“Elvis Presley - That's All Right” (Official Music Video) directed by Richard Noble
We were thrilled to see our creative collaborator & friend Richard Noble helm the official music video for "Elvis Presley - That's All Right." Noble continues to forge a distinctive path in the animation world with his signature blend of character animation and 3D modeling that utilizes analog textures to evoke nostalgia for an imagined past.
Animated by Cassie Shao.
"Maggie Dave - Old You" recently competed in the International Competition of Music Videos at the Fest Anča International Animation Festival in Slovakia. Animated by Cassie Shao, her video shared the screen with a superb collection of films from around the world, featuring documentary to experimental works. The complete program to the 2022 festival can be found here.
(From left to right) Ross Garren and Maggie Dave guitarist/collaborator John Schroeder. (Photo courtesy of The Sheriffs of Schroedingham)
Maggie Dave guitarist John Schroeder celebrates the release of season one of “John & Ross Presents,” a YouTube series with bandmate & co-producer Ross Garren. Together, John & Ross invite some of LA’s most exciting voices in popular music to perform acoustic covers and original songs on the stage of their virtual variety show.
From John & Ross: “John Schroeder and Ross Garren are a production duo with a decade of experience writing, recording and playing music together. Their extensive recording credits collectively include work with Bon Iver, Keisha, Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds, Noah Cyrus, Pomplamoose, Keb Mo', Rita Coolidge and many others. Active media composers as well, their original music has appeared in dozens of films and television shows, including Love, Crashing and Bold Type. Alongside their steady diet of production work, they are currently focused on the video series “John & Ross Presents,” capturing performances of a rotating cast of featured performers in an intimate, stripped down setting.”
Be sure to subscribe to their playlist on Spotify to catch up and stay connected with new singles from the series!
“Maggie Dave - Old You,” animated by Cassie Shao, will pair with videos by The Chemical Brothers, Dua Lipa & Elton John at the 2021 London International Animation Festival in December. Directed by internationally celebrated visual artists RUFFMERCY and Raman Djafari, respectively, their works share the screen with Cassie’s and some of the finest animated music video offerings of 2021. “Music Video Session” will screen both in-person at The Horse Hospital and streamed online for LIAF ticket holders.
Elton John & Dua Lipa - Cold Heart (PNAU Remix); Directed by Raman Djafari
The Chemical Brothers - The Darkness That You Fear; Directed by RUFFMERCY
We’re thrilled for vocalist Tehillah Alphonso, a key arranger and collaborative partner of the band, who recently accompanied chart-topping artist Olivia Rodrigo in a live performance of “perfect crime” on Vevo LIFT. It was a USC Thornton homecoming for Alphonso, a graduate of the school’s Popular Music program, who sang alongside alumni Liv Slingerland (’15) on guitar as well as backing singers Georgia Greene (’18) and Lily Elise, who studied at the school. Behind the camera and the performance, the music direction was from alums Aron Forbes (’07) and Derek Renfroe (’17). Maggie Dave is proud of this latest career accomplishment for an artist who continues to awe us with her talents.
Tehillah Alphonso, second from right, joins Olivia Rodrigo in a live performance of “perfect crime”.
Maggie Dave - Worry (Visualizer) animated by Cassie Shao
One of the premiere curated galleries of motion graphics on the web, GoodMoves.tv recently featured Cassie Shao’s visualizer for “Worry.” Her signature style, hand-painted 2-D illustrations that warp and ripple with dreamlike lucidity, continues to be celebrated by the creative press and further establishes her artistry as a formidable presence in the animation industry.
Anima Fest Gdańsk - International Animation Film Festival: Streaming online - Dec. 27-30th, 2020
Celebrating the best in animation from around the world, Anima Fest Gdańsk - International Animation Film Festival will stream their event online this year for audiences in Poland. A diverse program featuring shorts (experimental & narrative), feature films and more, “Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready” (Dir. Cassie Shao) will compete in the International Music Video Competition alongside offerings from France, Spain, Brazil & China, among others.
“Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready” (Dir. Cassie Shao)
Sean David Christensen in conversation with the Portland Film Festival; October 16th, 2020.
Earlier this year, Maggie Dave lead singer/songwriter Sean David Christensen sat down for a virtual conversation with the Portland Film Festival. Discussing the making of “I’m Not Ready,” the acclaimed music video created by Cassie Shao, Sean described their collaboration and Shao’s distinctive visual style that defined this memorable work.
Maggie Dave animation director Cassie Shao lends her visionary artistry to the latest music video for Beijing-based indie rock trio, Hedgehog.
From NOWNESS Asia : “Inspired by life in quarantine in a cheap hotel in Shanghai, ‘Bat’ envisions a future in which adults are prisoners of children, who are kept in small rooms and perform repetitive tasks day after day, such as repairing and making toys for children.”
"I really like this simple, direct and beautiful way of expression,” says director Haonan Wang. “At that time, the aesthetics were very rich, with colors and exaggerated images everywhere; Not stingy, very dynamic, and very different from the current pursuit of flatness and grayscale. I think it’s fun to present this story in this format."
Production: Round2Film / Director: Haonan Wang / Writer: Haonan Wang, Heran Wang / Producer: Jinming Zhong / Cast: Naughty Xiao / Production Designer: Luyue Meng / Director of Cinematographer: Wenqiang He / Gaffer: Zhengfei Wang / Stylist: Luyue Meng / Wardrobe: Luyue Meng, Huizhen Zhong / Editor: Haonan Wang, Minxing Liao / Director of Animation: Cassie Shao / Director of Puppetry: HIKARU / Colourist: David Rivero Martin (Digital Domain Ltd) / VFX Artist: Pengfei Dang
2020 Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival - Official Instagram promo
Cassie Shao’s music video for “I’m Not Ready” will be screening alongside some of the most adventurous and boundary-pushing animated films from around the world at the 2020 Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival - held online from October 23rd to 30th. Featuring award-winning and celebrated music videos, experimental & narrative work, we’re proud to be a part of this show!
Excerpt from the program “International Block 2”
From the festival: "Since 2012, Sweaty Eyeballs has carried the torch of the animation scene in the Mid-Atlantic with independent programming & special events. Now in our 9th year, we have partnered with our longtime friends at the Maryland Film Festival to launch our 2nd international festival of animation. The festival will take place October 23-30, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the festival will be held online in 2020. The festival will open with six original animated music videos set to music by six Baltimore area bands, an international competition of 80 animated shorts, a Baltimore showcase, and remote animator studio tours."
Tiffany Le is the artist behind the 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival’s key art. Featured in her digital illustration is a contemplative silhouette, being carried forward to the future by the waves. It represents a positive perspective during these difficult and fluctuating times.
Cassie Shao's visionary music video for "I'm Not Ready" is announced as part of the 36th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival! The largest festival of its kind in Southern California, LAAPFF is an Oscar-qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards, and features an exciting lineup of productions by Asian American & Pacific Islander artists from across the globe. Thank you to Visual Communications for their amplification of Cassie's work and the more than 225 filmmakers celebrated across five weekends (Sept. 24 - Oct. 31) for this special online event!
Cassie Shao animates for Sam Fischer’s “I Got to Live,” directed by friend-of-the-band Kimberly Stuckwisch. Shao’s dreamy visuals ascend upwards, beautifully paired with the song’s elegiac recollections of a life lived to its fullest, with all of the imperfections worth remembering.
Sam Fischer - I Got to Live (Dir: Kimberly Stuckwisch; Animation - Cassie Shao)
Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready, animated by Cassie Shao
Maggie Dave - I’m Not Ready (Dir: Cassie Shao) at LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival
Cassie Shao’s brilliant music video for “I’m Not Ready” was announced on two lauded festival lineups this week. At the LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival, Shao’s work will make its Ukrainian premiere alongside 26 other international offerings in the “Commissioned Film Competition.” At the “Sundance of the Sierras,” the Nevada City Film Festival will host the music video in their innovative online program, complete with filmmaker Q&As.
Design by Nisiqi
I'm Not Ready by Cassie Shao joins The Academy Award-qualifying animation program at the 47th Athens International Film + Video Festival this Fall! Championing the vanguard of experimental filmmaking for nearly five decades, AIF+VF is one of our favorite festivals, and we're thrilled that Cassie's vision can join their legacy of bold programming. This year, 2,200 films were submitted to the competition. From these; 235 films from 41 countries were chosen to screen in 2020. What an honor!
I’m Not Ready; Animated by Cassie Shao
In an exclusive interview with THE PLUS, Cassie Shao reveals her creative process behind the making of I'm Not Ready and the inspiration she finds in her world of dreams.
Animator & visual artist Cassie Shao has left an indelible impression on our song “I’m Not Ready.” Her handcrafted dreamscapes have been awarded with a Vimeo Staff Pick, richly deserved for the visionary labor she poured into each frame. Special thanks to our production team that helped us shape and realize the music, including Ricky Berger (Mixing & vocal production) and Trevor Case (Mastering).
I’m Not Ready (2019) by Cassie Shao
I’m Not Ready (2019) by Cassie Shao
Directed & Animated by Cassie Shao
Produced by Sean David Christensen
“I'm Not Ready” written by Maggie Dave
Vocals & keyboard: Sean David Christensen
Synthesizers: Mark Christopher & Ricky Berger
Vocals engineered by Ricky Berger
Mixed by Ricky Berger & Mark Christopher
Mastering by Trevor Case
