The big ticket
The Midnight Sky and Mulan are among the ten films shortlisted for Visual Effects at the 93rd Academy Awards. The exciting news comes just a week after both films were also selected for the VFX BAFTA Longlist. Bravo to VFX Supe Chris Lawrence and Animation Supe Max Solomon who are named on The Midnight Sky ticket and to the teams for the outstanding VFX magic you have brought to the projects!
Our VFX breakdown was so good that the official Midnight Sky twitter account gave it a share it too…
Super-six
Congrats to our U.S. teams who delivered six superb Super Bowl spots, FOUR of which made it onto the Top Ten list in USA Today’s annual Ad Meter!
Rocket Mortgage – Certain is Better
Securing the second spot on Ad Meter’s Top Ten list, Rocket Mortgage required the team to build a CG arena complete with roaring crowds for the wrestling scene, a variety of CG snakes and more. Read on for more details here.
“for the first time in 14 years that the same brand has secured the top two spots in the Ad Meter rankings.“
USA Today
State Farm
Led by Murray Butler and Martin Lazaro, the team had to extract the stars from backgrounds shot in separate locations and place them into an entirely new environments perfectly matching up eye-lines, camera positioning and lighting – a testament to how well Framestore have overcome obstacles from the pandemic. Check out the work in more detail on our website.
Cadillac – ScissorHandsFree
Even Edward Scissorhands director Tim Burton is a fan of this one:
“I’m glad to see Edgar coping with the new world! I hope both fans and those being introduced to Edward Scissorhands for the first time enjoy it.”
NME
Samuel Adams – Your Cousin From Boston Frees Clydesdales
Framestore delivered VFX on a whole host of VFX including horses, flying debris and fire for the launch of Samuel Adams new Wicked Hazy IPA beer. Read more on our website.
General Motors – No Way, Norway!
Will Ferrell getting all irate for General Motors makes it at no. 6 on Ad Meter’s Top Ten. The team got to work on a whole host of VFX methodologies in order to bring the celebs to Scandinavia. Read more here.
Toyota – Upstream
Weighing in at no.5 on Ad Meter’s Top Ten, the team delivered work from initial creative concept through to final execution for Toyota’s moving and inspirational story of Paralympic Swimmer, Jessica Long’s journey. Read more here.
Tom & Jerry
Another week closer to being reunited with the frenemy duo, here’s a new trailer for the movie:
Press
Global Director of Animation, Michael Eames joins director Tim Story for Animation Magazine’s cover feature on the eye-popping Tom & Jerry. Read the article here.
Elsewhere, Animation Supes Kayn Garcia (LDN) and Aulo Licinion (MTL) chat to Definition on their work on the film and delivering a project this innovative under lockdown conditions.
The Hill We Climb
As part of an exclusive interview between Michelle Obama and Amanda Gorman for TIME magazine, Gorman presents her incredibly inspiring poem that swept a nation (and the world) during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Inauguration ceremony.
“The Hill We Climb” was graded with a soft but filmic hue by the masterful colourist Beau Leon (LA). See the full story in Time here.
Press
The Midnight Sky
Digital trends spoke to VFX Supervisors Graham Page and Shawn Hillier about The Midnight Sky; 3D printing and the blood ballet. Read more here.
Mulan
VFX Supe, Hubert Maston (MTL) speaks to Variety on striking the balance of creating VFX that is both epic and naturalistic for Oscar-shortlisted and BAFTA-longlisted Mulan. Read here.
Flora & Ulysses
Ahead of the movie’s release on Disney+ next Friday 19th the cast and crew have been speaking to various outlets about the work that went into it…
You’ve been [Framed]
Sachin Tyagi, Lead Creature FX (MTL), has recently been lending his skills to Flora & Uylsses and previously worked on the VES-Nominated Welcome to Marwen. But I’ll tell you what the real skill is here: completing the entire series of Breaking Bad, in two days. Hats off to you, sir. Read on for more of Sachin.
Global Wellbeing Month
The HR team have planned an impressive and diverse number of activities for us this month to encourage us to get out of our daily bubble.
A few warm words of encouragement from our MD’s….
It’s going to be almost a year since life as we knew it changed. We’ve all found ways to deal with the new normal, but it’s always great to have more avenues and options to help us – and our wonderful HR team has done just that with an extensive and holistic line up of activities across February spanning cooking, meditation, fitness and more. Me, I’m looking forward to learning how to make Miso! 🙂
Akhauri Sinha, MD, India
One of the reasons I love this business and I love Framestore is socializing and learning with and from my colleagues. I miss that tremendously. The HR team have put together an amazing month of activities to help your well-being and I believe the more we do “together” the less isolated we will feel. I myself have been taking online baking classes (I made churros!), and interacting with other bakers via social media (we have challenges where we all bake something from a cookbook and post on the same day).. basically eating my way through the pandemic! Anything to change up the routine is healthy and when you can do it with your colleagues..well, there is probably nothing better** Sign up for ONE class to start — we owe it to ourselves and to the Framestore Family. **Except maybe a pint or two (or in my case a margarita or two…. )
Jennifer Siegel, MD, Framestore Pictures
It’s all fun and games
Overwatch tournament
Gamers, step forward… the next Overwatch tournament starts 15th March, choose to build your own team of 6 or join as an individual player and you’ll be placed in a team of merciless warriors.
Register here by 26th February.
Check, mate
If you know your way around a chess board sign up here to join the tournament or help organise the events by signing up here.
In Other News
Super Bowl celebrations
Leaving you this week with a happy (and hammered) Tom Brady celebrating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win last Sunday. Here’s to one day being merry and mask-less again.
Chinese New Year
Today is the start of the Chinese year of the ox. Wishing a Happy New Year to you and all your loved ones.
That’s it for this week. A reminder that the U.S. have a bank holiday this coming Monday.
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