Here are SHOOT's selections for its Winter Top Ten VFX/Animation Chart.
The #1 entry on this quarterly chart is Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington's "Alexis's Wish." Alexis, a 6-year-old girl who recently battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia, had a wish which was to create a cartoon that would tell her story in a way her friends could understand and to bring awareness to pediatric cancer. This piece, produced by Seattle-based studio World Famous, grants that wish.
1: The Best Work You May Never See: Make-A-Wish’s “Alexisโs Wish”
Client Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington Production World Famous, Seattle Dan Brown, director; Juan Carlos Arenas, art direction, character design and backgrounds; Alan Nay, executive producer; Shawn Fedorchuk, Thomas Prince, Andy Seaver, editors; Rogelio Salinas, lead animator; Yassir Rasan, lead character animator; Ben Bullock, Cody Cobb, Joe Garber, Chase Hochstatter, Corey Lewis, Alan Llave, John McIntosh, Andy Musser, Carl Nelson, Stieg Retlin, Jake Wegesin, Lawrence Wyatt, animators. (Toolbox: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere; Cinema 4D) Music Madrona Music Jason Staczek, composer. Audio Mix/Voice Recording Clatter&Din Eric Johnson, sound design & surround mix; Ben Kersten, sound design. Jamie “Foley Rambo” Hunsdale, Foley artist. Performers Alexis Hwa as herself; Angela Hwa as herself; Jamie Chung, narrator.
2: Director Dante Ariola, The Mill, Heat Team on Star Wars: Battlefront Trailer
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.
3: Aardman Takes Us “Where Christmas Comes For Christmas” For Myer, Clemenger BBDO
Client Myer Agency Clemenger BBDO Melbourne James McGrath, creative chairman; Evan Roberts, Stephen de Wolf, Carolyn Mackintosh, creative directors; Karolina Bozajkovska, sr. producer; Matthew Kingston, sr. planner. Production Aardman Animations, Bristol, UK Steve Harding-Hill, director; Steph Owen, producer; Caroline Hague, production coordinator; Chris Entwistle, head of modelmaking; Mark Chamberlin, DP; Jeremy Hogg, lighting cameraman; Dave Osmond, animator; Jim Lewis, postproduction supervisor; Dan Hembery, editor. (Toolbox: Dragon, Flash, After Effects, Nuke, Resolve, Premiere)
4: The Best Work You May Never See: “Signs of Autism–Jacobโs Story”
Client Autism Speaks Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Hahn, chief creative officer, NY; Matt MacDonald, executive creative diretor; Mark Anderson, creative director/copywriter; Bianca Guimarรฃes, associate creative director/art director; Whitney Collins, sr. producer; Melissa Chester, executive music producer. Production Lobo Productions, Brooklyn, NY Guilherme Marcondes, director; Loic Franรงois Marie Dubois, creative executive producer; Aron Matschulat Aguiar, producer; Alexandre Elaiuy, Vince Vennitti, DPs; Eliza Flores, associate producer; Marcelo Righini, type designer; Carolina Azevedo, digital creative director. (Toolbox: Maya, Nuke) Music/Sound Human New York Audio Post Corey Bauman, mixer.
5: Top Spot of the Week: Smugglerโ’s Guy Shelmerdine Directs “CordFail Effect” for JBL, BBH NY
Client Harman International/JBL Agency BBH New York John Patroulis, creative chairman; Ari Weiss, chief creative officer; Gerard Caputo, executive creative director; Evan Benedetto, copywriter; Daniel Burke, art director; Carey Head, head of integrated production; Kate Morrison, head of content production; Ryan Chong, sr. content producer; Sarah Watson, chief strategy officer; Angela Sun, strategist; Megan Piro, communications strategist. Production Smuggler Guy Shelmerdine, director; Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Allison Kunzman, exec producers; Grace Bodie, producer; Sebastian Pfaffenbichler, DP. Editorial Work Editorial New York Cass Vanini, editor; Trevor Myers, assistant editor; Sari Resnick, sr. producer. VFX Blacksmith, NY Charlotte Arnold, exec producer; Iwan Zwarts, VFX supervisor, 2D lead; Dan DiFelice, compositor; Tom Bussell, CG lead; Teemu Eramaa, CG artist. (Toolbox: Nuke, NukeX, NukeStudio, Photoshop, Houdini, VRay, Flame) VFX Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland Lucas Georgescu, Fred Burdy, Richard Merrigan, CG artists; Cliodhna Long, producer. VFX Trace VFX, Mumba, India rotoscoping. Post Sixteen 19 Andrew Francis, colorist. MPC Mark Gethin, colorist. Music Q Department Sound Design Henryboy Bill Chesley, sound designer; Kate Gibson, exec producer. Audio Post Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer; Mike Gullo, audio producer.
6: Top Spot of the Week: Oreo’s “Wonder Whatโs Inside the Holidays” From Psyop, The Martin Agency
Client Mondelฤz International Inc./Oreo Agency The Martin Agency Joe Alexander, chief creative officer; Jorge Calleja, executive creative director; Magnus Hierta, David Muhlenfeld, creative directors; Casey Hall, sr. copywriter; BethFujiura, sr. art director; Steve Humble, managing director production & development; Liza Miller, broadcast producer; Rachel Acors jr. producer. Animation Psyop NY Fletcher Moules, director; Luisa Murray, Rich Ping, exec producers; Sanaz Sattari-Tabrizi, producer; Eric Escott, line producer; Jonathan Iwata, VFX supervisor; Julie Jang, 2D supervisor; John Geehreng, Flame artist. (Toolbox: Photoshop, Flash, Nuke Flame) Co-Production Unit + Sofa, Prague Fady Salame, Martin Sobotka, exec producers; Peter Ondrickova, line producer; Tomas Nakvasil, production manager; Anna Budinska, production coordinator. Post Psyop NY Shannon Alexander, exec producer; Andre Araujo, producer; John Geehreng, Flame artist. Color Ntropic LA Marshall Plante, colorist. Music/Audio Post duotone audio group, NY Jordan Lieb arranger; Gio Lobato, producer/engineer; David Leinheardt, exec producer.
7: Passion Pictures Brings “Little Elephant” Home For Anchor Spreadable, Creature of London
Client Anchor Spreadable Agency Creature of London Ben Middleton, Ed Warren, Stu Outhwaite, creative directors; Sam Bishop, Mike Eichler, creatives; James Mitchell, strategist; Madeline Smith, producer. Production Passion Pictures, London Kyra & Constantin, directors; Ryan Goodwin-Smith, exec producer; Matt Saxton, producer; Kirsty Ratcliffe, production assistant; Tim King, editor. (Toolbox: Maya, Modo, Nuke, Arnold, ZBrush, Photoshop, Yeti, Houdini, Premiere)
8: Not To Scale Visualizes Hugo Boss Fragrances For Grey London
Client Hugo Boss Agency Grey London Steve Elston, Connie Sone, creatives; Jessica Taylor, producer. Animation/Production Not To Scale, London Stephen Fuller, director; Phoebe Scott, producer; Prema Weir, animation lead/supervisor; Linda Johnson, Remi Borgeal, Sandra Guarda, Andrew Wilkin, Luca Paulli, animators. (Toolbox: After Effects, Photoshop, Maya)
9: MJZ Director Craig Gillespie, David&Goliath Get In The Zone For Kia
Client Kia Agency David&Goliath David Angelo, founder/chairman; Colin Jeffery, chief creative officer; John O’Hea, Brandon Davis, creative directors; Marc Wilson, Allen Yu, art directors; Ree Nguyen, Patrick Que, copywriters; Mike Geiger, chief digital officer; Robert Boucher, director of digital technology; Paul Albanese, director of broadcast production; Curt O’Brien, executive producer; Brandon Kusher, sr. broadcast producer; Andrea Mariash, director of art production; Mia Campbell, jr. art producer; Kemit Ray, Genie Lara, project managers. Production MJZ Craig Gillespie, director; Emma Wilcockson, exec producer; Martha Davis, producer. Chris Hornbecker, content photographer/videographer. Editorial Spinach Editorial Isaac Chen, Benjamin McCambridge, Brandon Porter (all courtesy of Cut+Run); Adam Bright, managing director; Jonathan Carpio, producer. Visual Effects Eight VFX Jean-Marc Demmer, Philip Ineno, VFX supervisors; Damien Bataille, 3D lead; Shira Boardman, Baptiste Andrieux, exec producers; Ian Dawson, producer. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini) Music/Sound MassiveMusic Scott Cymbala, exec producer; Jessica Entner, head of production; Tim Adams, creative director; Ben Einziger, sr. composer/head of business development.
10: Top Spot of the Week: RSM’s “The Gauntlet” Directed By Ivan Grbovic
Client RSM US LLP Agency Luquire George Andrews (LGA) Steve Dunkley, chief creative officer; Jennifer Jones, group creative director; Jon Cain, associate creative director, art director; Margaret Bond, associate creative director, writer; Heather Haley producer; Stephanie Spicer, director of brand strategy. Production Cap Gun Collective Ivan Grbovic, director/DP; Jason Botkin, exec producer. Production Services Les Enfants Celine Ceillier, exec producer; Jean-Francois Campeau, art director; Perrine Lotiron, stylist; Steven Leblanc, stunts. Editorial Whitehouse Post NYC Brandon Porter, editor; Marcia Wigley, producer; Lauren Hertzberg, Joni Williamson, exec producers. Design/FX/Finishing Carbon VFX, New York Frank Devlin, exec producer; Kieran Walsh, creative director, Flame lead, VFX supervisor; Paul O’Beirne, sr. producer; Leo Nguyen, design director; Max Benjamine, CG artist; Chris Wiseman, Flame artist; Colin Travers, colorist; Joe Scaglione, assistant/tech ops. (Toolbox: Autodesk Flame 2015, Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, Nuke) Music Barking Owl Kelly Bayett, creative director; Ashley Benton, KC Dossett, producers.