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.
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
