Here's the best visual effects and animation content that 2017 has to offer–as culled from the year's quarterly Top Ten VFX/Animation Charts.
In the mix are a pair of Kia spots, including one from this year's Super Bowl, as well as an Absolut tour de force, a Honda "Dream Makers" piece, and a Salvation Army PSA.
So enjoy these entrees on the 2017 VFX/Animation menu, as selected by SHOOT's editors.
1: MJZ’s Matthijs Van Heijningen Directs Melissa McCarthy In Kia Super Bowl :60 For David&Goliath
Client Kia Motors Agency David&Goliath, LA David Angelo, founder & chairman; Bobby Pearce, Colin Jeffery, chief creative officers; Gustavo Sarkis, executive creative director; Ben Purcell, executive creative director/writer; Mark Montiero, writer; John O’Hea, creative director; Courtney Pulver, Robert Casillas, associate creative directors; Curt O’Brien, executive broadcast producer. Production MJZ Matthijs Van Heijningen, director; Joost Van Gelder, DP; David Zander, president; Eriks Krumins, exec producer; Donald Taylor, producer. Editorial Work Editorial Jono Griffith, editor; Keith Hamm, Ben Foushee, assistant editors; Marlo Baird, exec producer; Lynne Mannino, producer. VFX The Mill Peter King, EP; Anastasia Von Rahl, sr. producer; Karina Slater, associate producer; Robert Sethi, VFX shoot supervisor, creative dir; Chris Knight, VFX shoot supervisor, creative dir, 2D lead artist; Tom Graham, VFX shoot supervisor, 3D lead artist; Michael Lori, tracking lead; Daniel Stern, FX lead; Michael Comly, ltg lead; Jacob Bergman, Jeffrey Lee, animation leads; Scott Wilson, Dag Ivarsoy, Jason Bergman, Yukiko Ishiwata, Daniel Thuresson, Andy Dill, Tom Robbins, 2D artists; Erik Zimmermann, Berk Hakguder, Daniel Soo, Robert Spaniolo, 3D artists; Juan Zavala, Mike Di Nocco, Katie Yancey, animators; Ziye Liu, Robert Chapman, Patrik Lindkvist, Shaun Comly, lighters; Krystal Sae Eua, Sharlene Lin, Cory Cosper, modelers; Chris Goodrich, Samantha Pedegron, textures; Nole Murphy, Ahmed Elmatarawi, riggers; Rasha Shalaby, Itai Muller, matte painting; Bradley Rhone, Emily Ann Morton, art dept; Danny Garcia, Freddy Parra, Steven Olson, Monique Espinoza, Alice Panek, Michael Archambault, tracking; Gary Marschka, Dylan Streiff, 2D assists; Cath Pryer, Thatcher Peterson, color EPs; Dan Kreeger, Diane Valera, color producers; Lucy Mason, Robert Cohen, production coordinators; David Ludlam, colorist; Brendan Buckingham, Thomas Mangham, Gemma Parr, Logan Highlen, color assist; Alex Gregory, Dan Levy, Megan Le, TK data lab. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Zbrush, Mari, Substance Painter) Music Editing/Sound Design stimmung Rory Doggett, creative director; Ceinwyn Clark, exec producer; Gus Koven, sound designer. Audio Post Margarita Mix, Santa Monica Nathan Dubin, sound engineer; Whitney Warren, exec producer. Licensed Music “Holding Out for A Hero” performed by Bonnie Taylor. Celebrity Talent Acquisition The Marketing Arm Chalcea Park, managing director
2: Emmanuel Lubezki Directs Absolut’s “One Night” For BBH London
Client The Absolut Company Agency BBH London Ian Heartfield, executive creative director; Simon Cenamor, Raymond Chan, creative team; Victoria Keenan, producer; Zaf Choudhury, assistant producer; Melanie Arrow, strategy director; Raphael Bittner, strategist. Production Park Pictures Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, director; Stephen Brierley, managing director; Jackie Kelman Bisbee, executive producer; Caroline Kousidonis, executive producer (L.A.); Sophie Hubble, executive producer (London); Nick Goldsmith, producer. VFX Framestore Andy Rowan Robinson, creative director; Charles Howell, VFX producer; Raul Ortego, Sebastien Boulange, Gigi NG, Karch Coon, Nick Tanner, 2D; Phil Robinson, Charlotte Bae, Nate Diehl, Georgios Cherouvim, Mohamed Echkouna, 3D; Callum McKeveny, design. (Toolbox: Maya, Nuke, Flame, Houdini, CapturingReality, Photoshop, Heiro, 3DE, PtGui, Arnold) Editorial Whitehouse Post Russell Icke, editor; Greg Hayes, Joe D’Ovidio, assistant editors; Antonia Porter, producer. Color Company 3 NY Tom Poole, colorist; Alex Lubrano, producer. Sound Soundtree Peter Raeburn, creative director; Jay James, music supervisor; Henning Knoepfel, sound designer; Luke Fabia, music editor.
3: MJZ’s Matthijs Van Heijningen Helms “The Arrival” For Kia, David&Goliath
Client Kia Motors Agency David&Goliath, Los Angeles David Angelo, founder & chairman; Bobby Pearce, chief creative officer; Gustavo Sarkis, executive creative director; Basil Cowieson, James Cohen, creative directors; Paul Albanese, director of broadcast production; Curt O’Brien, executive broadcast producer. Production MJZ Matthijs Van Heijningen, director; Eriks Krumins, sr. exec producer; Donald Taylor, producer. Editorial Work Editorial Jono Griffith, editor; Mario Baird, exec producer; Brandee Probasco, producer; Josh Sasson, assistant editor. VFX JAMM Andy Boyd, VFX supervisor/lead CG; Jake Montgomery, VFX supervisor/lead compositor; Brian Hajek, lead compositor; Patrick Munoz, Mark Holden, Flame artists; Dylan Brown, Nuke artist; Brian Burke, Zachary DiMaria, Kristen Eggleston, Nha Ca Chau, JT Lawrence, Steward Burris, Joshua Merck, Ty Coyle, Jordan Harris, Joel Durham, George Saavedra, CG artists; Ashley Greyson, producer; Asher Edwards, EP. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini) Color MPC Mark Gethin, colorist; Meghan Lang, exec producer. Music Editing/Sound Design stimmung Rory Doggett, creative director; Gus Koven, sound designer; Kristina Iwankiw, exec producer. Licensed Music “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead Audio Post Margarita Mix, Santa Monica, Calif. Nathan Dubin, mixer.
4: Top Spot of the Week: Honda’s “Dream Makers” From W+K London, Time Based Arts
Client Honda Agency Wieden+Kennedy London Tony Davidson, Iain Tait, Kim Papworth, executive creative directors; Carlos Alija, Laura Sampedro, creative directors/creatives; Juan Sevilla, Mico Toledo, creatives; James Guy, executive producer; Michelle Brough, producer. VFX/Animation Time Based Arts, London James Allen, Mike Skrgatic, directors; Daniel Landin, DP; Bonnie Anthony, producer; Sheldon Gardner, Stephen Grasso, VFX supervisors; Luke Todd, Matt Jackson, Thiago Dantas, lead Flame; Jamie Crofts, Adam Paterson, Flame; Matt Shires, Bernie Varela, lead Nuke; Ralph Briscoe, Aitor Arroyo, Linda Cieniawska, Nuke; Chris Wood, Dan Davie, Tom Robinson, Stephen Ross, Mike Battcock, Sam Osbourne, Federico Vanone, Nigel Timms, Federico Guzzardo, James Mann, Oscar Gonzalez Diez, Dave Loh, Jeroen Hooghoudt, Tom Hall, Jess Gorick, 3D design; Sylvie Minois, James Husbands, Yibi Hu, Nigel Raynor, Ben Oliver, artists; Dan Lowe, additional photography; Tom Johnson, exec producer; Simone Gratarolla, colorist. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini, XSI, ZBrush, Mudbox, Mari, Marvelous Designer, Cinema 4D, After Effects) Sound Design 750mph Original Music Sounds & Sons Jean-Gabriel Becker, composer/arranger.
5: Top Spot of the Week: Hornet Inc., Moth Studio, The Richards Group Team On Salvation Army’s “Emma”
Client The Salvation Army Agency The Richards Group, Dallas Todd McArtor, creative director/art director; Danny Bryan, creative director/writer; Dan Case, art director; Tara Robinson, writer; Bridget Fontenot, broadcast producer. Production/Animation Hornet Inc., New York Moth Studio, director; Hana Shimizu, exec producer; Sang-Jin Bae, head of production; Kristin Labriola, development producer; Eva Dahlqvist, Dez Stavracos, producers; Daniele Baiardini, Stephanie Andreou, editors; Moth Studio, Leonie Despres, Mandy Wickens, design; Moth Studio, storyboards; Carlos De Faria, Tyler DiBiasio, Anne-Louise Erambert, Anne Escot, Reg Isaac, Tucker Klein, Jennifer Zheng, 2D animation; Bianca Beneduci Assad, Carlos De Faria, Tyler DiBiasio, Lior Wolff-Epshtein, Anne-Louise Erambert, Anne Escot, Freya Hotson, Tucker Klein, Harry Slinger-Thompson, Mick O’Sullivan, Jennifer Zheng, cleanup; Luke Carpenter, Luke Doyle, Lindsay Horner, CG animation; Daniele Baiadini, Quian Shi, compositors; Stef Roberts, editing assistance. (Toolbox: TV paint, C4D, After Effects, Flash, Premiere, Photoshop) Music Pierre O’Reily. composer/conductor/arranger/piano; James Fitzpatrick, orchestra contractor/session producer; The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra; Jan Holzner, recording engineer; Triona O’Neill, vocals; Tom Bullen, recording engineer; Nick Taylor, mixed and mastered music. Sound Design Box of Toys Audio Post Matt Cimino, audio engineer. Postproduction Mark Sullivan, online Flame artist; Jennifer Brannon, sr. producer.