Recreating the unmistakable zany flair and recognizable style of an 80s cartoon theme song for a video game trailer was pretty much a dream project for our team at Something’s Awry. This summer, we were given the incredible opportunity to work with our friends at SMG Studios and Team17 to give their upcoming game, the outrageous physics-based moving simulator Moving Out 2, a cinematic trailer worthy of He-Man, ThunderCats, and all the other gems of an 80’s childhood well spent!
In Moving Out 2, you play a certified Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician (F.A.R.T.) returning to the busy town of Packmore for an all-new slate of precarious and fantastical moving jobs. Here, moving is never as easy as going from point A to point B, so be ready to catch valuables, throw couches through windows, and squeeze everything (including yourself!) into your tiny truck before time runs out. Moving Out 2 is all about slapstick, fast action, and style, which is why nothing seemed more appropriate to build hype for the game than a cinematic trailer introducing our new team of FARTS with a heaping dose of 80s nostalgia!
Making the trailer wasn’t just about including easter eggs and references to our favorite animated shows—though there are plenty of those (look for nods to Sailor Moon and an “Akira Slide” on a couch!)—but rather capturing what made those gems so thrilling in the first place, down to every little detail. With Kris Theorin’s direction and a snappy script by Kurtis Theorin in hand, we enlisted Laughing Dragon Studios to provide our video with the colorful, electric 2D animation the 80s was known for, based on a slew of action-packed storyboards by Natalie Ma. Composers Dan Rufolo and Adam Kromelow supplied the infectious music, while Ariana and the Rose brought their theme song to life with catchy vocals that left us humming long after the project wrapped. Full of deep-voiced narration by Mick Lauer, tongue-in-cheek gags, kinetic visuals and nostalgic flair, we couldn’t be happier with how the trailer came together, and how it sets the tone for the riotous good time you’re in for playing Moving Out 2!
The game will be released on August 15th, so be sure to grab your friends and some extra packing tape when moving time comes! If you need to tide yourself over ‘til then or just want a rollicking dose of 80s nostalgia, check out the finished trailer below!
Moving Out 2 Trailer