Reel of the Month Club (Dec. 2024): Coat of Arms
December 21, 2024
The good cats of Cat City find themselves in a pickle in this fabulously deranged new music video from Swiss directing trio Tricktrabanten (Frederic Siegel, Kilian Vilim, Etienne Mory) for Swiss power duo Too Mad. [Watch]
Originally published in 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois’ classic work of American literature “The Souls of Black Folk” takes on renewed weight and relevance in this animated piece for the CNN series “The First Time I Realized I was Black”. [Watch]
Welcome to the world of “The Ricochet Splendid” the most awesome/kickass animated 80’s TV series that never existed. [Watch]
A fascinating study in contrasts (austere yet intricate, technical yet elegant), “Beauty In Numbers” by Norwegian designer/illustrator Rebecka Taule is the most mind-expanding explainer you’ll see this year. [Watch]
“Creatively I’ve noticed a lot of title sequences can take themselves very seriously,” says MPC Design CD Antar Walker, “So I wanted to make sure we did something fun and light hearted.” [Watch]
The uncanny valley got a little smaller this week with the release of a full CGI trailer for Farming Simulator 19 created by Paris photo-real specialists Capsule Studio for Giants Software. [Watch]
The Festival Marvin in Mexico City slams together a hardcore mix of music, cinema, art, plus stand-up comedy and this promo video by hometown director/animator Diego Huacuja captures the irreverent undercurrent perfectly. [Watch]
Starting with a snappy script from The Martin Agency and crisp illustrations by Patricia Morales, LA animation house Moving Colour craft a clean and clever spot for Land O’Lakes butter. [Watch]
Lisbon creative shops HomemBala and AIM Creative Studios team up to promote the activism of Dutch NGO RNW Media helping young people “who live in fragile or repressive states find the information they need to make informed choices.” [Watch]
Legend has it, there are thirteen all-powerful artifacts, which, if acquired from their guardians, and wielded together as one, give the possessor untold and unstoppable creative power… [Watch]
In a pivot from their daily output of animated TV spots, director Kirk Kelley and the HouseSpecial crew apply their talents to a new wildlife documentary detailing the complex mating rituals of Dasypus novemcinctus. [Watch]
If you believe (as I do) that explainer videos as a genre have matured into a bland production commodity, you are going to love “The Correct Insult,” a brash and hilarious film by German motion designer Janis Aschberger. [Watch]
Parisian motion design studio L’Affreux Bonhomme helps US non-profit The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society mark its 40th year defending the oceans and marine life with this brisk animated documentary. [Watch]
Washington DC director/animator Elyse Kelly, whose rousing “Fired Up” was one of my favorite animated shorts of 2017, creates another emotionally charged film with this work for the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart Justice. [Watch]
