Stash 23 delivers a rock-solid and inspiring line-up of animation, vfx and motion design from the biggest names in the industry and the rising-star studios chomping at their heels. BONUS programs in this issue include: A collection of three perversely brilliant and funny animated short films from Paris-based studio Wanda. And yes, our music editor Steve Marchese has assembled another killer Stash music sampler - this month features six artists from the UK's legendary Mute Records including tracks from Goldfrapp, José González, Liars, Motor, Forward Russia! and The Knife.
Stash 23 opens on a grand scale with the visual overload of PSYOP's ?Happiness Factory? for Coke followed by stampeding herds of bikini-clad Amazons (overload of a different kind) from the Mill. From there we're off with Belgium's Nozon to wrangle hamster comedy and Passion Pictures for Becks-inspired dance lessons before sliding into creative and technical wizardry from Framestore CFC for Vodafone and Charlex for Cingular. The first act finishes up with three studios to add to your ?A? list: Def2shoot from Paris for Playstation, Famous House of Animation from Mumbai for Levi's and Chuck Gammage Animation from Toronto for the UN.
The operative word for the broadcast design section of Stash 23 has got to be fun. We start with possibly the best piece of casting to ever land in a network promo with Monkbot's work for Space and then plunge into the delicious kitsch of Velvet's Arte Trash open before joining Nexus Productions for a magical romp through time for Animal Planet Italy. Even the cool and stylish clips from 1st Ave Machine, Collider and LoyalKaspar have a refreshing playful edge to them. And to experience a new apex of sheer nonsensical graphic chaos and frivolity you have to see the new MTV HD work from Friends With You.
That's a tough act to follow, but we think you'll find ?Wofl?, a bit of macabre kookiness from UK director David O'Reilly about cute forest fauna and set to the dulcet tones of Maria Callas, is up to the task. With the mood suitably changed, we are off to NY for the startling new ?microvert? from C-TRL Labs, a surreal and organic Nike piece from HunterGatherer and the ambitious CG origami debut from Version2. We end with a quick side trip to Laika House in Portland to screen their latest stop-motion opus for ESPN and then catch the red-eye back to the continent for three intricate and innovative spots from Sehsucht and Optix Digital in Germany before finally coming to rest in Paris for a quirky series of PSA's from SL-co and the whimsical new video for Japan's B@by Soul from director Takeo Hatai and Le Pivot.
Attention: NTSC/Regional code is ALL. We recommend this DVD be viewed on set top DVD players. Certain computer based DVD players will encounter a "region" error. If this error occurs please try the disc in a set top player, or in an alternate computer based DVD player.
