If a director wants to make a some extra cash or simply hone one’s craft in the short form, their best bet is getting a commercial gig. Frequently paying more than your average independent feature and providing the ability to try out visual tricks, it’s not uncommon for a talent to work on them in between films and today brings a round-up of the latest in the category.

First up, the most high-profile of the commercials looks to be from James Mangold, whose shown he can direct in just about any genre, from Girl, Interrupted to this summer’s The Wolverine. His latest work is for the upcoming videogame Call of Duty: Ghosts, an explosive piece titled “Epic Night Out.” The 105-second commercial features a group of guys headed to a war-torn Las Vegas, which includes none other than Megan Fox.

Next comes the latest work from Jon M. Chu, which technically isn’t a commercial, but rather a five-minute safety video for Virgin America. Taking his experience from his Step Up days, it’s a kinetic piece (featuring a rap to educate about life vests) that will likely keep eyes peeled to the airplane screens, unlike most videos of the variety. [/Film]

Next up, following Only Forgives, Nicolas Winding Refn was hired by Grey Goose to direct a 90-second spot for the vodka manufacturer. Following the story of the company’s founder François Thibault, it certainly works but doesn’t necessarily have the visual stamp of someone behind Valhalla Rising and Drive.

Following that we have perhaps the best photographed of the group, which features Ray Liotta entering a bar to down some 1800 Tequila, opting for only a few words. It features Tame Impala‘s Bold Arrow of Time and comes from Anthony Mandler, who has been attached to numerous debut features, but has yet to officially settle on one.

Lastly, Bryan Buckley, coming off this year’s Oscar-nominated short film Asad (our review), was hired by Microsoft to pimp out their upcoming console, Xbox One. Going from soccer star Steven Gerrard to Star Trek‘s Zachary Quinto (complete in Spock costume) and more, it invites you to learn the new features of the console.

Which of the above commercials is your favorite?

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