The stellar work this quarter has to offer is headlined by the "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow" music video honoring the late Freddie Mercury as well as the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Also in the mix is the moving "I Am With You" animated piece promoting sexual assault survivor Chanel Miller's book titled "Know My Name."
In a lighter vein, we have some luxuriating bears who are part of a pitch for U.K.'s MoneySuperMarket, and an inventive logo promoting the talent and aesthetics of Paramount Animation.
So have a gander at the quarter's best visual effects and animation fare.
1: Top Spot of the Week: Animated “Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow” Celebrates Freddie Mercury’s Legacy
Client Universal Music Group (UMG) and the Mercury Phoenix Trust Drew Gleason, creative (UMG). Production/VFX/Animation Friends Electric, London & Los Angeles; Woodblock, Berlin; Studio Seufz (animation), Stuttgart, Germany Beth David, Esteban Bravo, directors. Belinda Blacklock, EP/producer; Ilija Brunck, Jona Brunck, Stefan Michel, EPs; Benedikt Hummel, prodn mgr; Janina Putzker, animation pipeline; Sandra Brandstätter, character designer; Kim-Quy Nguyen, storyboard & animatic/animation & clean-up artist; Beth David, Esteban Bravo, storyboard & animatic; Kiana Naghshineh, colorscript artist; Benedikt Hummel, FX animator & editorial; Janina Putzker, animation supervision, layouts, FX animator; animation & clean-up artist; Sonia Melnyk, animation & clean-up artist, color artist; Heidi Yilun Chen, Laura Staab, Elena Walf, Sabine Koops, Nora Marie Back, Isabelle Piolat, Kim Liersch, animation & clean-up artists; Simone Pivetta, 3D artist; Samuel Rassy, Carlotta Biesenbach, Nora Marie Back, Elena Walf, color artists; Kiana Naghshineh, background artist; Sarah Eim, compositing lead; Tobias Stärk, Thorsten Löffler, Paul Schicketanz, Csaba Letay, compositing artists. (Toolbox: ToonBoom Storyboard Pro, TV Paint, After Effects, Nuke, Premiere)
2: Chanel Miller Reclaims Ownership Of Her Story and Identity In Animated Short “I Am With You”
Client Chanel Miller's book, "Know My Name" Live-Action Production Company Emerald Pictures Mara Milicevic, John Duffin, executive producers; Anna Franquesa-Solano, DP. Visual Effects/Animation Norma V. Toraya, aka Crankbunny, animation; Chanel Miller, writer, director, illustrator; Emily Moore, director, producer (Toolbox: Photoshop, After Effects) Arcade Edit, New York Tristian Wake, Flame artist (Toolbox: Flame) Editorial Arcade Edit, NY Ali Mao, editor; Sila Soyer, partner/EP. Music Walker Sara Matarazzo, music supervisor; Clarice Jensen, composer. Sound Heard City Elizabeth McClanahan, mixer/sound designer; Gloria Pitagorsky, managing partner; Jackie James, Sasha Awn, exec producers; Andi Lewis, audio post producer; Tom Morris, assistant engineer. Color Company 3 Jenny Montgomery, colorist
3: Director Matthijs van Heijningen, Framestore Grin and Bear It For MoneySuperMarket Spot
Client MoneySuperMarket Agency Engine Billy Faithful, chief creative officer; Chris Ringsell, creative director; Olly Courtney, Sonny Adorjan, creative team; Stefanie Forbes, producer; Oliver West, Victoria Doran, assistant producers; Liz Baines, strategy director; Ronaldo Pegoraro, sr. strategist. Production MJZ Matthijs Van Heijningen, director; Helen Kenny, exec producer; Donald Taylor, producer; Lindsay Turnham, head of production; Ruben Impens, DP; Whay Sitthirak, production designer; Kwan Patumthip, casting. Production Services Living Films Editorial Speade Carlos Font Clos, editor. Animation, FX & Color Framestore, London Jules Janaud, VFX supervisor; Jordi Bares, creative director; Sherrine Byfield, 2D lead; Matthew Thomas, compositor Gez Wright, lead animator; Ross Burgess, Joseph Kane, Robbie Brown, animators; Andy Butler, Leo Schreiber, rigging; Joel Best, Gabriela Ruch Salmeron, Mary Doyle, Bear asset team; Alice Roseberry Haynes, Omar Jason, modeling/texture/look development; Mathias Cadyck, ltg; Valerio DiNapoli, Stephen Moroz, Ahmed Gharraph, FX team; Paul O’Brien, Flame; Simon Bourne; colorist; Gavin Hyde, editorial; Christopher Gray , EP; Emma Hughes, CG coordinator. (Toolbox: Houdini, Nuke)
4: The Mill, Director Jake Schreier Break New Ground With Cashmere Cat’s “Emotions” Music Video
Client Cashmere Cat Production Park Pictures Jake Schreier, director; Alex Fisch, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, exec producers; Bria Wentzel, producer; Jancarlo Beck, DP; Margaret Qualley, choreographer/performer. VFX Production The Mill Los Angeles Pete King, exec producer; Daniel Beldy, producer; Michael Novo, production coordinator; Glyn Tebbutt, Daniel Thuresson, shoot supervisors. VFX Creative/Animation The Mill Glyn Tebbutt, creative director; Lisha Tan, creative director, character development; Juan Zavala, Matt Connolly, animation; Ed Laag, Sasha Vinogradova, Sidney Tan, design. Emerging Tech The Mill Aurelien Simon, exec producer; Hiro Miyoshi, developer; Dave Witters, Troy Barsness, technical artists; Tawfeeq Martin, technical innovations manager. (Toolbox: Unreal, Maya, Houdini, Flame, Shogun) Color The Mill Mikey Rossiter, colorist; Evan Bauer, color producer.
5: Director Mark Zibert, VFX Studio a52, Rethink Create “Stuff Monster” For IKEA Canada
Client IKEA Canada Agency Rethink Aaron Starkman, Christina Yu, executive creative directors; Joel Holtby, Dhaval Bhatt, creative director; Erica Metcalfe, producer. Production, Live Action Scouts Honour Mark Zibert, director; Christopher Mably, DP; Rita Popielak, live-action producer; Simon Dragland, production supervisor. VFX a52 Jesse Monsour, VFX supervisor, 2D VFX artist; Andy Wilkoff, CG supervisor; Richard Hirst, Hugh Seville, Narbeh Mardirossian, 2D VFX artists; Adam Rosenzwieg, Alejandro Castro, Andy Wilkoff, Daniel Jensen, Dustin Mellum, Evan Mayfield, Ian Ruhfass, Joe Chiechi, Joe Paniagua, John Riggs, Josh Dyer, Max Ulichney, Michale Bettinardi, Michael Cardenas, Mike Di Nocco, Suzi Little, 3D artists; Chris Riley, online editor; Scott Boyajan, producer; Patrick Nugent, Kim Christensen, exec producers; Jennifer Sofio Hall, managing director. (Toolbox: Flame, Maya, Vray, Photoshop) Color Alter Ego, Eric Whipp (first pass), Conor Fisher (final pass), colorists; Jonah Venneri, color assistant; Jane Garrah, sr. color producer. Editorial Rooster Post Marc Langley, editor; Chloe Vankoughnett, assistant editor; Melissa Kahn, exec producer. Music Cat Stevens (licensed track) “Tea for the Tillerman” Sound Design Kevin Chamberlain, sound designer. Audio Post Julian Rudd, final mix/engineer; Lindsey Bates, managing partner; Ted Rosnick, creative director.
6: LOBO Shows The Positive Power Of Food & Giving In Chobani’s “Impact”
Client Chobani (client direct) Production LOBO, New York Mateus de Paula, Fabio Acorsi, directors Visual Effects/Animation LOBO, New York Mateus de Paula, director; Fabio Acorsi, director, animation coordinator & animatic; ; Luis Ribeiro, EP; Clara Moreli, Rosangela Gomes, heads of prodn; Karen de Moura, Priscila Benattti, postproduction; William Santiago, Arthur Duarte, illustration; Bruno H. Costa, storyboard & cleanup; Anderson Omori, Chan Tony, Paulo Passaro, 2D animation; Michel Venus, Francisco de Assis, Bruno Curcino, cleanup; Estevão Santos, Ricardo Filomeno, Bruno Ronzani, Francisco Beraldo, Julia Góes Sampaio, André Finhana, motion graphics/composition. (Toolbox: Photoshop, After Effects, Flash, Toon Boom, Premiere)
7: ATK PLN Produces Animation Logo For Paramount
Client Paramount Animation Agency ATK PLN, Dallas Production/Visual Effects/Animation ATK PLN, Dallas Patton Tunstall, creative director/CG supervisor; Justin Skerpan, producer; Shannon Thomas, lighting lead; Chad Moseley, cloth & hair; Daniel Ries, surfacing; Jackson Armstrong, end logo animation & FX; Jose Sebastian Gomez, executive creative director; David Bates, managing director (Toolbox: Houdini, Octane, customized technical pipeline)
8: The Best Work You May Never See: Zombie Studio, FCB Health Brasil Team On “Malu” For Nestlé Health Science
Client Nestlé Health Science Agency FCB Health Brasil Diego Freitas, Mauro Arruda, chief creative officers; Diogo Barbosa, art director; Laura Hyppolito, art director, illustrator; Breno Ferreira, copywriter, Charles Nobili, Murillo Moretti, Mariana Carneiro, Pedro Lazzuri, Ricardo Magozo, producers. Animation Zombie Studio, Sao Paulo, Brazil Paulo Garcia, director; Daniel Salles, Yohann da Geb, creative directors; Natalia Gouvêa, exec producer; Antonela Castro, Marcio Lovato and Leticia Harumi,producers; Gustavo Rangel, CG supervisor & composition; Ricardo Alves, Boson Post, composition. (Toolbox: Photoshop, Maya, Zbrush, Arnold, Nuke, Davinci) Color Grading Psycho n’ Look Music/Sound Design LOUD Felipe Vassao, producer.
9: David Leitch Directs Short For Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Argonaut
Client Ubisoft/Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Agency Argonaut, San Francisco Hunter Hindman, chief creative officer/founder; Alan Stout, Brian Olsen, co-heads of strategy; Jeremy Arth, executive producer; Matt Kelsen, Ali Esterly, creative directors. Production Minted Content, Santa Monica, Calif. David Leitch, director; Lance O’Connor, managing director/founder; John McGarty, exec producer; Edina Sallay, head of production; Jonathan Sela, DP. Production Services Circle Productions, Vancouver Tom Murray, exec producer; Blake Bowell, bidding producer. Editorial 1606 Studio Brian Lagerhausen, editor; Cameron Maidenberg, assistant editor; Vickie Sornsilp, head of production; Jon Ettinger, exec producer. Music/Sound Barking Owl, West Los Angeles Morgan Johnson, sound design; Houston Fry, music editing (of licensed work from Lil Wayne and libraries); Kelly Bayett, creative director. Audio Post Barking Owl, West L.A. Matt Keith, mixer. Visual Effects/Animation Eight VFX, Santa Monica, Calif. Shira Boardman, Baptiste Andrieux, exec producers; Ryan Dahlman, producer; Aryel Melek-Shalom, VFX supervisor; Joe Chiao, Flame lead (Toolbox: Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Flame)
10: Reel FX Animation Studios Brings “Immortal Cockroach” To Life
Client Seriously/Best Fiends Visual Effects/Animation Reel FX Animation Studios, Dallas Augusto Schillaci, director/art dir/VFX supervisor; Rod Douglas, storyboard artist; Vincent Bisschop, Federico Moreno Breser, Nicolas Villareal, art dept; Tom Jordan, modeling supervisor; Douglas Bell, rigging supervisor; Steve Eger, Joe Porritt, Alex Salmar, rigging; Megan Shaffer, surfacing supervisor; Jeff Huard, Daniel Smith, surfacing; Chris Browne, character FX supervisor; Yuri Martell, matte painting; Dan West, layout lead; Andre Alvarenga, Thomas De Maleingreau, Sean Monteagudo, layout; Eddy Lowinski, FX supervisor; Tony Fan, Evan Robinson, Jyota Malcolm, Matthieu Bruneau, FX; Keenan Proffitt, environment supervisor; Elyse Roy, environment; Martin Ferland, animation supervisor; Kirby Atkins, Kosta Dracopaulos, Jason Park, Justin Ustel, Syuan-Ru Wu, Anna Masquelier, Tiago Ferreira, Chris Burnham, Helene Papet, animation; Kelsey Craig, Jessica M. Hogan, ltg supervisor; Lighting: Luiz Fernando Araujo, Jillian Blair, Melissa Gilbreath, Tim Goransson, Srabani Halarnkar, Swapnil Halarnkar, Pierre Lauret, Alice Lepoutre, Anthony Russo, Randy Tecson, ltg; Seth Schwartz, CG supervisor; John Anderholm, technical supervision; John Levanas, TD; Ted Lebeau III, render supervision; Aldo Victoria, render wrangler. Additional Modeling/Surfacing McFly Studio. Additional Modeling/Surfacing and Animation/FX Agora Studio (Toolbox: Maya, Nuke)