Watch This: Cartoon Saloon and Greenpeace's There's A Monster In My Kitchen

Movies and TV might get all the attention but most animation studios also produce commercials, music videos, promotions and other commissioned content. In fact, these commissioned works often help fund the more high profile film and TV work. In the same month audiences finally get to see Cartoon Saloon's eagerly anticipated new feature Wolfwalkers, a new short film made for environmental group Greenpeace UK has been released. The short will reportedly play in cinemas before showings of Wolfwalkers in some territories. 

There's A Monster In My Kitchen is designed to raise awareness of the environmental impact of industrial deforestation for meat production. The film is made very much in the style of a children's picture book, with a rhyming voice-over (definite The Tiger Who Came To Tea vibes). However, there's a much more menacing feel than that description would have you believe.

It quickly segues into a new, starker visual style as it switches from the Kitchen to the forest, as it shows deforestation from the point of view of the animals. It then switches to a more hopeful message, that by eating less meat (or none at all) then we can start to make a change.

Using animation like this tends to be extremely effective. In a way, it can be seen to soften the message ( as opposed to using live-action or photo-realistic footage) but somehow it can have more of an emotional impact. It seems to get to us on a deeper level- if you want to see an example, just compare and contrast how people emotionally connected with the original version of The Lion King over its CG remake.

The short is directed by Saloon co-founder and director of Wolfwalkers and Song Of The Sea, Tomm Moore and Fabian Erlinghäuser (animation director of Song, Secret of Kells and The Breadwinner). It's a good fit for the studio because Moore, in particular, is a passionate advocate for environmental issues and veganism.

This isn't the first animated video produced by Greenpeace. In fact, this is intended as a sequel to Rang-Tan, a much-praised video highlighting the impact of palm oil. They also recently made a video with Aardman Animation, the award-winning Turtle Journey.

You can sign Greenpeace's petition here. Watch the video below.