Ad agency Heat, production house MJZ, and VFX/post studio The Mill have teamed on the trailer for Star Wars Battlefront. In this teaser, gamers succumb to the “Obi Wan Kenobi effect,” based on the notorious death scene in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope™. The Mill was on hand to recreate the illusion of clothes falling as the gamers vanish from reality only to end up in the game itself, enabling these folks to live out their Star Wars battle fantasies in a galaxy far, far away.
3D Lead Artist Koen Vroeijenstijn of The Mill explained, “Character models and exact copies of the actors’ clothes were created in CG and matched precisely to their last pose before they’re absorbed into the game. The trickiest shots–and the most fun to work on–were the ones where the actors vanish in the middle of an action, like the skateboarders for example. The final product is the result of a huge collaboration between our 2D, 3D and design teams.”
Dante Ariola of MJZ directed the trailer which features Anna Kendrick.
Credits
Client Electronic Arts (EA)/Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Agency Heat Melissa Nagy, producer; Anna Rowland, Warren Cockrel, creative directors; Jeff Fang, Ryan Hartsfield, associate creative directors. Production MJZ Dante Ariola, director; Scott Howard, Eriks Krumins, exec producers; Natalie Hill, producer; Hoyte Van Hoytema, DP; Quito Cooksey, production designer. Editorial No6 Andrea MacArthur, editor; Crissy DeSimone, exec producer; Yole Barrera, post producer; Colin Guthrie, Andrew Manne, editorial assistants. VFX/Design The Mill LA Sue Troyan, sr. exec producer; Dan Roberts, producer; Chris Lewis, Anwei Chen, production coordinators; Chris Knight, shoot supervisor/2D lead artist; Koen Vroeijenstijn, shoot supervisor/3D lead artist; Jacob Bergman, Jason Jansky, 3D lead artists; Ben Smith, Scott Wilson, Robert Murdock, Tim Robbins, 2D artists; Bora Jurisic, Martin Rivera, Sharlene Lin, Matt Bohnert, Katie Yancey, Steven Olson, Monique Espinoza, Blake Guest, Berk Hakguder, Michael Archambault, Cory Cosper, Majid Esmaeili, 3D artists; Kyle Moore, Vinicius Naldi, Greg Park, motion graphics; Brett Lopinsky, Kelsey Napier, Matthew Dobrez, art department. (Toolbox: Flame, Flare, Nuke, After Effects, Cinema 4D) Postproduction The Mill Adam Scott, colorist; Thatcher Peterson, exec producer, color; Ali Struck, color producer; Diane Valera, production coordinator, color.
FCB Health New York, an IPG Health company, and SAFE Project have joined forces to create “The Snowball,” a short film that spotlights winter as a common catalyst for dangerous increases in alcohol consumption. In collaboration with creative studio LOBO, “The Snowball” combines a compelling visual metaphor with cutting-edge animation and a haunting soundtrack from Billie Holiday.
As millions embrace “Dry January,” the onset of colder, shorter winter days still leads to an uptick in alcohol misuse, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and other medical maladies and dangerous consequences for one’s life. Speaking to casual drinkers, “The Snowball” visually illustrates how anyone is at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol during this time of year when external climate variables can lead to excess consumption, even if the drinker does not immediately realize it.
Making good on the metaphor, the film follows one man as a quick liquor run gradually devolves into a full-blown addiction as a snowball gradually grows beside him, engulfing his whole life and eventually causing his demise. Set to the tune of Billie Holiday’s “Everything I Have Is Yours,” the film’s pathos is drawn from the sonic integrity of Holiday’s original recording maintained in the sound design as well as the singer’s tragic battle with substance abuse.
This entirely animated film was created using a hands-on, collaborative process rooted in traditional animation techniques, with every aspect of the artwork creation, design, and craftsmanship crafted entirely by human hands. AI-driven tools and processes were brought in during the animation rendering stage, helping the film achieve a distinct visual style that would have been difficult to achieve through... Read More
