Ninjas battle superbugs in this charming short

If there's one subject that's lacking in natural appeal, it's MRSA. Luckily, this didn't stop Nico Casaveccia from creating a motion graphics piece that manages not only to explain the superbug, but transform it into something utterly charming.

The Brooklyn-based director was asked to present the IBM's latest research into ways of beating the bacterial infection. Working with production company 1stAveMachine, Casaveccia opted for a naïve, economical aesthetic, turning the different elements into characters and realising them as puppets, clumsily operated by sticks. "It was a playful way to turn production problems into something fun to watch," he explains.

The props - created by Buenos Aires studio Tiburs - are Casavecchia's favourite aspect of the project. "Their work is just fantastic," he enthuses. "It's so detailed and polished it makes me want to hug it."

This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 225.