Reel of the Month Club (Dec. 2024): Coat of Arms
December 21, 2024
Here’s a good study in contrasts: The sheer quantity of fun animation styles found in the maximalist holiday mashup known as Yule Log versus the minimalist strangeness of Eoin Duffy’s look at strange strangers entering the room of another stranger. [Watch]
Here’s a fresh idea from Amsterdam studio Woodwork to replace that tired ambient fireplace video running on your living room TV: a warm, two-minute animated loop with just enough detail and narrative to warrant your attention but also gentle enough to blend into your holiday coziness. [Watch]
Three fun holiday bits from Passion Animation Studios, one of the many tentacles of Passion Pictures which has grown since its founding in London in 1987 into a multi-continent media machine creating everything from advertising to feature documentaries and winning every possible award along the way. [Watch]
The sixth season of FX Networks’ American Horror Story punches out of the hyper-crowded broadcast market with a startling intro sequence from Amsterdam 3D mavens ONESIZE. [Watch]
Prepare for a relaxing/hypnotic animated mini-trip created by former Google Creative Lab designer/director/animator Monica Eunji Kim and New York indie animator Waleed Zaiter for Jinn & Juice, a new online retailer launching soon. [Watch]
London motion masters Moth team with British art historian/broadcaster Dr. James Fox for the first in a series of monthly films for CNN called Color Scope “that explores our perception of color, it’s use across cultures, and other curiosities.”
[Watch]
Lyft celebrates their Driver Appreciation Day by combining the many talents of Oscar-winning director/animator John Kahrs, LA design and animation studio Chromosphere, and A-list composer Christophe Beck (“Frozen”) into a sweet seven-minute brand film complete with a heartwarming ending. [Watch]
So, just how insane would it be if your true love actually followed the “12 Days of Christmas” as a their gift-giving guide? Fortunately, Anomaly and English actress/writer/director Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) are here to straighten the whole thing out. [Watch]
With Xmas only 12 days away it’s high time we rounded up some offbeat animated holiday videos including Maki Yoshikura’s surreal looping magic in “Christmas Sausage,” Superfiction’s stylized quest for missing reindeer in “Merry Christmas,” and Mill+’s understated look at over-indulgence in “The Dinner.” [Watch]
Creative duo Burcu Sankur and Geoffrey Godet began combining their respective illustration and 3D talents while attending French animation school Supinfocom. Now, with representation in Europe, the UK, and the US, they still make time to create personal projects like this :60 charmer about the snack food chain. [Watch]
I’ll admit even after reading Luke Saunders’ synopsis of his animated short “The Fisherman,” I have no real idea of what’s going on or if part of it somehow takes place underwater or not – but when a film is this good looking it just doesn’t seem to matter much. [Watch]
If this montage of nutty loops from Jay Grandin and the Giant Ant crew for Disney XD’s LOL app doesn’t banish your pre-holiday blues we suggest you seek professional help for whatever Scrooge-like affliction may be eating away at your soul. [Watch]
The Berln-based Polish duo of motion designer Dominik Grejc and art director/illustrator Maria Giemza craft the real-life narrative of a young girl in Kabul whose life turns around thanks to Skateistan, a non-profit using skateboards to connect at-risk youth to education in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa. [Watch]
Carlín Díaz, a Venezuelan illustrator/animator/director now living in Paris, infuses his sweet and lush new music video for “Lilac” from Norwegian indie rockers Kakkmaddafakka with the updated spirit of French post-impressionist Henri Rousseau. [Watch]
