visual essay
Men’s Health “How a Bean Becomes a Fart”
Giant Ant strikes again for Men’s Health, this time explaining how a bean becomes a gaseous expulsion of malodorous intent (i.e. a fart). Check out… Read more
The Story of a Story
Brikk created this poetic encapsulation of the process behind creating an animation, from pitch to delivery. Credits Brikk Daniel Isedal Edward Moulder Calle Wachtmeister Dencity… Read more
It’s a Plastic World
This depressing but educational visual essay explains the ubiquity of plastic in our oceans using an interesting low-poly microverse contained in a cube. After you’ve… Read more
Pearson English: “One”
Although the script is a bit on the dry side, this explainer video from Territory kept my attention with its whimsical cel work and cheerful… Read more
Adobe CMO Stats
The bevy of elegant and sometimes surprising transitions that pepper this explainer video for Adobe never upstage the real star of the video: the red… Read more
Nvidia Grid VCA: “Wherever Life Takes You”
This buttery smooth explainer video for Nvidia gracefully oscillates between representational and abstract illustrations to communicate its highly technical material. Co-directed by Bureau Hardy Seiler… Read more
Elements of Design
Matt Greenwood’s buttery smooth “Elements of Design” is a high-speed buffet of some key concepts behind motion graphic design. I’d love to try it as… Read more
Gergely Wootsch: Penny Dreadful Portraits “Dracula”
To promote Showtime’s moody new drama/horror series, Penny Dreadful, Gergely Wootsch directed this evocative visual essay about the cultural significance of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as… Read more
Xiangjun Shi: Why Do I Study Physics?
Physics and animation are not often bedfellows, but in the hands of Xiangjun “Shixie” Shi, they seem as natural a pairing as space and time.… Read more
84000 “Words of the Buddha”
Giant Ant creates “Words of the Buddha,” an elegant 2D promo for non-profit 84,000. The non-profit, 84000, has an enormous task ahead of them: tackling… Read more
How Beer Goggles Work
Leftchannel busts out its traditional animation chops in “How Beer Goggles Work,” a chuckle-worthy visual essay for Men’s Health magazine.
Modern Love: Fight or Flight
As her relationship with her boyfriend was coming to an end, the writer Sarah L. Courteau grasped for a moment of tenderness between them in… Read more
Art&Graft: “Trip” The Virgin Atlantic Safety Film
Long ago, Virgin Airways embraced the simple fact that no one pays attention to the poor flight attendants as they drone on mechanically about oxygen… Read more
Giant Ant: Men’s Health Magazine “How a Protein Becomes a Muscle”
Follow ingenious peptides through a visual essay explaining how muscle mass is created in the human body. Illustrations by the inimitable Mike McQuade, directed by… Read more
Fraser Davidson: A Guide To American Football
UK-based Fraser Davidson’s latest, “A Guide To American Football,” is a hilarious distillation of one of America’s most beloved pastimes. In the same spirit as… Read more
Animation for a Cause
Nicely timed with the giving season, Mexico City-based designer/animator Yaniv Fridman has launched Animation for a Cause, a nonprofit dedicated to creating short explanatory motion… Read more
beeple: Transparent Machines
beeple’s provocative short film, “Transparent Machines,” posits that if we want to blame anyone for lack of privacy online, we should start with ourselves.
Don’t Fail Idaho (Extended Version) by Buck
Over the last several years, Buck has made a point of creating elegantly clever PSAs for causes they believe in. For their latest visual essay,… Read more
Oil’d by Chris Harmon
Oil’d by Chris Harmon, a visual essay that reminds us of our dependence on black gold
Farming Futures Animation by Luke Marsh
Farming Futures Animation by Luke Marsh
The Story Of Cosmetics by Free Range Studio
The Story Of Cosmetics by Free Range Studio
Fantastic animated visual essay in this teaser for Waiting For Superman by Buck
Fantastic animated visual essay in this teaser for Waiting For Superman by Buck