Visual Splendor

Technology and art have come a long way.  Movies like Avatar look more real than ever before. However, a sense of realism and engagement can be achieved in more ways than making every object extremely detailed. Color balance, the artistic interpretation of the subject, animating the subjects within the interpretation, direction, and editing are all very important when using computer generated imaging/graphics. The following commercials represent the highest level of CG animation in or out of the movies.

The use of the transforming, angular, polygonal figures invokes a kind of paper mache, origami, pixel art. The animation matches the visual style in that it almost looks like hand tweaked stop motion. The gradual addition of colors and the contrast to the black background focuses the visual work on the aforementioned subtle details. The music is catchy too.

Cardboard and paper are my sculpting mediums of choice. The UPS cardboard commercials all exhibit a masterful knowledge of cardboard. The texture and animation of the models in this commercial alone would have won me over. But the commercial also has very nice direction and pacing.

With a deliciously appealing color scheme, this commercial whets ones appetite. And this effect is only bolstered as the commercial continues. For the sense of scale is very important. Starting off small and then expanding to encompass mountainous mounds of produce, a sense of bold, full flavor is communicated. With a fan of her fan and a spin of her dress, this cartoonish senorita summons a blinder like whirl wind combining all of the flavors of her world into a single product. Salsa.

Update on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 8:39PM by Richard Terrell (KirbyKid)

Here's one more video.