Buck: Ravens and Dragons

Buck has created two more spots for Cactus, the agency behind the Own Your C anti-smoking campaign, which has produced some remarkable motion work. “Ravens” and “Dragons” aren’t part of that series, though; they’re targeted to parents who smoke around their children.

The spots are entirely CG, which I assume was as much a budgetary decision as a creative one. But that decision also gave Buck complete control over the lighting and camera work, both of which contribute greatly to a mounting sense of tension in each spot.

Honestly, I could watch these just for the lighting alone. In “Dragons,” the pools of light (or stretches of darkness, if you’re a pessimist) create pockets of warmth that seem to slip away before they can be fully embraced, while the cemetery tones of “Ravens” suggest an ashen wasteland matched only by the smokers’ lungs.

Watch both spots on Buck’s site.

Thanks for the tip, Damien!

Credits

FOR DRAGONS:

— Creative Director: Ryan Honey
— Executive Producer: Maurie Enochson
— Producer: Jason Cohon
— Associate Creative Director: Jeremy Sahlman
— VFX Supervisor: Doug Wilkinson
— Art Director: Bradley Munkowitz
— Character Animation: Matt Everton
— FX TD: Gene Arvan
— Lead 3D Artist: Jens Lindgren
— 3D Artists: John Niehuss, Randa Mohtady, Thomas Madreiter, Mike Colarik, Kyle Raffile, Csaba Letay, Ivan Sokol
— Lead Compositor: Patrick Scruggs
— 2D Artists: Ian Kim, James Rydesky, Jon Gorman, Joe Mullen
— Editor: Aristides Zamora
— Audio: Cypher Audio
— Software: Maya, After Effects

CACTUS

— Strategic Director: Joe Conrad
— Creative Director: Norm Shearer
— Associate Creative Director: Jeff Strahl
— Associate Creative Director: Brian Watson
— Producer: Danielle Bryan
— Account Director: Amy Taylor
— Account Executive: Shanna Grimes

FOR RAVENS:

BUCK

— Creative Director: Ryan Honey
— Executive Producer: Maurie Enochson
— Producer: Nick Terzich
— Associate Producer: Eric Badros
— Associate Creative Director: Jeremy Sahlman
— VFX Supervisor: Doug Wilkinson
— Art Director: Bradley Munkowitz
— Character Animation: Matt Everton, Frantz Vidal
— FX TD: Dave Rindner
— Lead 3D Artist: Jens Lindgren
— Artists: Randa Mohtady, Henry Foster, Frances Yeh, Ivan Sokol, Doug Appleton, Sebastian Nozon
— Lead Compositor: Moses Journey
— Editor: Aristides Zamora
— Audio: Cypher Audio
— Software: Maya, After Effects

CACTUS

— Strategic Director: Joe Conrad
— Creative Director: Norm Shearer
— Associate Creative Director: Jeff Strahl
— Associate Creative Director: Brian Watson
— Producer: Danielle Bryan
— Account Director: Amy Taylor
— Account Executive: Shanna Grime