Set in a de-humanizing future, Imaginary Forces’ intense new brand film for Japanese cosmetics brand SK-II reveals the deep emotional connection between Misaki Matsutom and Ayaka Takahashi, Japan’s first Olympic Badminton Doubles gold medalists.
Imaginary Forces CD Alan Williams: “Our main creative challenge was to take the all-too-common reality of toxic expectations faced by all women – not just Takahashi and Matsutomo – and repackage it in a way that made the viewer see it with new eyes and truly feel it.
“Through the poetic language of humans-turned-robots and a towering kaiju, I feel our team did just that. I couldn’t be more excited to share this with the world.”
Client: SK-II
Agency: WPP
Production: Imaginary Forces
CD: Alan Williams
Producers: Christine Hernandez, Jon Hassell, Aleen Kim, Jared Libitsky
Writers: Leo Savage, Alan Williams
Lead design & art direction: Russ Gautier
CG technical direction: Russ Gautier, Meng-Yang Lu
Lead Animator: James Gardner
CG character design: Kelton Cram
Animators & Compositors: James Gardner, Jake Ferguson, Henry Chang, Blaise Hossain
Matt Shadis, Jesse Bafia, Daniel Onassis
Character Animation: Evan Mayfield, Matt Parent
Designer & Animator: Sekani Solomon
Edited by Jeremiah Shuff, Lexi Gunvaldson
VFX animation: Russ Gautier
Storyboards: Tyler Gibb
Researcher & Translator: Sakuya Mio
Production Coordinator: Tucker Reese
Executive Producer: Jon Hassell
Executive Creative Director: Peter Frankfurt
Music/sound design: Eclectic Sounds