This branded content piece for Nissan presents beautifully animated metaphorical days in the life of beings who thrive (and fade) based on their level of energy. Interesting 3D combo of CG and stop-motion. Directed by Tsuneo Goda (creator of Domo-kun). Part of Nissan’s larger Planet Zero campaign.

Still one of my favorite stop-motion animations of all time. This piece by Mark Osborne creates an incredible dystopian future.

This short animation by Javan Ivey is a fascinating effect. It’s also (unintentionally) perhaps one of the best analog visualizations of how programmatic digital art is generated. (for example, many of the demos made with the Hype Framework).

The bar has been raised once again for brickmation. And who better to raise it than Patrick Boivin.

I’m not really even quite sure what this is but it’s awesome in its sound design, lighting and mood.

Remarkably, something of this polish and ingenuity and storytelling depth (not to mention gore) is a student group project from The Animation Workshop.

The Chinese agency 39ºN really nailed it with this creepy and morbid holiday greeting. While not authorized by Gaiman, he seems to have responded via Twitter positively to what amounts as some of the best fan art ever.

Nicholas Was…
by Neil Gaiman

older than sin, and his beard could grow no whiter. He wanted to die.

The dwarfish natives of the Arctic caverns did not speak his language, but conversed in their own, twittering tongue, conducted incomprehensible rituals, when they were not actually working in the factories.

Once every year they forced him, sobbing and protesting, into Endless Night. During the journey he would stand near every child in the world, leave one of the dwarves’ invisible gifts by its bedside. The children slept, frozen into time.

He envied Prometheus and Loki, Sisyphus and Judas. His punishment was harsher.

Ho.

Ho.

Ho.

This music video was animated almost entirely on a Lite Brite. An incredible lesson in patience and beauty to accompany David Crowder Band’s “SMS”.