For the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics, The Korean Broadcaster JTBC set out to create an action-packed 2D animated film showcasing some of the most popular winter sports. I was invited to join the project as the character designer and visual developer, working alongside the Art Director and animation team to help define the overall look, energy, and visual consistency of the piece.
Animation by Sungmin Yoo
Animation by Sungmin Yoo
Animation by Sungmin Yoo
Animation by Sungmin Yoo
These concepts were created during the early stages of the project as visual explorations to help define the mood, color palette, and overall graphic direction before moving into full background development. They were used as a creative testing ground to explore the level of texture and detail for the backgrounds and how the characters would sit within the world, helping the client and team align on the look and feel of the piece before refining the final animation backgrounds.
The character rendering style on the other hand served as a guideline for the subsequent animation work.
Client : JTBC
Art Direction
Chief Creative Officer (JTBC Brand Dept.): Hyejin Kim
Creative Director (JTBC Brand Dept.): Jounghoon Lee
Art Director (JTBC Brand Dept.): Sungyoon Lee
Animation
Director: Sungmin Yoo
Storyboard: Sungmin Yoo
Character Animation: Sungmin Yoo
Background Animation: Sungmin Yoo, Sungyoon Lee
FX: Sungmin Yoo
Compositing: Sungmin yoo
Design
Key Visual: Sungmin Yoo, Leonardo Ruiz, Sungyoon Lee
Character Design: Leonardo Ruiz, Sungyoon Lee
Title Design
Title Design: The First Gate, Sungyoon Lee
Title Animation: Sungyoon Lee
Sound Design
Art Direction
Chief Creative Officer (JTBC Brand Dept.): Hyejin Kim
Creative Director (JTBC Brand Dept.): Jounghoon Lee
Art Director (JTBC Brand Dept.): Sungyoon Lee
Animation
Director: Sungmin Yoo
Storyboard: Sungmin Yoo
Character Animation: Sungmin Yoo
Background Animation: Sungmin Yoo, Sungyoon Lee
FX: Sungmin Yoo
Compositing: Sungmin yoo
Design
Key Visual: Sungmin Yoo, Leonardo Ruiz, Sungyoon Lee
Character Design: Leonardo Ruiz, Sungyoon Lee
Title Design
Title Design: The First Gate, Sungyoon Lee
Title Animation: Sungyoon Lee
Sound Design
Sound Design: Hello Stranger (Minkyung Kim, Dongyup Jung), Sungyoon Lee
