Never Just A Period

Partnering with Lucy Forbes at Smuggler and AMV BBDO, Framestore contributed to the female-led team, providing a mix of live action, art, craft and animation for Libresse / Bodyform.

The Libresse / Bodyform campaign continues to blaze a trail, opening up honest conversations about women's bodies. Having previously collaborated with the brand and agency on the multiple award-winning 'Wombstories,' Creative Director Sharon Lock has once again made a significant impact with their newest campaign 'Never Just a Period.' 

‘Never Just A Period' is a contemporary tale enriched with historical imagery which aims dramatise the fact that centuries have passed and women still have so many unanswered questions about their bodies. The film adopts a playful tone, though never at the expense of telling the truth about women’s experiences. 

"It was important for everyone to achieve something new, fresh, and original and not create a follow on or be too similar to ‘Wombstories’, said Sharon Lock. “I enjoy this challenge, which aligns with my background as a designer. For me, design is about solving problems, not just creating nice imagery." 

The project uses actual stop footage and incorporates effects with a craft 2D method. It's highly involved with many hidden effects, giving it a unique feel. To get the desired results the team created a mix of minimal VFX shots and design elements. 

The main challenge however, was creating the ‘blood worlds’ which appear several times during the film, and it was integral that Sharon found a poetic way of visualising this hero blood. 

"It couldn't be anything that felt uncomfortable. We aimed to create something that looks beautiful and evokes a sense of connection. The process was nuanced, with many iterations before we achieved the desired result." said Sharon Lock.

One other significant challenge was capturing the live-action plates required for stop motion and cell animated characters as they wouldn't be created until later.  On set as Shoot Supervisor was Framestore Pictures’ Murray Butler who ensured the necessary angles, lighting, and interactions were captured.

“Working with Lucy Forbes on set was collaborative and there was a real sense of energy during the shooting process,” said Murray Butler. “We helped oversee second unit elements such as Wobbling Jellies and Shivering dogs, as well as working with Lucy’s longtime production designer Alex Holmes on puppeteering Vulva Balloons!” 

“It’s really gratifying to see the final result, as everything fitted together so well,” added Murray Butler. “It really helped that we had DoP Polly Morgan to collaborate with too, as she was considerate to our VFX needs, not to mention lighting everything so beautifully.”