Seriously’s sixth Best Fiends animated short, The Immortal Cockroach, features the voice of Maurice LaMarche (Futurama, Zootopia) as the main character, Lapoleon.
Alongside LaMarche is award-winning actress Pamela Adlon (Better Things, Californiacation) and actor David Herman (Office Space). The feature film quality short was directed by Augusto Schillaci and produced by Golden Globe-nominated Reel FX Animation Studios, which is best known for its work on Ice Age and Despicable Me.
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)
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick. The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs. “I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years. Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. “There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
