Apple Music Japan
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Project:

Apple Music Japan 'Summer' + 'New Life'

Partnering with Apple Music Japan, we set out to tell two very different but equally magical stories.

The first, “Summer,” showcases the summer festival season’s bright days and vibrant nights in Japan. We follow our lead character as he slides, dives, and crowd surfs his way across the festival scene, sprinkled with authentic details taken from the sites, snacks, and regalia of the season. Both pieces serve as dynamic journeys through life, backed by music and sounds that keep things fun and energizing.

The second, “New Life,” centers around our protagonist and her metamorphosis from student life into her young adulthood as a budding professional. Fueled by her soundtrack, our hero and her world spring to life with vivid colors and fluid cel animation, setting her well on her way into a new stage of life and style.

Credits
  • Design & Animation: Scholar
  • Creative Director: Will Johnson

  • Managing Director / E.P.: Jo Arghiris

  • Executive Producer: Kirsten Noll
  • Head of Production: Tyler Locke

  • CG Supervisor: Tim Hayward

 

  • SUMMER TEAM

  • Art Director: Macauley Johnson

  • Producer: Nicole Smarsh

  • Design Lead: Hana Yean

  • Designers: Ana Chang, Gretel Cummings, Cam Floyd, Kenny Kerut, Jina Kwon, Amy Wallace

  • 2D Animators: Danni Fisher-Shin, Jeffery JIP Jeong, Henry Pak, Lauren Tom,

  • Cel Animators: Lyuben Dimitrov, Matt Everton, Kaylee Lee, Ana Perez Lopez, Jahmad Rollins, Nicole Stafford, Laura Yilmaz

  • 3D Generalist/Compositor: Cameron Scott

 

  • NEW LIFE TEAM

  • Art Directors: Macauley Johnson, Hana Yean

  • Sr Producer: Bridgette Spalding

  • Designers: Danni Fisher-Shin, Jina Kwon

  • 2D Animators: Danni Fisher-Shin, Henry Pak, Erich Reimers

  • Cel Animators: Sam Button, Danni Fisher-Shin, Lyuben Dimitrov, Scott Johnson, Henry Pak, Erich Reimers, Aly Tain, Lauren Tom

  • 3D Generalists: Cameron Scott

  • Storyboards: Macauley Johnson

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"We took these fun ideas into wildly abstract places as we smoothly transitioned from scene to scene with hand-drawn animation and dynamic camera moves. Drawing inspiration from the joy that music brings to every moment, we animated our hearts out, playing with equal parts character personality and sensory overload."

"Fueled by their soundtracks, our heroes and their worlds spring to life with vivid colors and fluid cel animation, taking us on a journey through the joys of growing up."

Process