tiny pups. BIG CITY.

PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE

During my time at Spin Master, one of the many properties I worked on was Paw Patrol: The Movie, where I helped bridge the gap between the entertainment division and the preschool toy line. The galleries below showcase some of my work on the films, focusing on the dual-path integration of story and toy elements.

NEW CITY. NEW HQ.

ADVENTURE CITY HQ |Paw Patrol: The Movie

One of the key requests for Paw Patrol: The Movie was to redesign the Tower HQ from the show, giving it a fresh, iconic, and cinematic upgrade. After months of design exploration and numerous rounds of discarded concepts, I developed the “ball top” tower design just 30 minutes before the final pitch presentation. I envisioned its clean, mid-century aesthetic creating a heroic silhouette—much like a trophy that celebrates our hero pups. The executives were immediately drawn to its simple architectural lines, and it was ultimately chosen as the final design for both the film and the toy playset.

PAW MOVIE TOWER | Final Product

EXPLORATION

The gallery below illustrates the evolving balance between concept and story. Early in production, each Paw pup having their own smaller HQ was considered, but the team adapted as the story's direction shifted. What you see here are discarded story beats, part of the process of finding the right narrative path and tone.

HIDDEN JUNGLE HQ | Unused HQ Concept

PAW TEAM VEHICLE

Development for the sequel PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE began in 2020. As with the first film, many ideas were explored for the sequel’s storyline. The gallery below features some of the team vehicle concepts I worked on, including a high-speed bullet train and a low-orbit space shuttle. Ultimately, the film's theme shifted, and most of these concepts were discarded. However, a version of the aircraft carrier did make it into the final film and onto toy shelves.

PAW AIRCRAFT CARRIER | The Mighty Movie

PAW AIRCRAFT CARRIER | Final Product

FILM /TOY FEATURES

One of the most challenging aspects of working with toy-related properties is finding the right balance between storytelling and play features. The goal is to avoid creating what feels like an obvious promotional toy commercial, which can pull viewers out of the film. The best approach is to integrate vehicle or toy features into potential story scenarios, grounding the concepts in a narrative context. The videos and gallery below highlight a variety of such concepts that were never realized, as script changes and evolving themes altered the direction of the films.