A classic example of this philosophy at work is a commercial that Will Vinton Studios did for Nissan -- a 60-second soap opera that aired in 1996. In the spot, which was made using stop-motion animation, a fatigues-wearing male doll escapes from the clutches of a giant monster, drops to the floor, and hops into a miniature Nissan convertible. To the tune of Van Halen's version of "You Really Got Me," the hero races down a hallway to a little girl's bedroom, where he promptly "rescues" a beautiful redhead from a preppy-looking male figure wearing a tennis sweater. The hero and the girl then jump into the convertible and drive away. (The spot was creative to the point of controversy: In 1997, Mattel sued Nissan, claiming that the company had appropriated the images of Barbie, Ken, and GI Joe.)
Trying new things consistently pays off on a show like "The PJs." Not only do the show's characters look different from anyone else on television, but they sound different as well. "With animation, you can be a little more dangerous in the way that you treat the material," says Mark Gustafson, 39, supervising director of the show. "Viewers will often accept something coming out of the mouth of an animated character that might appall them if a real person said it."
Even Will Vinton himself occasionally falls victim to his company's blending of make-believe and reality. On a recent tour of the prop shop on the ground floor of the company's headquarters, Vinton picked up a pear from a worktable and prepared to take a bite. Only when he held the pear in front of his eyes did he realize that it was made of latex.
Ron Lieber (rlieber@fastcompany.com) is a Fast Company senior writer. Visit Will Vinton studios on the Web (www.vinton.com) .
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