Hot Spots Showcase 7: The Best in Animated & VFX Commercials

For the seventh year, AWN's Rick DeMott puts together a collection of the best commercials and music videos from the past year submitted by readers.

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 1:38 pm

Posted In | Magazines: AnimationWorld | Site Categories: 2D, CG, Commercials, Flash, Games, Internet and Interactive, Music and Sound, Short Films, Stop-Motion, Television, Visual Effects

Shu Uemura Art of Beauty 2009

We Are Plus
"In the end, the combination of design, animation, and the overall energy we gave the piece is something we're all very pleased with. Also, I think the original graphic design elements we came up with did a nice job of unifying a lot of disparate looks and presenting a visually cohesive, exciting story for the Shu Uemura brand and its products." -- Zu Al-Kadiri, projects director

Techniques
We Are Plus's overall challenge was to showcase the Shu Uemura brand and its product line in an interesting, visually arresting way, while also aiming to add an inspirational dimension to the presentation. After surveying the available footage and imagery, it began fleshing out the cut. Based on their research, the artists created original designs and animation. The project toolset for We Are Plus involved using Final Cut Pro for editing, Adobe Creative Suite for design, and Adobe After Effects for animation, compositing and finishing.

Credits for Shu Uemura Art of Beauty 2009
Creative Agency/Production Company: We Are Plus
Creative Directors: Jeremy Hollister & Judy Wellfare
Projects Director/Executive Producer: Zu Al-Kadiri
Editor: Judy Wellfare
Lead Designer/Animator: Laura Rieland
Animators: Danial Pernikoff, Seth Pomerantz
Music: John Napolillo

Rabbids: Episode #5 "The Big Day"

Wildbrain
This piece features Ubisoft's globally recognized Rabbids characters. Wildbrain's challenge was to hit the ground running with design and animation that would be harmonious with Ubisoft's specific brand development.

Techniques
The project was done using a combination of Flash Animation and multiplane. Photoshop and After Effects were also used.

Credits for Rabbids: Episode #5 "The Big Day"
Director: c.staples
Producers: Marge Dean, c.staples

Rick DeMott is the director of content for Animation World Network, VFXWorld and AWNtv. Additionally, he's the creator of the movie review site, Rick's Flicks Picks, which was recently named one of the 100 best movie blogs by The Daily Reviewer. He has written for TV series, such as Discovery Kids' Growing Up Creepie and Cartoon Network's Pet Alien, the animation history book Animation Art, and the humor, absurdist and surrealist website Unloosen. Previously, he held various production and management positions in the entertainment industry.