Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Case study: How the animation of Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse inspired web series Ada

28/03/2025

TED-Ed series Ada fuses storytelling with eye-catching animation. The Should We Studio production team explain how they relied on V-Ray for rendering, refining the process as production progressed

By Contributor

Published: March 28, 2025 Updated: March 31, 2025

TED-Ed series Ada fuses storytelling with eye-catching animation. The Should We Studio production team explain how they relied on V-Ray for rendering, refining the process as production progressed

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

After years as a senior editorial producer at TED-Ed, where she wrote over 200 scripts, Elizabeth Cox took the leap and founded Should We Studio to create content that raises awareness of issues shaping our future. We specialise in tackling consequential topics with exuberance, explains Cox. For us, exuberance means humour, vibrant settings, and above all, a willingness to engage with the weird.

Ada, the studio's first major production, stemmed from Cox's interest in the ethics of emerging technology and the challenge of making these discussions accessible. We all have a stake in the future, she says, but the discourse around this stuff is so off-putting and exclusionary of everyone but a small set of sci-fi/tech enthusiasts with a particular aesthetic.

Eager to find a way to bring these concepts to a wider audience, Cox and her core team of 12 started work on the series. They worked on Ada with no external guidelines and complete creative freedom, creating their own big-picture guidelines for the production:

Vibe: Sci-fi for non-sci-fi fans

Subjects: topical yet timeless

Tone: conversational, humorous but thoughtful

Worlds: lush, timeless-not overtly futuristic

Uncertainty: the future depends on our choices

The team set lofty goals for Ada's look and feel, striving for a handmade feel while finding a realistic way to achieve it within their restraints. With our relatively small budget and team size and quick turnaround time, we decided pretty early on that the best way to achieve the look we wanted within our constraints was to use a 3D pipeline to achieve a handmade look, says Cox, also adding that projects like Arcane and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse inspired them due to their completely new looks achieved in 3D animation.

After deciding on a 3D approach, the Should We Studio team turned to V-Ray, among other tools, to help execute their vision.

How V-Ray helped shape the look of Ada Because each episode of Ada contains two distinct worlds: Ada's reality, which stayed the same throughout the season, and the future she imagines, which looked different in each of the five episodes, the Should We team had to create a total of six distinct visual styles across the series.

Then, when it came to the characters, the team animated them in 3D and rendered them in a flat style to fit with the 2D painted backgrounds, which closely evoked traditional animation. The team didn't render lighting from 3D but instead created lighting using rim lights in After Effects and other 2D tricks. This simple render is very forgiving and well-suited to our production constraints but creates other problems to solve, Cox explains.

The team needed to render a stroke pass for the characters so their internal features, like noses and the distinction between jaw and neck, would not disappear in the flat render. Moreover, the team wanted the stroke pass to be variable, with some strokes appearing and disappearing depending on the characters' movement. It was here that V-Ray was able to render the stroke pass, giving the team the look they needed.

Wing Luo, Should We's technical director, spent time experimenting with how to land the right look for the series, ultimately deciding on V-Ray. With our small team and tight timeline, we needed to minimise manual corrections, Cox says. So being able to refine our process in V-Ray was essential.

With each episode, the team refined their workflow, mastering V-Ray to meet their vision. By the end of the series, the team's approach had evolved so much that they made the bold decision to go back and re-render the stroke pass on the first two episodes, ensuring consistency across the entire series.

This wasn't just a technical improvement-it was a testament to how much the team had grown in their mastery of V-Ray. What began as an experiment in achieving a handcrafted 3D look had become a fine-tuned process that ultimately elevated the series as a whole.

A unique series that resonated with audiences With the series completed with the help of V-Ray, Cox, and Should We Studio began finding the right distributor for Ada.

Though Cox had worked at TED, Ada wasn't made for TED-Ed-but after exploring distributors, she found it was the perfect home. One thing that really appealed to me about hosting Ada on TED's channels is that the content isn't paywalled, she explains. An experience that is free to the viewer is very much in keeping with the mission of Should We Studio and the series.

TED released Ada one episode per week over five weeks, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Viewers praised the show's engaging style, thoughtful exploration of interesting, complex topics, and distinctive animation. Many even called for more episodes, eager to see the show's world expand into a longer format.

For Cox, this reaction reaffirmed the studio's approach to storytelling. I hope people will take away the following message from Ada: We should invest in the social structures to support transformative technologies in parallel and in proportion to our investment in the technologies themselves, she says. And I hope Ada models the value of an exuberant spirit of inquiry-a willingness to engage with weird or off-putting questions and reach surprising conclusion
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/case-study-how-the-animation...
See more stories from tvb

Europe Stories

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

08/05/2025

Expected weak market dynamics weigh on business development in the first three months 2025

As expected, continued weak demand from key sales markets and declining economic...

08/05/2025

BBC announces Agatha Christie's Endless Night, adapted by Sarah Phelps

A new three-part series is coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One (Image: The Christie Archive Trust) The BBC has announced Agatha Christie's Endless Night, a...

08/05/2025

VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board at 2025 AGM, Founder Augie Fabela to Serve as Chairman

08 May 2025 VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board at 2025 AGM, Founder Augie Fabela ...

08/05/2025

Will Mellor & Ralf Little return to U&Dave for more Will & Ralf Should Know Better

Comedy and entertainment channel U&Dave bring back their #1 ranked programme of ...

08/05/2025

TenneT Relies on Arvato Systems for Market Communications

TenneT relies on Arvato Systems for market communication Energy industry: Impressive market communication know-how and system integration expertise G tersloh...

08/05/2025

2025-05-08

When Taiki Hamamoto, 22, came across a Hanafuda deck at his local game shop, he was intrigued. He had grown up playing the traditional Japanese card game with f...

08/05/2025

Joe Duffy hangs up his mic on Liveline as he confirms Retirement from RT after 37 Years

The Liveline is now open , said Joe Duffy earlier today, as he previewed this af...

08/05/2025

RT reveals first look at comedy drama The Walsh Sisters, based on novels of Marian Keyes

RT , in association with the BBC, Screen Ireland and Cineflix Rights has reveale...

07/05/2025

Experience a New Dimension of Music Discovery With More Controls and Enhanced Tools

Discovering music should feel effortless and fun. That's why Spotify continu...

07/05/2025

FOX Doubles Down on the Laughs Renewing Comedies Animal Control, Starring Joel McHale, and Going Dutch, Starring Denis Leary

FOX Doubles Down on the Laughs Renewing Comedies Animal Control, Starring Joel M...

07/05/2025

VEON's QazCode Signs MoU with Seekr to Develop AI-Powered Solutions to Drive Digital Growth

07 May 2025 VEON's QazCode Signs MoU with Seekr to Develop AI-Powered Solut...

07/05/2025

U&GOLD commissions feature-length documentary celebrating the life of Victoria Wood

UKTV has ordered a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Britain...

07/05/2025

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom to join Sky Original film slate in 2026

Wednesday 7 May 2025 Shaun the Sheep fans are in for a baaaarilliant treat in 2...

07/05/2025

Rohde & Schwarz to highlight innovative broadcast technologies at CABSAT 2025

Rohde & Schwarz to highlight innovative broadcast technologies at CABSAT 2025 Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its latest energy-efficient transmitters and 5G Br...

07/05/2025

MPTS. London. May 14-15, 2025

The Importance of Workflow Efficiencies in Post-Production Wednesday, 14 May 14:40 FilmLight sits down with Sam Lempp, head of business development for Nara, ...

07/05/2025

RT Announces Fergal O'Brien as new Business Correspondent

RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of RT journalist, Fergal O'Brien, as its new Business Correspondent. In his new role, Fergal will be repor...

06/05/2025

Spotify Amplifies Colombia's Booming Local Music Scene With Sbele a Eso' Initiative

In Colombia, music isn't just background noise-it's center stage. It'...

06/05/2025

La nueva apuesta de Spotify para destacar la msica local en Colombia: Sbele a Eso'

En Colombia, la m sica no suena de fondo: es el centro del escenario. Es el cora...

06/05/2025

Spotify Introduces Plays, a New Way To See What Content Is Resonating With Podcast Fans

At Spotify, we always seek ways to connect users with their next favorite podcas...

06/05/2025

In Mumbai, Our Public Affairs Chief, Dustee Jenkins, Spotlights the Role of Spotify in the Growth of India's Music Industry

Since Spotify's 2019 launch in India, the growth of the country's local ...

06/05/2025

Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida Enhances Intercom Infrastructure with Clear-Com and...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...

06/05/2025

Comscore Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

Comscore Reports First Quarter 2025 ResultsRESTON, Va., May 6, 2025 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating ...

06/05/2025

KLA to perform live on RT Radio 1's Arena with exclusive preview of new album, Raise the Road

Live from Studio 1 at 7pm, Tuesday May 6 Iconic trad-fusion group K LA will be ...

06/05/2025

Rohde & Schwarz hosts RF Testing Innovations Forum 2025, helping design engineers elevate their RF expertise

Rohde & Schwarz hosts RF Testing Innovations Forum 2025, helping design engineer...

06/05/2025

IBM Accelerates Enterprise Gen AI Revolution with Hybrid Capabilities

LONDON, UK, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the company s annual THINK event, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is unveiling new hybrid technologies that break down the long...

06/05/2025

2025-03-18

Apple today introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone in Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland, enabling millio...

06/05/2025

2025-05-06

Ahead of Pride Month, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band, watch face, and iPhone and iPad wallpaper to celebrate the strength and b...

06/05/2025

Tracks & Trails returns for a fresh new season

First episode airs this Friday at 8pm on RT One and RT Player with Doireann N Ghlac in presenting Guests include Barry Murphy, Brooke Scullion, Bryan Dobso...

05/05/2025

Loreen, Nemo, and More Reimagine Eurovision Anthems for Spotify Singles

As Europe gears up for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, Spotify is celebrating the spirit of unity and musical legacy with a new series of Spotify Singles. Fiv...

05/05/2025

Closure of SGL Carbon production site in Lavradio

As part of the restructuring of its loss-making Carbon Fibers business unit, SGL Carbon has decided to close its production site in Lavradio (Portugal). Lavradi...

05/05/2025

Comscore Launches Certified Deal IDs in Magnite's SSP, Bringing Trusted Content Rankings to Programmatic Buying

Comscore Launches Certified Deal IDs in Magnite's SSP, Bringing Trusted Cont...

02/05/2025

Following Landmark Court Ruling, Spotify Submits New App Update to Apple to Benefit U.S. Consumers

Updated May 2: In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple...

02/05/2025

Spotify and FC Barcelona Collab With Travis Scott on a Special Cactus Jack Shirt and Exclusive Concert

Since 2022, Spotify and FC Barcelona have brought the worlds of music and footba...

02/05/2025

Spotify Sparks UK Returns To Bring Together Advertisers and Creators

With more than 678 million users worldwide tuned in to Spotify, we're at the heart of music and culture. Our unrivaled global community of artists, songwrit...

02/05/2025

IBM partners with Data Communications Company to Advance Great Britain's Smart Meter Network

Data Communications Company has announced its partnership with IBM to modernise ...

02/05/2025

Comscore at the 20th Annual Needham Technology, Media, & Consumer Conference

Comscore at the 20th Annual Needham Technology, Media, & Consumer Conference RESTON, Va., May 2 2025: Comscore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, t...

02/05/2025

VEON to release 1Q25 trading update on May 15, 2025

02 May 2025 VEON to release 1Q25 trading update on May 15, 2025 Dubai, May 2, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms that t...

02/05/2025

2025-05-01

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 second quarter ended March 29, 2025. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $...

02/05/2025

New RT Series Uncharted with Ray Goggins pushes well-known faces to their limits

Well-known faces pushed to their limits in Uncharted with Ray Goggins...

01/05/2025

Safety, media freedom and integrity top agenda for World Press Freedom Day

As Tanzania approaches a pivotal election year marked by both promise and concern over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on media, more than 300 journa...

01/05/2025

Best in Class' Touts the Anthems That Defined Student Listening in Celebration of This Year's 2025 College Graduates

After four years of lectures, study sessions, exams, and parties, college senior...

01/05/2025

DiGiCo Announces ATEC Pro as new distributor for Austria

Prochazka knows the power of relationships, so it has always been important to him that ATEC Pro be renowned for more than just supplying great equipment. Becom...

01/05/2025

Leinster v Northampton the highlight of another huge weekend of free-to-air sport across RT

Munster and Connacht Football Finals onThe Sunday Game Live Final two days of t...

01/05/2025

Putting the DPA 2017 to the voiceover test

Voice actor and producer Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff shares his first impressions of the DPA 2017 Shotgun Microphone, from real-world auditions to side-by-side compa...

01/05/2025

Toto take DiGiCo Quantum 852 and Quantum 338 on world

With my previous console, Freeman recalls, I always had to run a Waves server for EQ and compression, but when I switched to DiGiCo, I found it was such an op...

01/05/2025

Brand new culinary showdown comes to RT Player

Stream all episodes ofLook Who's Hangry from April 29 An RT Player Original in partnership with Heinz...

01/05/2025

Tnaiste Simon Harris, Lottie Ryan and Boyzlife among guests on Friday's Late Late Show

Here is your host, Patrick Kielty! T naiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and T...