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Design

3D Artist Uses Giant Robots To Tell Internet Jokes

"Mundo Bondibots" takes pop culture staples and remixes them with unique animated robots.

Sweeping vistas, chopping helicopter blades, and giant robots kicking each other in the face sometimes seem to be the exclusive domain of big budget filmmakers like Michael Bay and Guillermo del Toro. But the times they are a-changin’, as is evident in the work of independent Argentinian CG artist Damian Bosio. It turns out the world of robo-battles, rocket ships, and apocalypses is fertile ground for Bosio’s unique brand of tongue-in-cheek, Internet-seasoned robot parody animations called Mundo Bondibot—a reference to the "Autobots" of Transformers.

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For example, the trailer for his upcoming movie Bondis vs Ovnis opens with a military plane’s cargo bay looking out over a desolate, cloudy sky.

As the haunting lyrics, “This is not the end," overlay the shot, a pop-culture savvy viewer will recognize the scene from the Godzilla teaser trailer that nearly broke the Internet last year. However, the cargo bay isn’t filled with the world’s finest military men—instead an Argentinian city bus gears up to parachute down to the ground. It slides out the back of the plane in a hilarious and absurd falling sequence, successfully deploys its parachute, and lands gracefully before going about its business. Apparently this business involves buses and cars transforming into giant robots, traveling to other planets, and playing soccer for Argentina.

Bosio injects Argentinian culture into all his work. From the detailed designs on the Bondi buses to a version of the Harlem Shake featuring digital avatars of Argentina’s soccer rivals, it seems impossible for his work to have originated anywhere else. He makes fun videos like his Mundo Bondibot series, as well as architectural models, green screen inserts, and performance installations, and all of it is distinctively infused with Argentinian flair. Perhaps for this reason, an American like myself was completely baffled by the rich world of Mundo Bondibot. As I continued watching the videos, though, I knew there was something special behind the absurd—yet beautifully animated—veil of cultural references, non-sequiturs, and robotic kicks to the face.

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To make some sense out of Bosio’s Mundo Bondibot, The Creators Project asked him a few questions about Bondis, his 3D animation process, and the rich world in which his craziest works of art take place.

The Creators Project: What does Mundo Bondibot mean? 

Damian Bosio: I am from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here, the public buses are called “Colectivos" but most of the time we refer to them as "Bondis." The name Bondibot is a pun, a clear reference to the "Autobots" because my idea was to make a tribute to Transformers but with a local stamp.

Your videos are littered with humor and cultural references. Is there a storyline within the Bondibot world, or do they mostly exist as a medium for your wry humor?

I started with the Bondibots looking for bizarre humor. When I combined something so common as the public bus with something so weird as a giant robot, I found a character which summed up the whole search. When you invade the strictest customs and manners of a place with zombies, robots and monsters, the result is a very bizarre humor and that is the type of humor that I like. I am thinking of Shawn of the Dead or Monty Python as the examples of this kind of humor.

What tools and techniques do you use to make the Bondibot videos?

I started with the 3D when I was studying architecture, which I studied for a couple of years, and that´s why I love modeling cities. I used to start my videos modeling the locations and then I imagined the story.

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I animate the scenes and with the previews of the scenes I create an animatic. Finally I watch the animatic over and over to imagine possible jokes or gags for each scene. That is the method that I use.

In order to do that I basically use four programs: 3DSMax to animate, Adobe Photoshop for texturing, Adobe AfterEffects to compose, and Sony Vegas to edit.

How would you describe your animation style?

When I was a child I became a fanatic of cartoons like Saint Seiya, Thundercats, SilverHawks, and Transformers. When I grew up I changed all of that for Pixar and Steven Spielberg. I think those are my biggest influences. I always loved the Pixar animation style (Ratatouille, Up, Wall-E) but now I’ve started to love motion capture (Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Planet of the Apes). The acting of Andy Serkis in these types of movies is incredible. I also like Blur Studios, they are doing some amazing stuff.

Tell me about the world of Bondibot? It seems like a surreal, very Internet-conscious version of Transformers

I started doing a tribute to Transformers and then I realized that these characters allowed me to make parody trailers or any spoof of viral internet phenomena (Harlem Shake, Epic Split, etc).

I started to make Bondis vs. Zombis after seeing the trailer for World War Z, and I started to make Bondis vs Ovnis after seeing the trailer for Godzilla with all soldiers jumping from the plane.

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I found that making these videos I can apply the techniques that I learn in my career, I have fun and also learning new techniques making them. It´s a great advantage when your job is also your hobby.

Can you tell me a bit about the characters in Bondibots? Toward the end of the Bondis vs Ovnis trailer we get a little bit of their personality. How do they play rock 'n roll and soccer with humans?

In Argentina when we see a number 10 we immediately think of football (Maradona-Messi). That is why Bondibot 10 must to be a football player, and that´s why Bondibtot 20 is a Basketball player, for Manu Ginóbili. Why is Bondibot 60 doing the Angus Duck walk? Well, that's only because I like AC/DC.

Who is Rachelbot? She is given special attention at the end of the Bondis vs Ovnis trailer.

According to the legend, when a UFO crashed in Roswell in 1947, all the rests of this event were taken intro the secret air force base called Area 51 in Nevada. Actually, near the base, there is a small town called Rachel. In this town there is a tow truck with a crashed flying saucer (you only have to Google "Little A'Le'Inn truck" to see what I am talking about). I imagine that truck as the first vehicle that had contact with the UFO after the army arrived at the scene. Rachelbot was the first in transforming into a Bondibot. In Bondis vs Ovnis (which in English would be: Buses vs UFOs) I image some Bondibots returning to the place where it all started more than 60 years ago.

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Tell me a little more about the plots of Bondis vs Zombis and Bondis vs Ovnis.

The Bondibots have lived for more that 60 years hidden among us. They have taken a bus shape to go unnoticed, but something will change this routine forever. Something will force them to stop hiding and help humans. This something is a zombie apocalypse. This is the Bondibots’ return trip to Bonditron, the Planet of the Bondis. To do that they must first go to Area 51 and then take the space shuttles to "Caminito" a wormhole that connect our systems. In Bonditron there are two kinds of races: the Bonditrons (natives of Bonditron) and the Bondibots (natives of bonditron but born on Earth). There are many differences between them and those differences will finally take theme into war.

What are you working on right now? What is the future of Bondibots?

Here is a list of videos in which I am working.

The Planet of the Bondis is the continuation of Bondis vs Zombis and is the first contact between Bondibots and Bonditrons:

Bondis Begins happens in 1947 and is the beginning of everything. Rachelbot is going to be key to this story.

Bondis vs Routemasters is the fight between an Argentinean Bondi and an English Bus.

Invasion Day 2 is the continuation of Invasion Day 1.

Are you ever planning on monetizing Bondibots? What's the next step for you as an artist?

I have nothing planned. I only know that I am going to continue making videos. I enjoy making them and I learn a lot. I like watching the videos I made 10 years ago to see my evolution. For example, I always return to the first video I made when I was studying in 2006 and I imagine making a remake.

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Can you tell me about some of your favorite projects you've worked on professionally? How have they influenced your work on Bondibots?

I have been fortunate to work on some really nice projects for cinema, television and theater. My favorite job is the one at the beginning of my reel, the bus of "Rialidad in the City.” I really enjoyed doing it. I use my videos to apply the things I learn in my career and I challenge myself to do things I could not do before.

What do you hope to accomplish with Bondibots?

I hope to be making more challenging and fun stories. I also hope to learn new techniques to apply in my videos, for example I am currently working to improve the animation of human faces, which will allow me to tell more complex stories within the world of the Bondibots.

For more of Bosio's robot animations and awesome work, visit his site here.

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