stop motion showreel
While at Shadedbox and at The Ayzenberg Group, I had the pleasure to write, direct, and animate over a dozen stop motion spots for Mattel’s various lines of toys. Here’s a two minute highlight reel with some of the individual full length pieces below.
micro mites
Micro Mites was a line of miniature toy cars that Mattel wanted to imbue a sense of wonder and excitement about.
The concept revolves around a young child's imaginative journey through a cardboard universe. My undergraduate degree is in Architecture. Hence, to design and build a bustling metropolis, bridge, and an airport out of cardboard, from a kid’s conception, was a labor of pure love. Each scene was meticulously crafted, paying attention to intricate details that evoke a sense of wonder and whimsy.
toy story
the great rc rescue
The project’s total shoot time was a little over 3 weeks. The local Los Angeles Salvation Armies and St.Vincent DePaul’s Society became great collaborators to find interesting props as we made over a dozen trips back and forth. Overall, we used over 400 books: fifteen of which were John Grisham novels, 3 varied sets of Encyclopedia Britannica, and 22 diet books. Unfortunately, 3 Baywatch, 1 Cyndi Lauper, and 4 Robocop VHS tapes were sacrificed in filming this project.
toy story
command center
This spot was the first in a trilogy of “toymation” spots produced for internal presentations at Mattel. Written, directed, shot, and produced in four weeks, this spot was a first for me working with asparagus, exploding broccoli, and cute dust bunnies.
Not today Zurg!
sprükits
Dynamic Duo
A “sprue” is excess plastic you remove from a model kit. To help Bandai’s amazing action figure IP, Sprükits, avoid that kind of obscurity when they hit the market, the team and I proposed using stop motion to bring the actual toys to life.
With highly recognized franchise characters like Batman, Master Chief, and LBX in their line-up, our challenge was to make YouTube videos that showed the buildability, wide range of articulation and motion, and incredible detail that separated Sprükits from the pack.
sprükits
the forgotten
The second of three stop motion spots for Bandai’s Sprükit line was based on the game franchise: Halo.
When an accidental fall sends Master Chief tumbling off his shelf, he stumbles upon a hidden world beneath Max's bed—a group of forgotten toys longing to be rediscovered. Almost trapped himself, Master Chief refuses to give in and instead devises a daring plan to save the day…so we think.
sprükits
staring showdown
I stepped into the world of the LBX franchise in this final installment of the Sprü Story series by colliding it with the wild west. In this classic western tale, we witness Achilles and Emperor duel in a dramatic staring contest that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
As the sun sets on the dusty western landscape, tensions rise between Achilles and Emperor. The air is thick with anticipation as these legendary rivals lock eyes, each determined to outlast the other in an intense display of willpower and unwavering focus!
sprükits
staring showdown previz
Bonus movie for those who have scrolled all the way to the bottom! Before digging into stop motion for the Sprükit Stories, the team and I produced crude 3d animatics of the shots and timing.
