Studio Ang’s look-dev for Jabali & Sauti - a six-episode PoC.
A simple question - what if learning could feel like magic? - sparked a six-episode proof of concept. This post shares Studio Ang’s look-development: the sketches, layouts, and visual decisions that shaped Tisa, Makutano, Bibi’s homestead, and the character language for a transmedia world built to hold storybook, audiobook, comics, motion comics, animation, and interactive play.
Creating The World Of Tisa
Follow the rasp of sandals on worn coral stone. Smell tart ukwaju mingling with sea salt. Hear drums on the wind threading through the Tamutamu grove. At the path’s end lies Makutano - our coastal nexus in the world of Tisa.
Concept Art
We looked to the Swahili coast for Makutano’s DNA: living heritage, layered architecture, and landscapes where old and new meet. Photographic references grounded our concept art so the village and square grew from the land’s contours; the ocean set a quiet boundary, with the isle of Zuizi always on the horizon.
Designing Bibi's Home
Makutano’s pulse lives in its compact townlets, but Bibi’s homestead sits a kilometer away, cradled by a quiet cliff. It’s a refuge for reflection and the kind of quiet magic that grows in solitude. Our studies explored thresholds - public to private, bustle to hush - so the homestead reads as a protective ring around a tender core.
Designing The Characters
In cinematic design, we don’t just draw actors - we build a visual language. Every choice - backstory, silhouette, posture, gesture - translates belief into motion so the soul shows up in every frame.
Across iterations, we tested proportion, costume logic, surface detail, and expression ranges to balance mythic presence with child-led relatability.
Thanks for walking through our sketchbooks.
Open to collaboration. This six-episode proof of concept reflects Studio Ang’s approach to world-building, look-dev, and lean production. We welcome co-production and partnership inquiries. Reach out at production@studioang.com
