CD Will Johnson and the motion team at Scholar merge inspiration from Risograph printing and oil paint textures in this film showcasing the features and benefits offered to small businesses by San Francisco-based fintech brand Mercury.

Will Johnson: “This film revolves around Mercury’s customer-first thinking, drawing inspiration from the world of athletics, where energy and precision define success. Whether you’re taking a bold solo leap from the platform Mercury provides or powering forward with your crew, Mercury is always with you, propelling your business at every stage.
 

“By blending these traditional textures with a clean, graphic style and seamless transitions, we created a look that feels both modern and timeless.”

 
“It was essential to make the animation feel tactile, alive with the same energy Mercury brings to your business. We leaned into the quality of human-touched textures, ones that left you wondering if they were hand-painted frame by frame.

“We drew inspiration from risograph printing for the characters and oil paint strokes for the environments. By blending these traditional textures with a clean, graphic style and seamless transitions, we created a look that feels both modern and timeless.”
 
 

 
Client: Mercury

Production: Scholar
CD: Will Johnson
Associate Creative Director: Madison Ellis
Art Director: Jina Kwon
EP: Kate Aspell
Head of Production: Nicole Smarsh
Sr Producer: Kev Jones, Andrew Rindlaub
Associate Producer: Caroline Kaczynski
Designer: Jina Kwon, Vera Babida, Claire Kho
2D/3D Animator: Garret Walter
Cel Animator: Jee Kim, Olivia Blanc, Ciara Bresnahan, Michael Relth
Media Manager: Adrianna McKinley

Music/Sound Design: Mercury
Composers: Jay Clarke, Sean Klassen
Sound Designer: Jay Clarke

Mix/VO Record: Lime
Engineer: Tom Paolantonio