Brian Stauffer

(Click on images to see videos)

Source: Communication Arts, March/April 2010

Brian Stauffer is an award-winning illustrator. His most recent awards include the 2011 Gold Award for Best Cover Illustration from SPD (Society of Publication Designers) and the Editorial Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators 52 competition for 2010. He has done a few animations which I thought were kind of interesting because they are like watching his artwork come to life. I liked the symbolism in the first video—the flowers wilting and disappearing while the camera pans back to show the message on the billboard. The second video gave me hope that someday I will be able to create a video, too.

Zac and Joan

http://vimeo.com/23049755?iframe=true&width=80%&height=80%

Source: Communication Arts Design Annual, The Best Design of 2007

This video was commisioned by KCD Worldwide, a fashion public relations and publishing industry. It features fashion designer Zac Posen interviewing fashion director Joan Kaner. It it very interesting to watch since the main characters are drawings of themselves talking with each other. There seems to be two different styles of animation. One consists of pictures being drawn as line art in front of you and morphing into new images. The other style, with the characters talking to each other, might be "rotoscoping". If anyone can tell me what type of animation is being used, please do. The two styles separate the video into what I call "real" time, and "history" time.
It is animated by award-winning Juan Delcan, a native of Madrid who began his career as a graphic designer but is now primarily a live action director.
This is a link to another recent animation by Delcan: The 13 Clocks

Her Morning Elegance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

This is one of my favorite short animations. It is a stop-motion music video for Her Morning Elegance and earned a 2009 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Short Form Music Video." It was written, sung, created and produced by Oren Lavie. I love how the whole story unfolds around the character while she is sleeping. It's fascinating to watch how the motions you expect to see in an upright position are mimicked while lying down.

YouTube also has a video showing how the film was made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKptYcQuKxc&feature=relmfu