MedBridge Total Joint Replacement Video
Art Direction - Nina Stackhouse
Character Design - Nina Stackhouse
Asset Creation - Nina Stackhouse
Animation - Scott Reed
MedBridge released a series of online patient educational courses focused on the experience of receiving a total joint replacement. I was given the exciting opportunity to art direct this series that included courses about pre-surgery preparation, expectations during surgery, and best practices in rehabilitation post-surgery. I aimed to capture a warm and comforting tone to convey to viewers sense of safety and optimism. Additionally, the consistent left to right camera movements throughout the series depicts Total Joint Replacement as being a journey.
Through uniquely crafted characters, inviting environment designs, a soft and warm color palette, and clean glowing lighting, I was able to set the framework for a successful and educational series for patients going through a TJR.
Character Lineup
The surgical and care team are huge components in a total joint replacement, so I knew it was important to design a large and diverse group of characters built to be rigged for animation. Total joint replacement is most common in an elderly demographic so I felt it important to make the main character older. Working closely with animators, we found a technical approach in building characters that stood in a 3/4 position that are highly visible to the camera, but also could look natural in a left to right walk cycle.
Environments
This series required a collection of different environment designs in which the characters interacted with. To ensure stylistically each environment fit in the same world, I kept a consistent shape language and lighting approach. Medical spaces can often feel scary and uncomfortable so it was important to make these environments welcoming and feel safe for the audience.
Asset Creation
I had a lot of fun creating a library of assets that could be scalable for future courses. Using different blend modes, I gave the various props high reflection to add richness to the colors and imply sterilization. Curating a stylized shape language helped bind the assets together and fit into the world of TJR.
