CamSounder - The Movie
A huge thank you to Hege Hammersland for fantastic energy and the chance to work together again — on a job that lit up every creative spark we had.
Animated short film for CamSounder — Scantrol Deep Vision
A huge thank you to Hege Hammersland for fantastic energy and the chance to work together again — on a project that lit up every creative spark we had. An incredibly fun deliverable that felt great from start to finish.
About the project
CamSounder is an underwater camera and AI system from Scantrol Deep Vision, mounted directly in the trawl — it photographs and identifies the catch as it passes through the net, automatically measures size, and sends catch data straight to the skipper on the bridge while the tow is still underway. Set to be shown live for the first time at Nor-Fishing, Scantrol Deep Vision wanted to tell the story from an unexpected angle: through two shrimp and a mackerel who, in the middle of the trawl, suddenly discover they're being watched. We've had an incredibly fun and close collaboration with Hege throughout the process, with quick feedback and a real openness to letting the concept grow along the way.
Sir David Shrimpenborough
A "low-fidelity" sketch of the eldest shrimp, "Sir David Shrimpenborough." Important that he comes across as a little skeptical, calm, but maybe a bit of a know-it-all.
"Clay render" - Jasper Prawnley
Before settling on texture and locking the scenes, it was important to get the characters and their design just right. "Clay" renders let us visualize wrinkles and form before they get "dressed up."
"Clay render" - The Fishing Boat
The same approach was applied to the fishing boat. "Landing" a vessel that, with its simple charm, could come across as a humble, Disney-inspired trawler.
The Challenge
Bycatch and imprecise sorting are a real problem in trawl fishing, and a complex AI product had to be communicated in under a week — to an audience meeting it on a trade show floor, not in front of a screen with sound on. The film therefore had to work entirely visually, without a single word of voice-over, while still conveying a genuinely technical product in a way that's both funny and credible.
Our approach: From concept to premiere
1. Moodboarding, stylescape & character design
We didn't start in an AI tool, but with classic design work: moodboarding and stylescaping to find the right visual expression, and a series of direction studies to identify a look that struck the right balance — humorous and warm, yet still clear enough to highlight the actual capabilities of the technology Scantrol Deep Vision has developed. Only once this style was locked — soft, cinematic 3D renders, expressive characters — did we bring in AI as a production tool, building out each character as consistent reference sheets, ready for reuse throughout production.
2. Storyboard & script development
With the style locked, we built a complete storyboard scene by scene, in close dialogue with Hege — including deliberate adjustments to the original script along the way, letting the humor and timing find their own shape rather than being bound to a fixed script.
3. AI-based image and video production
Each scene was built as a series of locked still frames before we touched video — including clean base plates for the on-screen graphics, composited separately afterward in Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo to guarantee sharp, precise graphics. Video was then generated and tested across several AI video models to find the right tool for the right type of motion.
4. Music, voice design and sound design
We composed an original instrumental score for the film, and designed distinct, characterful voices for each figure — so every character is instantly recognizable by voice alone, regardless of visible mouth movement.
5. Editing and finishing in Final Cut Pro
All layers — dialogue, music, ambient sound and on-screen graphics — were assembled and polished in Final Cut Pro, with a clear distinction in soundscape and lighting between the above- and below-water scenes.
A physical extension of the concept
Alongside the film, we designed a physical invitation shaped like the CamSounder unit itself — printed on thick cardboard with a die-cut handle, distributed both ahead of and during the presentation at Nor-Fishing. A small, tangible detail that tied the whole launch together: from the digital on the big screen to something visitors could actually hold in their hand at the booth.
Advanced measurement made fun
The expressions say it all once they realize they're being photographed. It doesn't just recognize in real time that they're shrimp — it takes measurements too.
Studio photo of Sir David Shrimpenborough
The wise old Sir David Shrimpenborough in a studio photo. A series of shots was made from various angles, as shown above.
The details in the wheelhouse
An extensive moodboard was made to find the right sweater. It felt right to establish a sense of calm between what happened above and below the water.
Anerkjennelser.
