Mathematic Launches New Animation Arm: Illusion of Motion
March 16, 2026
The hapless non-playable characters of the gaming world finally have their day as one of them breaks free in this Coinbase spot by MJZ director Oscar Hudson thru agency Isle of Any, and aired during the Academy Awards.
Instead of replicating the low-poly look of the retro gaming characters in 3D, Hudson chose to suit up actors in highly convincing costumes and work with French choreographer Maeva Berthelot to refine their quirky motion and walk cycles.
“Every suit button, lapel and texture was 2D printed directly onto the suits, the sets were printed in a pixelated way, each actor was trained to walk like a game character.”
Toby Treyer-Evans, founder at Isle of Any: “It felt important to allow the viewer to see themselves as that player in the middle of the screen. We wanted it to feel like a nod to the old world of video games, representing an old system, but also modern enough that you could relate to it in today’s world.
“The attention to detail from a production perspective was incredible. Every suit button, lapel and texture was 2D printed directly onto the suits, the sets were printed in a pixelated way, each actor was trained to walk like a game character. It led to a world that felt entirely like a game, but with real humans walking around.”
Client: Coinbase
Agency: Isle of Any
Founder: Toby Treyer-Evans, Laurie Howell
CD: Ben Brown
Design Director: Mel Reichert
EP: Mateus DeFaria
Managing Director: Elspeth Ross
Production: MJZ
Director: Oscar Hudson
Director of Photography: Ben Fordesman
Production Designer: Luke Moran-Morris
EP: Molly Griffin
Producer: Archie Johnston Steward, Andrea Harvey
1st AD: Ty Hack
Choreographer: Maeva Berthelot
Post/VFX: Selected Works
CD: Greg Spencer
EP: Alex Fitzgerald
Producer: Solomon Tiigah, Hugo Kilner
Edit: Cartel
Editor: Leo Scott
Edit Assistant: Beau Hogan
EP: Evyn Bruce
Producer: Kong Yang
Music/Sound Design: Wave Studios NY
ECD: Aaron Reynolds
EP: Vicky Ferraro
Producer: Eleni Giannopoulos
