A Journey Into Scotland’s Craftsmanship | Glencairn Crystal Studio

A short animation produced for Glencairn Crystal Studio on the history of their whisky glass.

An animation on the history of a beloved whisky glass

Tasting whiskey is an art in itself, requiring a keen understanding of the nuances of flavour. Every whisky tasting experience needs to begin with the choice of glassware. The Glencairn Glass is renowned worldwide for its craftsmanship and timeless design. 

This is what we discovered when the Chocolate Films Scotland team were lucky enough to be commissioned by Glencairn Crystal Studio to make a unique animation on the history of the glass and the people behind its unique design. 

A special thanks to Launch Digital, Chocolate Films Scotland, Chocolate Films London, and Glencairn Crystal Studio, who all helped bring the history of the Glencairn Glass to life.

Not just any glass

The Glencairn Glass boasts a shape that is specially designed to showcase the best qualities of whisky. Its tulip-shaped bowl narrows towards the rim, allowing the aromas to gather and concentrate. This design not only enhances the olfactory experience but also prevents the escape of delicate scents. 

The wide base of the glass provides stability, while the solid, tapered stem allows for comfortable handling and a touch of elegance. Together, these elements create an optimal vessel for appreciating the complexity and character of fine whiskies.

Glencairn Crystal Studio Video Animation Project
Raymond Davidson founder of Glencairn Crystal Studio

Developing the script and style

Working closely with our client, the creative team at Chocolate Films developed the script that captures the essence of the Glencairn family’s journey. We explored old photographs, original artwork and illustrations created by the founders. We conducted interviews with the leaders of the organisation and uncovered personal stories to grasp the spirit of the Glencairn Glass. 

Drawing inspiration from these findings, our dedicated Chocolate Films animation team embarked on the storyboarding stage, translating the initial sketches of the founder Raymond Davidson into a visual style that would evoke the passion and profound love inherent in their craft.

Telling a story through animation

Through a collaborative effort, we carefully crafted the animation style with the inspiration from an archive of sketches and artworks by the renowned artist Jim Drysdale. These captivating illustrations provided us with a window into the intricate world of Glencairn’s history. 

Each scene was carefully planned out showing key moments throughout the family’s journey. Led by one of Chocolate Films highly skilled Scottish animators these scenes were brought to life through various 2D animation techniques.

Glencairn’s illustration history

Choosing the right animation style

The mixed media/collage style, we used for The Glencairn Glass animation, can also work well for museum and art exhibitions. We previously collaborated closely with Leighton House on one of their permanent pieces. In the documentary, we used photos of Leighton, his house, and his friends to illustrate his life and work from a young child to his death.  

Chocolate Films team have created animations for various clients and sectors. There’s a lot of creative freedom with animations compared to live-action videos, and choosing the right style can be difficult.

With our expertise and experience, we can help to find the right animation style for your project. 

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Book your free consultation

The producers at Chocolate Films are available to talk through your project at a time that suits you. They’ll make sure they really understand your organisation and what you’re looking to achieve with video content. Following the discussion, they will send over a detailed proposal for the work you’re looking to commission.

What our clients say

Chocolate Films
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HeisenbergHeisenberg
17:35 13 Jul 24
My children attended their film making workshops. What a great time they had! The crew members were fantastic, especially Bea, who has got excellent attitude towards children and tons of patience. I really recommend them, if you are looking for some quality workshops for your children.
Belinda CupidBelinda Cupid
15:49 08 Jul 24
I work at Cystic Fibrosis Trust and we are delighted with the animation Chocolate Films created for us. It met the brief and has helped us to explain our activities to current and future partners. Chocolate Films were a pleasure to work with and we appreciated their flexibility in working to a very tight timescale.
Katy TippingKaty Tipping
13:04 08 Jul 24
Great working with Chocolate Films and the team for our new program. Nikita was a great point of content and we had a blast at the filming studio with everyone. Thank you everyone for your work on this project!
Chloe McCarthyChloe McCarthy
11:59 12 Jun 24
We commissioned Chocolate films to complete a BTS film as a promotional film for our Level 4 foundation course. We were out on location with our own 3 short films with our most senior students, and we needed an extra crew to capture all that was happening on set. They were thoughtful, efficient and proactive. Capturing some great interviews and BTS (thanks Elton!), weaving it into a great promotional film for us. Lucia steered the project beautifully from start to finish (thanks Nikita too). We’ve worked with Chocolate films before and would happily do so in the future. Chloe – London Screen Academy
Tai CampbellTai Campbell
13:03 29 May 24
I filmed a green screen production using sound and it came out great. Lucia and Nikka are lovely and happy to help, the facilities are exactly what I needed (there’s also a make-up room) and it was easy to get to.
Kerri AthertonKerri Atherton
14:11 15 May 24
Chocolate films produced a fun promotional video for us as part of our 80th anniversary. They were professional with clear communication, and the project was delivered to time.
Samantha ChetwoodSamantha Chetwood
09:34 03 May 24
The video content creation workshop offered by Chocolate Films was incredibly useful, packed full of handy tips on how to create compelling videos with the minimum equipment and time! The space is great and the team were welcoming, generous with their knowledge and clearly enthusiastic about what they do.
HUGE round of applause for the Chocolate Films team! We attended their ‘Using Video for Business’ Workshop, which they so kindly offered free of charge for local businesses in the Wandsworth area. Hosted at their lovely new Nine Elms studio space, we had a great morning of learning, chatting over tea and coffee. They are a really delightful and organised company that we hope to work with going forward, and we would love to see the team at one of our cookery classes one day! Ax
Victoria NicholsonVictoria Nicholson
11:16 01 May 24
I joined other small business owners, founders and entrepreneurs for a morning workshop on how to create content, shoot and edit footage. The studio was so welcoming and the team gave some fantastic advice whether it was your first foray into film making or had been trying for a while but stuck with certain elements. The workshop was fun, enjoyable and informative with a good balance between information and hands on practice. They made something quite complex seem very accessable. The teams enthusiasm for their craft is infectious.
Marie de ChampchesnelMarie de Champchesnel
11:11 01 May 24
I had the pleasure to be invited to a workshop at Chocolate Films which was delivered to a high standard from start to finish. The facilitators were highly knowledgeable, friendly and very approachable and took time to answer any questions we had. Thank you for a great experience!
Asma SharapovaAsma Sharapova
10:56 01 May 24
I attended a workshop with Chocolate Films and was very impressed with their professionalism, knowledge and expertise. They packed so much invaluable information into the session and they were all super friendly and approachable.
Carlos LutterbachCarlos Lutterbach
14:03 19 Apr 24
Chocolate Films did outstanding work on the Seido Karate London promo. They were able to capture the spirit of the Dojo with their visuals and presentation. The interviews were professional and conducted expertly. Overall outstanding work!
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