The Film
I was invited by BluBlu Studios to create a 15" animation telling the story of Lars Nootbaar, as part of an innovative campaign designed to celebrate All-Star MLB players with Japanese Heritage for MLB Japan.
Although born in California, Lars is of Japanese descent through his mother and grew up around Japanese players who stayed with his family during tours; experiences that had a big influence on him as a player and eventually led to him being invited to join Japan’s National Team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where they went on to win the tournament.
Left: Little Noot watching Japanese players. Right: Childhood meals with his host family. Original illustrations by Chiaki Harada
Alongside with his story, some of his signature moves were also captured in the film, such as his famous pepper grind celebration and his impressive catches while sticking his tongue out.
Left: Noot's Celebration wearing the Japan uniform. Right: Slide catch for the Cardinals. Original illustrations by Chiaki Harada
The film is connected to a physical custom manhole cover designed for the campaign and later placed in Nootbaar's mother's hometown, Higashimatsuyama, just outside Tokyo. These covers, being a celebration of Japanese heritage, were also designed by prominent Japanese illustrators. In the case of Nootbaar, the cover was illustrated by Chiaki Harada, whose work is well known in the illustration and manga world for its retro-pop style that combines vivid, sometimes “toxic” color palettes with bold, emotionally expressive line art.
Artworks by Chiaki Harada
Lars Nootbaar uncovering his customised manhole cover. Image courtesy of Cardinals Insider (youtube)
AR Experience in Higashimatsuyama
Credits
Project: Hometown Heroes - MLB
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo
Produced by: Final Frontier
Direction: Blublu Studios
Illustration: Chiaki Harada
Produced by: Final Frontier
Direction: Blublu Studios
Illustration: Chiaki Harada
Storyboard: Blublu Studios, Leonardo Ruiz
Animation & compositing: Leonardo Ruiz
Sound design: Alessandro Levrero
Sound design: Alessandro Levrero
