Concept
What makes the character instantly legible as an object?
Case 03Archival selection / 2015–2018Art Director / Licensing Manager
3D Light FX
Licensing
meets retail reality.
Entertainment IP had to survive the jump from a flat character world to a dimensional object, a package, an approval loop and a real shopper moment.
Product conceptLicensingPackagingRetail / POP
Current public marks identify licensed-product experience shown in the archive. Trademarks belong to their respective owners; no current affiliation or endorsement is implied.
What the job asked for
Make the object instantly readable. Then make every handoff hold up.
Ben connected product direction, packaging, licensor approvals, factory conversations and retail storytelling—so the object arriving on shelf still carried the original idea.
Role card / 2015–2018
Art Director / Licensing Manager
Art direction with a production passport.
Ben directed licensed product concepts, packaging, collateral, point-of-purchase, production specifications and the conversations connecting licensors, suppliers and internal teams.
- 01IP → OBJECT
Make the character dimensional
Translate a flat entertainment world into a recognisable object with real wall presence.
- 02OBJECT → PACKAGE
Make the promise immediate
Give the light-up effect and licensed character a clear retail read without losing brand rules.
- 03PACKAGE → SHELF
Make every handoff hold
Keep the idea intact through approvals, supplier conversations, production and shopper presentation.
THREE decisions. ONE coherent product story.
Featured product chapter / Deadpool
From character recognition to a shelf-ready object.
THE TRANSLATION
Familiarity drives the first look. Dimensional form, wall impact and packaging carry it through to purchase.
From screen to shelf / product film
The work had to light up on a shelf—not just look good on screen.
Selected 3D Light FX product films. The supplied archival MP4s are video-only, so the player stays honest about the source.
Source check: supplied MP4 is video-only (no embedded audio track). Film playback still pauses the beat selector.
Evidence set / original archive
Different properties. One retail translation.
Production reality
The package must explain the object before the customer touches it.
Source comparison used as historical evidence of how a licensed character world was translated into product and packaging hierarchy.
The job was the system
Concept. Approval.
Factory. Retail. Repeat.
A visual operating loop for the work behind the object. It is intentionally generalized: no private factory names, customer locations or project specifics.
- 01Toronto / Montreal
Concept, product world, package direction.
- 02CA / NY
Licensor conversations and approval gates.
- 03China
Factory collaboration, form and feasibility.
- 04North America
Retail presentation and shopper moment.
Urban field guide / the handoffs
Every product had to carry the idea farther than the studio.
It is a global operating rhythm—not a literal travel diary. The work moved between product concept, approval-ready presentations, factory feasibility and a retailer-facing package story.
SIDE A / BRAND CONTROL, ON THE MOVE
Approval
Protect the brand and document the direction clearly.
Build
Bring form, package and production specifications together.
Retail
Create the shopper moment: product, POP and collateral.
Licensed character artwork is shown as historical project evidence only. All marks remain property of their respective owners; no current affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Evidence close
Designed for the point where a fan becomes a customer.
