A collage of scenes from BRAINROT, a short film by Alex Semenov starring Thomas Middleditch: glowing blue-eyed man on his phone, winged man near a robot, robots building a pyramid, and space lab robots with a floating astronaut. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

The Idiot Future is Now: Alex Semenov & Thomas Middleditch Plug the Cure for “BRAINROT”

Posted on May 13, 2026

Director/animator Alex Semenov, whose Simpson’s Couch Gag is simply the darkest ever, just dropped us his latest black comedy – a sci-fi take-down of scrolling culture starring the voice of Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley). [Watch]

Category Animation, Character Animation, Featured, Short Films · Tags ,

Two cylindrical, modern speakers in black and gold, wrapped with matching fabric straps, are set against a dark gradient background—echoing the sleek, minimalist style of the Lodes MAP lighting product film by jformento. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Lighting MAP: jformento Straps In to Illuminate Lodes

Posted on May 13, 2026

In their new film for Italian lighting brand Lodes, co-founder/CD Jonathan Formento and his CG motion crew (whose work we track here), take a hyper-minimalist approach to keep attention tightly focused on the product. [Watch]

Category 3D Style, Brand film, CG, Featured, Motion Design · Tags

Four animated children lie in a circle on grassy ground, surrounded by small, pink creatures with ears and tails. Flowers dot the scene, creating a peaceful, whimsical mood inspired by Great Outdoors Colorado ad “Take Your Brain Out” by Anna Mantzaris. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Anna Mantzaris Coaxes Kids to “Take Your Brain Out” for Great Outdoors Colorado

Posted on May 12, 2026

Working thru Denver agency Sukle, Passion Pictures director Anna Mantzaris applies her talents for warm and fuzzy stop-motion to the heavy lift of getting youngsters away from their screens and into the great outdoors. [Watch]

Category Advertising, Animation, Character Animation, Featured, Stop Motion · Tags , , , , , , ,

A person walks down a sunny, tree-lined street lined with barbecue grills, evoking the calm of a Pete Riski scene for Lidl Finland. Houses and tall pine trees in the background complete this peaceful Barbecue Piper setting. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Follow the Barbecue Piper: 255 Pix Studio Brings the Heat for Lidl Finland

Posted on May 11, 2026

Finnish post house 255 Pix makes their Stash debut in spectacular fashion with this rampaging horde of BBQs conjured from 3D VFX and AI for the discount supermarket Lidl and directed by Pete Riski at Directors Guild Helsinki. [Watch]

Category Advertising, Featured, VFX · Tags , , , , , ,

Illustration of five pairs of legs wearing different pants and shoes, each with a small, seated person reading or using a device within the fabric or folds—evoking the layered storytelling in "Our Uniform" short film by Yegane Moghaddam. Dark blue background. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Yegane Moghaddam Unpacks Her School Days in Iran With “Our Uniform” Short Film

Posted on May 10, 2026

After a stellar festival run (a big win at Annecy and an Oscar nom), animator Yegane Moghaddam’s highly inventive mixed media short Our Uniform, based on her school days in Iran, is now available for your viewing pleasure. [Watch]

Category Animation, Character Animation, Featured, Illustration, Short Films · Tags

Four illustrated portraits of artists: top left features a person with red dots and sunglasses; top right shows a person with spiky hair and a paintbrush; bottom left depicts a bearded man in blue; bottom right is a woman in colorful clothes, celebrating the 2026 CalArts Producers' Show Opening. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Stay in Character: 2026 CalArts Producers’ Show Opening

Posted on May 8, 2026

CalArts animation seniors Sofia Kondrasheva and Veda Lee co-direct a small army of their fellow students on this rousing, character-packed trip through art history for the school’s 2026 Producers’ Show Opening. [Watch]

Category Animation, Character Animation, Featured · Tags , , ,