s overwhelming reactions, so she approached the band’s members asking them if they want to co-create something big by combining music and new technology.

Smith embraced Google’s offer: “We want you to build an interactive 3D film clip and start a charity!” said the singer to Hirst. And they certainly managed to do so!

For every fan who listens to Hilltop Hoods’ album via Google Play Music by clicking on the link featured at the end of the interactive video, the band and tech company will donate $1 to the CanTeen organization. The campaign targets only Australia and New Zealand’s residents.

The collected amount will help the charity fund the Side of Stage project, an initiative that enables youngsters aged 15-25 and affected by cancer to enjoy special access to live concerts across Australia.

Follow Smith and Liam as they go “search the night for shooting stars” on the campaign’s website and watch them gloriously defeated cancer together.