From the folks at Bird Box Studio and BBC Comedy who brought us Blues, and Ice Creams, had this little gem hidden away until now. Ok, maybe not hidden, but we just stumbled upon this short called Duel.

Credits Include:
Writer and Animator – Ant Blades
Producer – Jon Petrie
Exec Producer – Ash Atalla

Last year we did a couple of posts highlighting British Gas spots directed by Guilherme Marcondes over at Hornet, Inc, in NYC. This year, British Gas calls upon Hornet and Marcondes again for another round of stunning spots, starting with this one called Call Back. Returning to the helm of animating these spots in After effects are Mike Luzzi, and Frank Summers who are joined by Joe Andriola and Mark Pecoraro. Just an FYI, this spot in particular had more characters in it than any spot of the whole campaign so far, the amusement park planet itself had 50 people, and in case you wondering, that’s a helluva lot of work, and almost certainly with the same schedule as the lesser “casted” spots. Anyways, nice job you guys!

Fellow NYer’s, Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, a dynamic duo of the NY animation scene, have shared with us and the rest of the online world their latest short, Something Left, Something Taken, a dark comedy inspired by a trip to San Franciso, which was in production for about 2 years and 3 months, in between commissioned work and done at night and on weekends.

I had the pleasure of seeing it several times already, and I can’t say enough good things about it. The style is fresh, the animation is amazing and full of clever subtleties. But I think what gets me excited the most is getting to see all the making of material on their blog. They’re certainly not shy with their creative process and it’s shows just how much pride and enthusiasm they have for even for the tiniest details.

The film has already received a number of achievements, and I am sure will continue to do so in the coming months, so check their site for updates, as well as the full list of credits for the film. Also check out some of their other work, including Electric Car which recently took home a 3rd place award at the ASIFA East International Film Festival. Congrats Max and Ru!

For the second year in a row my good friend, Matt Lee, has out done himself again by organizing a night amongst friends, half priced drinks and animation. Here’s what Matt had to say about this years festival and it’s film makers:

As an avid watcher of animation fests, I thought it was a great idea to bring in some new blood for “Midsummer Night Toons 2,” names that you don’t usually see. The independent animators contributing have busted their asses and crafted hilarious and entertaining films. I hope this screening, much like the first one did, inspires others to make that film that’s been in the back of their minds.

Check out the trailer of films that will be screened at this years Midsummer Night Toons!

A few months back we interviewed Dean Lennert about his quest to finish his traditionally animated short film, Dear Anna Olson, , which is a story based on a true life experience, about a lonely woman in a nursing home, who reaches out to the world by tying notes to balloons, and letting them go out her window. The film follows a red balloon released by Anna, as it passes on to three other characters, who are experiencing their own form of personal isolation.

We’re following up with this post to show out support for Dean and getting the film finished by letting you all know that, Dear Anna Olson has been accepted as part of the PEPSI REFRESH EVERYTHING Project for a possible $25K grant! When you go to the Refresh Everything link for Dean’s film, you can check out some clips, get info about the film, as well as information on how he plans on using the grant money to finish the film. All you need to do is cast your vote, which you can do ONCE DAILY throughout the month, to show your support. Voting ends May 31st, so go VOTE, and good luck to Dean!

…I might actually consider getting a pair. But I just can’t seem to believe they wouldn’t cause my feet to sweat so badly that I would slip right out of them. Cute spot though, and the Crocs wearing Crocs was a nice touch. Spot was directed by Rory Kelleher at Believe Media, and produced for Cramer-Krasselt.

Check out the slick animation, and simple, but sweet design, in this TV and online spot entitled ‘Homework,’ directed by Derek Picken via XYZ Studios, Melbourne and againstallodds, Stolkholm, promoting Consumer Affairs advice on building and renovating homes in Australia. The spot was developed at Grey Melbourne, who, by the way, have a neat little bit of animation on their websites intro.