Happiness Factory 2

Posted by Jon Saunders

hf2.jpg

Looks like the motion graphics grand masters are at it again. Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and Psyop just released a continuation to their Happiness Factory story for Coke. Anyone living in NY for the past 6 months has heard the rumors of this spot, because basically every freelancing 3D animator has been sucked into it. This time around Psyop, W+K Amsterdam and Coke create more of a short film instead of an advertisement, delving into a unique storyline that involves the same characters and worlds of the previous spot. The bar was set very high bar by the first spot, making it very easy for a second to fall flat in comparison, but this short does not disappoint in any way.

This project displays the abilities that some of the larger motion graphics firms now have. As this industry gets older, and more talent arrives, short animations (or even feature length films) seem to be within reach. Also as web based advertising (like this spot) becomes more of a standard, the need for a short like this to capture everybody’s attention and be passed around as a viral grows.

Also, I would recommend downloading this HD version of this to watch, a lot of the fantastic details get lost in the small web version.

Happiness Factory 2

Update:Full credits available here.

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Jon Saunders

/ www.jonsaunders.tv
internet surfer/designer extraordinaire
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23 Comments

Gervais

…Wow..well I think its safe to stop calling them a “motion graphics” studio at this point. Truly inspiring!!!

wendog

Inspiring, Yes…The concept seems too similar to the first Happiness Factory though…While it’s beautiful, I prefer the shorter spot – I think the length of time takes away the punch…With that said, its awesome for what it is…The characters are all amazing, and the level of detail is top notch…nice work!

Gervais

I was referring to the studio being inspiring more so then the piece itself. As far as the length, I’m sure there is going to be a broadcast cut down from the cinematic length. Indeed top notch.

KGB

Awesome!
Good to see more development of the personalities and story invented in the first spot.

TheTofuFactory

Ill always have my never ending love for Psyop. I still consider them the best studio around. Amazing style, great feel and superbly completed pieces. Props to psyop for keeping motion graphics refreshing.

Marc B.

Nice! I too prefer the first one. This one reminds me of blur studios short films.

oeuf

I’m just waiting for them to come out with a movie.
You know it’s gonna happen. They already taking over the LES.

pauloblob

Hey justin can you get the backstage information for this film? I mean beyond the credits. It will be interesting to see some details about the production.
Thanks for posting!

najork

‘A’ for effort, just wish they were not saddled with Coke’s middle-of-the road-ness.

tits

The concept and narrative falls short of the talents amazing execution. But I suppose thats why there are huge budgets behind these type of productions. I just cant help feeling that more and more talented illustrators, designers, animators and artists are being sucked into believing they are creating something amazing when in the end its a silly commercial for a soft drink, that will last no more than a few nanoseconds on the general publics consciousness. Why not make a truly great short film, with an inspiring story and characters, and true emotion,

Simon Robson

…Because there’s no way you could assemble said, “talented illustrators, designers, animators and artists” for a short film with a budget equivalent to an anorexics weekly grocery bill.
Look ‘tits’, I’m with you (I can’t believe i just wrote that). But the fact of the matter is that you need some serious cash to carry off a production of this level.

Last week-end I watched Kubrick’s 2001 for the first time in a while. And this time, as well as being left puzzling over the spiralling sci-fi narrative , I was left pondering an altogether more down to earth question: What kind of world did Kubrick work in where a director was given the financial backing by a major Hollywood studio to go off and commission sets, exploratory visual effects, and design of that magnitude for a such an utterly bizzare and exclusive film with no obvious box-office draw. And why couldn’t I have worked in that world too? The times, they have – a – changed…

rideshare

Pepsi tastes better.

martz

you are both right (simon and “tits”) therefore we need to have a fundraiser for such a project, ill keep you posted on that one….

bowliner

i thought the ones who prepare this drink in totally dangerous conditions were underpayed 10 years old kids spread around in third world countries, but i must be wrong, i guess. the 3D characters version makes much more sense.

Darcel

Just curious,

So is Psyop strictly a XSI house? Spot is beyond inspiring!

vash

Psyop uses both XSI and Maya.
This project was created with Maya as the primary 3D software.

candyman

Has Psyop sold out to Disney?

mgabrys

Not to be perverse, but did anyone notice the “use of tongue” on the end kiss? I wonder if that was a sneak or if it was approved. It’s not one frame either. It’s about 6.

Marc B.

I wonder why none of the characters thought about actually climbing up the mechanical tree branch and go through the ‘portal’-hole instead of all this dangerous hassle. Since at the end the main guy and his kiss puppy come down on the mechanical tree branch ((through that ‘portal’-hole)) anyway.

mate

maybe you can only go through the portal hole one way.

pauloblob

Come on Marc… Are u serious? Are you trying to find logic in a world where a live tree is teh source of coke?
You need to get into story, get in the mood.Its cartoon… try to have some fun watching this kind of stuff….

L9

Wow very nicely done animation, but the story seems to be lacking alot in details. I feel like they compressed a two hour movie into 3 minutes and 30 seconds. But the animations was spectacular.

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