SHOOT's Q2 2023 Visual Effects and Animation Top Ten Chart is headlined by a piece that was designed to generate buzz and excitement over the launch of a much anticipated video game.
Also in the Chart mix, reflecting its broad creative and artistic range, are: a spot visually depicting the healthcare process as one that has sadly become an assembly line-like proposition; a stop motion animation commercial from an Oscar-winning studio which takes us inside the art of crafting pint-sized cider perfection; and a PSA raising awareness of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
So have a look-see at the best VFX and animation fare that the second quarter of 2023 has to offer.
1: Anomaly LA, Director Diego Contreras Team On Final Fantasy XVI Launch Film
Client Square Enix Agency Anomaly LA Khara Wagner, managing partner/president; Josh Fell, partner/chief creative officer; Aisea Laungaue, partner/chief strategy officer; Jeremy Wirth, group creative director; Jimmy Burton, Will Lindberg, creative directors; Donald Kim, copywriter; Kelsey Shang, art director; Erika Madison, head of production; Helena Miller, executive producer; Christine Hurty, sr. producer; Jennifer Predvil, associate producer; Asa Pojmann, Emily Orr, brand strategist; Will Millar, communications strategy director; Kimberly Van, sr. communications strategist. Production Company Love Song Diego Contreras, director; Kelly Bayett, managing partner/exec producer; Daniel Wolfe, partner; Deannie O’Neil, exec producer; Paige Kauffman, head of production; Stine Moisen, producer; Sari Thayer, production supervisor; Francois Caillaud, 1st AD; Matyas Erdely, DP. Production Services Company Division Film Rok Bukovec, Charlie Holling, exec producers; Urska Vardijan, line producer; Domnana Hay, production manager; Bor Pletersek, Nina Butkovic, production coordinators; Urska Samec, 1st AD; Nikolina Jurisic, 2nd AD; Miha Knific, production designer; Rozalija Peternelj, art director; Hera Znidarsic, decorator; Tom Vinkler, prop master; Kristian Repalust, head SFX; Monika Lorber, stylist; Alja Susnik, makeup artist; Hector Bejaraan, hair; Attila Pfeffer, Steadicam; Nicolas Gaillard, drone; Martin Jelovsek, sound. Editorial Cabin Editing Company Sam Ostrove, editor; Carr Schilling, managing partner; Katy Lester, producer; Brad Dupree, cutting assistant. VFX/Color/Finishing Blacksmith Ben Kwok, VFX supervisor, and 2D team lead compositor; Tuna Unalan, VFX supervisor and 3D team CG lead; Ben Elliot, FX lead; Eric Concepcion, Thomas Panayiotou, Yebin Ahn, Gustavo Bellon, compositors; Clemens den Exter, title animator; Ben Elliot, Cathy Phan, Kushal Das, CG FX artists; Pablo Estrella, Nick Owoyemi, CG generalists; Ohad Bracha, CG rigger; Paul Wei, CG animation; Onur Cayli, matte painting & CG generalist; Mikey Pehanich, colorist; Sm Howells, color assistant; Sophie Mitchell producer; Joey Witten, production coordinator; Adam Vevang, color producer; Perry Tate, head of production; Charlotte Arnold, exec producer. (Toolbox: Houdini, Arnold, Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Nuke, Flame) Sound Lime Studios Rohan Young, sound designer and mixer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer; Cassie Underwood, associate producer; Jeremy Nichols, assistant engineer. Music Masayoshi Soken, composer.
2: 72andSunny, Director Chloé Zhao, Co-Director Kiku Ohe Heed Characters’ Plea To Be Saved In Diablo IV Launch Film
Client Blizzard Entertainment Agency 72andSunny Production Superprime Chloé Zhao, director; Kiku Ohe, co-director. Editorial Work Editorial Color Company 3 VFX/Postproduction The Mill James Allen, creative director & lead Flame artist; Chris Bedrosian, creative director; Abigail Riegel, Rashabh Bhutani, support Flame; Dave Wein, post producer; Connor Callaghan, exec producer. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya) Sound Design & Mix Lime Music Walker
3: The Best Work You May Never See: E.ON UK, House 337, Director Hans Emanual Affirm “It’s Time” To Fight The Climate Crisis
Client E.ON Agency House 337, London Ross Newton, creative director; Kenny Meek, Mary Johansen, sr. creative team; Laura Melville, producer; Trent Webster, assistant producer; Aaron Pacey, Nick Dinnen, Matt Baines, design. Production Company Familia Hans Emmanuel, director; Tony Walsham, managing director; Roman Martinez De Dujo, DP. Production Solent Film Toby Walsham, exec producer; David Hay, producer; Natalie Uglow, production manager; Giacomo Prestinari, editor. Postproduction/VFX Mathematic Studio Guillaume Audibet, exec producer; Roy Jamhouri, line producer; Romain Thibault, VFX supervisor; Francois vico, lead compositor; Achraf Ayadi, lead FX; Quentin Collombet, Guillaume Beguin, Arash Razavi Mashoof, matte painters; Eddy Chopy, Lorine Guyard, Alan Bauge, Ludovic Sardain, Lea Marie Lune Cloatre, Loevan Thomas, Juliette Bat, Charline Parisot, Solene Juignet, 3D; Adrien Delecroix, Andrea Hervet, camera track; Martin Teillet, Bruno Lesieur, Aurelien Geenen, lighting; Olivier Colchen, Adam Bachiri, Erwan Devaux, Michel Collinet, FX; David Espada, Laura Brial, Fabien Husselin, Julien Giard, Rapael Rossant, compositors; Clement Germain, Flame artist; Paul Calabrese, conforming. (Toolbox: Flame). Music Massive Music James Bargent, music production director; Chloe Heatlie, music supervisor. Sound Design 750mph Sam Ashwell, sound designer. CGI & Retouching King Henry
4: The Best Work You May Never See: Blink’s Nick Ball Directs “Ode To Bad” For giffgaff, Neverland
Client giffgaff Agency Neverland Jon Forsyth, co-founder, creative strategy; Simon Massey, co-founder, brand strategy; Noel Hamilton, executive creative director; Lloyd Daniel, associate creative director; Liam Crerar, sr. creative; Amy Coomber, head of production; Claire Pearson, producer; Laura Kinzett, strategy director; Darren Savage, Clem Lepinard, sr. strategists; Rich Kennedy, head of design. Production blink productions Nick Ball, director; Patrick Craig, exec producer/producer; Sebastian Jowers, production manager; Steve Annis, DP; Jim Cole, 1st AD; Olly Williams, production designer; Rebecca Rich, costume designer; Hugo Smith-Bingham, locations manager; Anna Kennedy, casting. Editorial Trim Elise Butt, editor; Polly Kemp, offline edit producer; Lorna Searl, assistant editor. Postprodution/VFX Untold Studios, London David Fleet, executive creative director; Nathan Hoad, VFX producer; Tom Igglesden, exec producer; Alex Grey, VFX supervisor; Carlo Carfora, Cameron Johnson, Tom Moreland, VFX lead artists; Ed Turvey, Jinhui Wang, Matteo Antona, Philipppe Moine, Greta Kossowska, Gez Wright, Clara Parati, Michael Korniltsev, Emma Tyler, VFX artists; Rich Harris, online supervisor. (Toolbox: Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Flame) Color Color Collective Alex Bickel, colorist; Claudia Guevara, exec producer. Audio Post 750mph Sam Ashwell, sound design & mix; Olivia Ray, audio producer; Kirsten Troy, voice casting director. Music Company Stare Crazy London Contemporary Orchestra, choir. Music Studio Rak Studios
5: Aardman’s Will Studd Directs “Pint-Sized Perfection” For Thatchers Cider
Client Thatchers Cider Agency Bray Leino Production Aardman Will Studd, director; Danny Gallagher, producer; Chelsea Galloway, production coordinator; Alex Mill, floor manager; Jim Grant, Anh Cao, environment designers; Barry Reynolds, story artist; Chris Entwhistle, Diane Holness, Ellie Hugill, sr. modelmakers; Michelle Cranwell, Sarah Brydon, Noah Griffiths, modelmakers; Ana Taylor, trainee modelmaker; Vicky, Emily N, sr. costume makers; Sam Morris, DP; Adam Cook, camera assistant and moco; Nathan Ford, Nathan Sale, spark; Ellen Lynch, rigger; Tim Allen, Danial K, sr. animators; Grant Holden, jr. animator; Bram Twtheam, VFX supervisor & color grade; Chris Hawkes, comp supervisor; David Klein, lighting supervisor; Dan Gerhart, CG facial animation; Helena, 3D head sculps; Nathan Guttridge, 3D char rigging; Conrad Moody, CG lighting; James Grant, digital matte painting; Jordanne Richards, Bijun Zhuge, Isabel Howlett, compositors; Dan Williamson, offline editor; William Davies, sound design/track lay and final mix. (Toolbox: Photoshop, Dragonframe, Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Adobe Premiere, Resolve, Pro Tools) Art Dept. Set builds x6 sets and all Bespoke props, Inc. Balloon; Rajesh Westerberg, art director; Katie Louise, Dave Hayworth, set dressers; Lucy Beckett, props maker; Tom Sewell, construction; Georgie Ball, Jonathan Thrower, Gary Losh, Becky Weston, dressers.
6: adam&eveDDB Brings Famous Five Back On Board GWR
Client Great Western Railway Agency adam&eveDDB, London Ben Tollet, group executive creative director; Tammy Einav, CEO; Martin Beverley, chief strategy officer; Matt Woolner & Steve Wioland, Frances Leach, James Gilham & Graham Cappi, creative directors; Matt Osborne, sr. content creative; Sally Pritchett, joint head of integrated production; Richard Bailey, Kreepa Naisbitt, Charlotte Ellison, Lucy Trower, Hazel Corstens, Adaeze Ndakoji, producers. Production Company Merman / Not to Scale Guy Manwaring, director; Spencer Dodd, exec producer; Headless, animation director; Maud Becker, producer; Kristian Antonelli, character designer; Adrian Garcia, Ananda Arán, Athena Productions, Miki Montlló, concept art/matte painting. VFX/Postproduction Glassworks Barcelona Javier Verdugo, VFX supervisor; Marco Rossi, Abner Marin, Kornel Makarowicz, Jose Manuel Linares, Kiko Navarro, Jonas Nunes, Oriol Domenech, Pol Soler, Daniel Larrosa, Taio Prince, Ignacio Santalla, Juan Munoz, Andrea Duque, Eduardo Olide, Marta Garcia Pardo, Eduardo Lasierra, David Rubio, Minimo VFX, 3D artists; Carlos de la Sotilla, 2D compositing supervisor; Roberto Garcia, Marti Pujol, Becanti Wijnberg, compositing; Pablo Navarro, 2D animation supervisor; Javier Vaquero, Ezequiel Cruz, Toni Sala, Ellis Chen, Joel Morales, Margarita Rojas, 2D animation; Dani Granado, colorist; Anna Gispert, Celeste Lozano, producers; Albert Garcia, Alex Blasco, online; Juan Listello, editing; Washington Neira, technical support. (Toolbox: Maya, Nuke, Flame, Cinema 4d, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Zbrush, Arnold Render, Davinci Resolve, TV paint) Audio Post 750mph Mark Hellaby, audio engineer; Kirsten Troy, audio producer. Music Licensing Company Theodore Music Music track: “Milo’s Adventure”; Michael Patti, composer. Music Publishing Audiomachine Media 7Stars
7: The Best Work You May Never See: Venables Bell + Partners, Stop AAPI Hate Turn “Invisible No More”
Client Stop AAPI Hate Ly Nguyen, director of corporate engagement; Rose Lee, director of communications; Yamuna Hopwood, communications manager Agency Venables Bell + Partners Paul Venables, founder, chairman; Will McGinness, chief creative officer; Che-Na Stephenson, group creative director; Diego Zelaya, sr. art director; Michael Ng, sr. copywriter; Hilary Coate, head of integrated production; Lexi Alaga, producer; Jason Bridges, audio/video post specialist; Jeff Saunders, technical director. Production Ruffian Zoe Neary, director; Robert Herman, exec producer; Sheila Eisenstein, head of production/line producer; Bryn McCashin, DP; Nicolas Lepage, art director/production designer; Colin Comeau, key painter & makeup artist; Sandy Walker, set decorator; Chieh Huang, key costumes; Caroline Cheng, costumes. Production Services Means of Production, Vancouver, B.C. Editorial Cut+Run Kamila Daurenova, editor; Eric Estevez, assistant editor; Michelle Eskin, managing partner; Brian Stanley, exec producer; Kristen Jenkins, head of production/producer. VFX & Finishing Jogger Studios Andy Brown, creative director; Jan Cilliers, Katrina Salicrup, Brendan Crockett, Flame artists; Diana Cheng, head of production/producer. (Toolbox: Flame) Color Trafik Dimitri Zola, colorist; Hugh Copeland, producer; Robert Owens, managing partner. Sound Design & Mix Walker Chris Nungary, sound designer & mixer; Danielle Soury, Stephanie Pigott, Sara Matarazzo, producers. Original Music Shimon Machida
8: Deutsch NY, Director Patrick Daughters Depict Broken Healthcare System, Show “New Way to Well” Via VillageMD
Client VillageMD Agency Deutsch New York Samira Ansari, chief creative officer; Jeff Kopay, Craig Feigen, Adam Glickman, Matt Vescovo, Scott Kaplan, creative directors; Liz Gumbinner, EVP, executive creative director; Melatan Riden, EVP, head of art & design; Alexandre Correa, design director; Joyce Shi, Limber Zhang, designers; Miriam Franklin, EVP, head of integrated production; Gillian Burkley, sr. producer; Matt Onorato, digital producer. Production Anonymous Content Patrick Daughters, director; SueEllen Claire, exec producer; James Waters, line producer. Production Services Division Films Viktor Mara, line producer. Editorial Final Cut JD Smyth, editor; Maria Cunningham, assistant editor; Laura Mirabell, exec producer; Sarah Roebuck, managing director. Telecine Trafik Mark Gethin, colorist. VFX ArtJail John Skeffington, managing director/exec producer/partner; Elizabeth Thuvanuti Keating, head of production, NY & L.A.; Adriana Wong, sr. producer; Andreina Villabon, production assistant; Steve Mottershead, founder/executive creative director/shoot supervisor; JD Yepes, head of 2D, partner/VFX lead/shoot supervisor; Jackie Liao, head of 3D; Dayung Jo, Wes Cronk, 2D artists; Todd herman, Mark Ingle, Cody Chen, Emily Irish, 3D artists; Darren Chang, previz; James Healey, concept design; DJ Miranda, U.S. sr. data tech, NY & L.A.; Stephen Ramnarine, data tech. (Toolbox: Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Flame) Music JSM Joel Simon, CEO/CCO/co-composer; Nathan Kil, co-composer; Jeff Fiorello, VP/exec producer; Norm Felker, Andrew Manning, sr. producers; Sharon Cha, producer. Audio Post Heard City Phil Loeb, partner, sound designer & mixer; Gloria Pitagorsky, partner/managing director; Liana Rosenberg, producer.
9: Director James Rouse, adam&eveDDB Conduct Tongue-in-Cheek Prenatal Marmite Test
Client Marmite Agency adam&eveDDB, London Richard Brim, chief creative officer; Ant Nelson, Mike Sutherland, creative directors; Frances Leach, copywriter; Christopher Bowsher, art director; Nikki Cramphorn, joint head of integrated production. Production Biscuit Filmworks UK James Rouse, director; Benji Howell, producer; Rupert Reynolds-MacLean, managing director & exec producer; Polly Du Plessis, head of production; Tim Steele, production manager; Alex Melman, DP; Thom Hammond, casting director; Selina Wong, wardrobe stylist; Michele Baylis, hair and makeup artist. Editorial Work Editorial Neil Smith, editor. VFX/Postproduction Absolute Post Ben Robards, VFX supervisor/lead 2D artist; Chris Tobin, lead 2D artist; Harvey David, Tommy Coulter-Liston, Richard Greenwood, James Corden, 2D artists; Keith Rogers, Rebekah King-Britton, Oliver Grant, Megan McLean, CG artists; Gustavo Ribeiro, look dev/R&D; Matt Turner, colorist; Chris Batten, Salley Heath, exec producers; madeleine Godsill, producer. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, KeenTools Face Tracker, Maya, Houdini, Arnold) Audio Post Factory Jon Clarke, mixer; Deborah Whitfield, audio producer.
10: The Best Work You May Never See: Venables Bell + Partners and Little Free Library Launch The Unbanned Book Club
Client Little Free Library Greig Metzger, executive director; Sharon Gifford, director of corporate partnerships; Margret Aldrich, director of communications; Shelby King, director of programs; Scot Wirth, director of operations; Talia Miracle, program manager; Dan Sheridan, product operations manager. Agency Venables Bell + Partners Will McGinness, chief creative officer; Brittni Hutchins, chief growth officer; Byron Del Rosario, group creative director; Ryan Hoercher, associate creative director; Breauna Abiad, copywriter; Haley Renschen, art director; Pakkavadee “Polly” Graham, designer; Dani Saputo, sr. designer; Hilary Coate, head of integrated production; Lexi Alaga, integrated producer; Madeline Fox, associate manager, production/post operations; Brandy Kennedy, people, experience & DEI manager. Production Taproom Studios Michelle Wells, art production lead; Jennifer Trull, sr. studio specialist; Jason Bridges, video & audio editor; Destiny Thomas, social strategist. Production Optimyst Luke Davisson, animator; Sam Tarde, exec producer. (Toolbox: After Effects) Music Jason Bridges, composer. Vendors Steven Cross, Colorbar Graphic Construction, flip book printer; Nancy Swan, Touchstone, kit and swag vendor.