2D animator/director Sungmin Yoo makes his Stash debut with this full-speed, single-shot promo for South Korean pay television network JTBC and their upcoming coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics games in Milano–Cortina, Italy.

Sungmin Yoo: “Since this project was led by a Korean broadcaster, I focused on expressing visual elements that represent Korea in a way that would blend naturally throughout the animation.

“Using the red and blue of the Taegeuk [the Korean equivalent of the Chinese yin and yang] as key visual motifs, I tried to reflect Korea’s identity in an organic and consistent way.

“In line with the JTBC Brand Department’s slogan, ‘Thrilling and Diverse,’ I paid close attention to the direction so each sport and its characters could vividly express their thrilling actions and unique personalities.
 

“Using the red and blue of the Taegeuk [the Korean equivalent of the Chinese yin and yang] as key visual motifs, I tried to reflect Korea’s identity in an organic and consistent way.”

 
“In addition, I constructed the backgrounds by incorporating the structural elements of iconic landmarks from the host cities, such as the Cortina mountain range, Verona Arena, Milan Galleria, and Duomo Cathedral, to convey both the cultural identity and spatial atmosphere of the cities.

“To emphasize the dynamism and energy of the athletes, I used rough brush textures throughout the animation. However, keeping this texture from appearing unfinished in the final piece was a major challenge. To solve this, I first created clean line work, then applied the rough brush in a retouching process to maintain stability and quality.

“Because the animation was produced frame by frame, this process required a great deal of time and careful manual effort, but in the end, I believe it solidified the overall quality and concept of the work.

“Building on this direction, I aimed to express the unique characteristics of each sport through diverse angles and dynamic camera movements. I also composed the animation as a one-take sequence, with transitions between each sport naturally connected, in order to enhance the overall sense of immersion.”
 
 

 
Client: JTBC
Art Director: JTBC Brand Dept.

Director: Sungmin Yoo
Storyboard: Sungmin Yoo
Character Design: Leonardo Luiz, Sungyoon Lee
Key Visual: Sungmin Yoo, Leonardo Luiz, Sungyoon Lee
Animator/FX: Sungmin Yoo
Background: Sungmin Yoo, Sungyoon Lee
Compositor: Sungmin Yoo
Title Design: The First Gate, Sungyoon Lee
Title Animation: Sungyoon Lee

Sound Design: Hello Stranger (Minkyung Kim), Sungyoon Lee