The Flavor team was tasked with creating an intro video for the 'HalfRez' show, an event celebrating the motion graphics community in Chicago and the Midwest. The show's theme, "mograph is dead," humorously addressed the influence of AI in the design and animation industry. Despite the divisive nature of AI's impact, our team took a lighthearted approach, depicting the creative industry as a playful puppet world, complete with an alluring AI-generated apple tree. One puppet succumbed to temptation, underwent a psychedelic transformation, and returned with a burst of creative ideas. However, a surprising twist revealed that the puppet tree was controlled by a robotic hand, leaving the question of who's really in control, humans or artificial intelligence!

Creative Director: Brian McCauley

‍Associate Creative Directors: Brad Backofen, Mack Neaton, & Colby Capes

‍Executive Producer Kate Smith

Managing Director Neal Cohen

‍CG Supervisor: Brad Backofen

‍Art Director: Mack Neaton

2D animation Supervisor: Colby Capes

‍Storyboards: Danielle Otrakji

‍3D: Brad Backofen, Brian McCauley, Ryan Bechtel, Emily Berveiler, JC Tecklenburg, Krzys Pianko, Dan Tiffany

‍2D: Colby Capes, Sam Stucky, Keith Slawinski, Torey Kervick, Aaron Fisher, Sierra Lee, Marly Koven, Jesse Willis

Production: Dictionary Films

Director Brian: Broeckelman

Technical Director : Adam Kohr

Puppets: Liz Backofen

Sound Mix and SFX Another Country: Tim Konn, Jordan Stalling, Louise Rider, Cathryn Stark, Brett Rossiter

Our team conceptualized and crafted a package of Intro and Outro sequences for Nike's latest YouTube show, "Nike Sports Lab." This playful series is geared towards inspiring and mobilizing kids and their families to think outside the box, invent, be curious, and move!

Focusing on Nike's mission of fostering sustainability, creativity, and diversity within the realm of sports, we focused on incorporating the expansive array of materials, colors, and textures both found in their products and the show's eclectic set design.

The Nike Lab was envisioned as a distinct world of its own, accessible through a whirlwind tunnel that transported us to the Lab's central stage. The unique opportunity to engage in such conceptual reality - allowed us to create a planet comprised of sports gear and scientific equipment, leaving the audience with a sense of experimentation and play!

Managing Director: Neal Cohen‍

Executive Producer: Kate Smith

Creative Director: Brian McCauley

‍Art Director: Mack Neaton, Ella Yoon

‍3D: Brad Backofen, JC Tecklenburg, Thuc Nguyen, Ella Yoon

‍2D: Anastasiya Bulavkina, Brad Backofen,

Credits

Managing Director: Neal Cohen

Executive Producer: Kate Smith

Producer: Brittany Maddock

Executive Creative Director: Brian McCauley

Associate Creative Director: Brad Backofen, Colby Capes

Typography: Colby Capes

Art Director: Mack Neaton

Motion Designer: Adam Kohr, Anastasiya Bulavkina, Dean Mosier, Erica Kim, Marly Koven, Matt Trudell

CGI Artist: Emily Berveiler, Thuc Nguyen

Finish Artist: Ryan Esboldt

‍

Another Country

Managing Director: Tim Konn

Executive Producer: Louise Rider

Producer: Josh Hunnicutt, Darcy Diplacido

Creative Director, Composer: Joe Philips

Audio Post Manager, Sound Design: Jeremy Schemm

Mixers: Jordan Stalling & Logan Vines

Audio Assistant: Nora Strickstein

Cutters

Executive Producer: Heather Richardson

Producer: Brittany Maddock

Editor: Tom Brassil, Nick Chiou (Sponsor Reel only)

Assistant Editor: Ashley Smith, Leah Fishwick

Illustrations for Miralax laxative. Type and character explorations.

15 second spot for broadcast showcasing the McPails containers for McDonalds.

Creative Director: Brian McCauley

Art Direction: Mack Neaton

VFX / Compositing: Rob Churchill

3D Designers: Brad Backofen, Thuc Ngyugen, + Emily Berveiler

Producer: Neal Cohen

Client: McDonalds

Designs for Fusion Academy, an online 1 to 1 school for grades 6-12.

Creative Director: Brian McCauley

Art Direction: Mack Neaton

Character / Storyboard Artist: Danielle Otrakji

Animator : Jake Wilson

Character Animator: Sam Stucky

Live Action Director: Brian Brockleman

Times Square Graphics:

Art Director - Mack Neaton

Animation - Jeff Franko

Client - The Ocean Agency

Adobe Stock Interview

Editorial - Livio Sanchez | Cutters Studios

Production - Kenrick Prince

Illustration - Mack Neaton

Audio - Brad Nayman

Client - Adobe Stock, The Ocean Agency

Miller Lite gave artists freedom to creatively incorporate their logo in any way of their choosing. Here are the frames I contributed to my teams Miller collage.

Pitch frames for Planet Fitness.

Intro to Citi Entertainments Youtube Content

Art Direction + Illustration: Mack Neaton

Client: Citi Bank

Vera Bradley is known for their illustrative patterns dense with nature and animals. It was such a treat to get to take my own spin on some classic Vera Bradley designs that so many fans hold dear. Creating a magical world where Vera Bradley bags and decor are more than what fills a home, but what makes a home. Especially when one has to make a holiday from a hospital, instead a house.

Additionally picture book giveaways were produced showcasing the artwork!

Creative Director and Writer: Pip + Brian McCauley

Illustrations : Mack Neaton

StoryBoarding: Danielle Otrakji

Animation: Brad Backofen, Colby Capes, + Katrina Zimmerman

Client: Vera Bradley

Focused on the emotional weight of being diagnosed with cancer, the project challenged me to illustrate heavily emotive scenes. How your world shrinks with one unnerving CT scan. The out of body experience of hearing the diagnosis. The uphill battle and the glistening of hope. It was an incredible experience painting the colors and metaphors of a story so many share.

Storyboarding + Conceptualizing: Brian McCauley, Mack Neaton, Brad Backofen, + Danielle Otrakji

Environments + Compositing : Mack Neaton

Character Design: Danielle Otrakji + Christian Jun. 

Animation: Brad Backofen + Adam Kohr 

Client: Outcome Health

A quirky fun style to a Youtube content series for Citi Bank.

Creative Director : Brian McCauley

Illustration : Mack Neaton

Client: Citi Bank

3 styles of artwork, each to a different script, as part of a pitch for All State.

Creative Director : Brian McCauley

Illustration + Gif Animation : Mack Neaton

Client: All State Insurance

Character Design for Abilify, a BiPolar drug. Illustrations are based on a “Manic” personality and a “Depression” personality.

Concept for an intro title sequence with a playful scrapbook aesthetic.

A collaboration between the American Heart Association and Hulu, the Made You Move campaign targets the average TV watcher to get up and move during the 30 sec commercial break.

Two separate looks and scripts for Century Link.

Animation: Brad Backofen

Design: Mack Neaton

Designs produced for Ronald McDonald House Charities social platform.

Illustration: Mack Neaton

Animation: Colby Capes

2017 AICE nominated spot for National Cable and Television Association.

Design: Mack Neaton + Danielle Otrakji.

Animation: Brad Backofen

Client: National Cable and Television Association

Quick frames produced for All State. Showing seasonal change in the same environment for their “Pay only when you drive” car insurance campaign.

My cover art for my Punanimation profile. An amazing resource to find talented motion graphics women around the world. http://www.punanimation.com/

Conceptualizing a style for the SC Johnson Entomology Research Center.  

Client: SC Johnson

Two of  four McDonald's Happy Meal Toy spots I had the pleasure to design with character designer Danielle Otrakji. Sweetheart's Candy, American Greetings, and McDonald's linked up to create a seasonal toy for Valentines day - Sweetheart Lip Gloss Clip and Monster Valentines Cards.

Client: McDonald's + Sweetheart's Candy & American Greeting Cards

My frames that lead to three spots with Leo Burnett's McDonald's Happy Meal. McDonald's emoji plush toy. 

Client: McDonald's

Lima-A-Rita's pop-art inspired rebrand led us back to 60's. Inspired by Andy Warhol and James Rosenquis, my frames showcase a grungy yet sophisticated aesthetic. A mix of playful and vintage, I stirred up a perfect cocktail for the young cosmopolitan woman.  

Client: Lima-A-Rita Bud Light

McDonald's went tandem with Sanrio for some Kelly Kitty bike ride fun.

Design: Mack Neaton

Animation: Colby Capes

Client: McDonald's + Sanrio

Concept frames for an animated party invite.