FXX Cake
What We Did
We made a show.
Animation. Live Action. Music. Comedy. Diverse Voices. Cake is where they all collide and explode into a 30-minute roller coaster viewing experience. A half-hour showcasing original and curated works from the best short-form storytellers around the world. FX asked us to crack the nut on how to bring all this premium ooey-gooey-goodness together for FXX and Hulu . . . a never-before-seen recipe for how a show combining different voices and mediums could look, feel, and taste.
How We Did It
We started with the belief that short-form and prestige could be synonymous. FX had collected a library of hundreds of shorts, and from those we curated the best of the best, plus added some of our own finds to the mix. We had the what. We just needed to figure out the how — how do all of these juxtapositions from piece to piece flow together? The possibilities for what this show could be were endless. It didn’t even have a title until a few months into production!
Blended, beaten, whipped, dipped . . . You name it, we tried it.
Magical Collaborations
SLAQR PRODUCTIONS
The initial ask was to come up with a cohesive framework that could showcase the best of short-form storytelling in animation and live action. We took a step back and saw this as an opportunity to partner with some of our favorite artists to create original, SLAQR produced pieces for the show. From curating artists to developing ideas and seeing them through each step of production, our goal was to provide a platform where new talent could shine. We worked with filmmakers, animators, and musicians to create standalone shorts, animated series, and even live-action/animation/live-performance hybrids. Scroll through the videos on the right.
“In Bloom” paired Nick Hakim’s soulful performance with Brian Smee’s ethereal animation.
“Not Drifting Off,” created with Steph Hope.
“The Silicon: After the Mind Upload,” created with Ricardo Villavicencio.
“Face Chase,” created with Frances Hazard.
“Diggity Dog,” created with Frances Haszard.
“The Monster Collection: Indifference,” created with Maria Chiara Venturini.
“The Monster Collection: Stakhanovism,” created with Maria Chiara Venturini.
INTERSTITIALS
Building on the foundation of diverse voices and amazing talent, we were excited to cultivate a space for the intersection of other mediums as well. What better way to present these shorts than to add yet another layer of artistry to serve as the cohesive glue — which led us to MUSIC.
Music is an essential ingredient in everything we make at SLAQR, so curating emerging musicians and pairing them with independent animators felt as easy as making toast. Together, these pairings create what we call “interstitials” — music visualizers that thread together the pieces of one episode. These magical collaborations not only serve to tie an episode together thematically, but exist as independent meditative works that soothe the soul, adding a dimensionality to the show that would amplify the artistry across the board, and work towards championing emerging artists. Voilà! Our secret sauce.
PUTTING THE EDITS BACK IN CREDITS
Just say no to snoozy credit beds. SLAQR added some zazzle to the back end of each episode by making custom credit designs inspired by each season’s bumpers.
Cake is a place to discover and be discovered.
There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing a fan of the show ask “Who was the artist that was featured in this episode?” or “Who wrote that end credits song?”
As of January 2022, we’ve created 47 episodes for the series. Sample a taste. ;)
Take a bite.
“An antidote to peak TV’s algorithm.” “Hypnotic.” “Funny and weirdly sincere.” CAKE’s been on a roll, collecting accolades for being equal parts satisfying and wild. The icing on top? Mamaoudou Athie (he plays Jerome in the first anchor series Oh Jerome, No) was nominated for a 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series. OH, HELLS YES!
