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Animal Logic announced today that it has secured the rights to IDW Publishing Night Mary, the mystery/horror graphic novel co-created by Rick Remender and Kieron Dwyer.

The deal reinforces Animal Logic progression into the development and production of a diverse slate of digital entertainment in animation, live action, hybrid films and games. IDW Publishing, the 3rd largest U.S. comic publisher, continues its push into the feature film biz following the 2007 release of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT.

Night Mary follows the adventures of Mary Specter, a misunderstood teenage girl trained to be a lucid dreamer. Mary’s father runs a sleep disorder clinic where Mary enters the ghastly dreams of severely disturbed people in an attempt to help them. When a patient is revealed to be a serial killer, the nightmare world and the waking one become intertwined, putting Mary in real jeopardy.

Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian will produce with IDW Ted Adams and Circle of Confusion David Alpert and Rick Jacobs Executive Producing.

Nalbandian said ‘We’sre very pleased to be working with IDW Publishing and Circle of Confusion and look forward to this being the beginning of a long-term relationship as Animal Logic moves into developing and producing a wider range of films, outside of its core digital animation slate. Night Mary is a fantastic property that will enable us to collaborate with innovative writers and directors, to tell a great story and deliver ground breaking design. We are, as always, very enthusiastic about creating another opportunity to show the world that Australia is home to world class filmmaking.’

Adams added “Rick and Kieron are two of my favourite creators and I’m thrilled that Animal Logic will be bringing their creation to an even bigger audience.’

ABOUT ANIMAL LOGIC
Animal Logic is one of the world’s most highly regarded digital design and production companies with studios in Sydney and in Los Angeles. The company is currently in production on the animated feature Guardians of Ga’sHoole, directed by Zack Snyder, distributed by Warner Bros, and has enjoyed success from a diverse range of groundbreaking projects including Moulin Rouge, 300, The Matrix and Academy Award winning Happy Feet. Further company information is available at www.animallogic.com.

ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. As a leader in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at http://www.idwpublishing.com.

ABOUT CIRCLE OF CONFUSION
Circle of Confusion is a feature film & television production and management company specializing in developing elevated ‘genre’ material. Circle is in production on animated feature Shaolin Cowboy and in post-production on live action film St. John of Las Vegas. Further company information is available at www.circleofconfusion.com.

Popularity: 27% [?]

The 2012 doomsday prediction has been circulating for hundreds of years and proposes that cataclysmic and apocalyptic events will occur on earth in the year 2012. Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments.

The forecast is based primarily on what is claimed to be the end-date of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, presented as lasting 5,125 years and terminating on December 21 or 23, 2012.

New Age interpretations of the prophecy are far less gloomy and rather than expecting Armageddon, envisage positive physical changes or spiritual transformations for earth and its inhabitants.

So how would the governments of our planet prepare six billion people for the end of the world? In Roland Emmerich 2012 the answer is that they wouldn’st, and the earth population is left to deal with catastrophic volcanic eruptions, typhoons, tidal waves and glaciers.

2012 is an epic adventure about a global catastrophe that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson and Oliver Platt; 2012 is expected to be released on 13 November 2009.

Woody Harrelson plays a crackpot radio host who prophesies the end of the world and is considered simply insane by others. Harrelson has compared his character to the mythological Greek figure Cassandra, a beautiful princess granted the gift of prophecy, but whose predictions were never believed.

Sony Pictures Image works was hired to produce visual-effects work on the movie. Other facilities on the 2012 project that created some of the most dramatic and apocalyptic scenes within the film, included Digital Domain, Dneg, Hydraulx, Scanline, and in-house visual effects unit Uncharted Territory.

About Image Works
Since 1992, Sony Pictures Imageworks has been creating outstanding visual effects and digital character animation, beginning with seamless invisible effects and fashioning an expertise in emotive CG characters and creatures for live action, all CG-animated, and hybrid live-action/animation productions. Imageworks prides itself as a community of artists supporting the imagination and expression of visual storytellers.

Starting with STUART LITTLE, the first photorealistic CG animated star in a live action movie, Imageworks pioneered groundbreaking moviemaking that stressed traditional character performance with exacting production standards. These innovations set the stage for what is now widely regarded as blended-cinema, where techniques from animation, visual effects and live-action combine to produce a wide-range of including the SPIDER-MAN?Ñ¢ movies, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, SUPERMAN RETURNS, MONSTER HOUSE and BEOWULF.

In 2002, Imageworks proved its all-CG character animation and production capabilities with the animated short, THE CHUBBCHUBBS!, which won an Academy Award¬¨¬®‚àö√ú and paved the way for the establishment of Sony Pictures Animation to produce animated feature films. Sony Pictures Animation’s first film, OPEN SEASON, was a box-office hit and its second film, SURF’S UP, received an Academy Award¬¨¬®‚àö√ú nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Cast:
John Cusack – Jackson Curtis
Amanda Peet – Kate (Jackson’s ex-wife)
Danny Glover – President Wilson
Thandie Newton – Laurie Wilson
Oliver Platt – Carl Anheuser
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Adrian Helmsley
Woody Harrelson – Chrlie Frost
George Segal – Tony Delgado
Ng Chin Han – Lin Pang
Thomas McCarthy ?Äì Gordon
Morgan Lily – Lilly Curtis
Liam James – Noah Curtis
John Billingsley – Professor West
Jimi Mistry – Satnam Tsurutani
Beatrice Rosen ?Äì Tamara
Patrick Bauchau – Roland Picard
Blu Mankuma – Harry Helmsley

Credits:
Directed by – Roland Emmerich
Produced by – Roland Emmerich, Mark Gordon, Harald Kloser, Larry Franco, Ute Emmerich
Written by – Harald Kloser, Roland Emmerich
Music by – Harald Kloser
Cinematography – Dean Semler
Editing by – David Brenner, Peter S.Elliott
Studio – Sony Pictures
Distributed by – Columbia Pictures

RELATED LINKS
www.instituteforhumancontinuity.org
www.whowillsurvive2012.com
http://thisistheend.com
www.imageworks.com
www.digitaldomain.com
www.dneg.com
www.hydraulx.com
www.scanlinevfx.com
http://uncharted-territory.com

Popularity: 27% [?]

Managing Director/Producer Matthew McManus and Creative Director/Flame Artist Andrew MacDonald, award-winning talents and long-time collaborators, have joined forces to launch KILT. A digital studio with a focus on visual effects and postproduction, the new company is positioned well for the changing production landscape and new economy. KILT has just finished its premiere project; a commercial for 2K Sports which launched earlier this month.

According to McManus, the company philosophy is “rooted in the belief that a small, flexible highly-talented, multi-disciplined, and experienced staff can produce good work,” he says. “KILT is well suited to meet the changing needs of the production landscape as we experience it today.”

A service company to advertising, content originator and production companies in commercials, features, music video and television, KILT’s approach is unique. As MacDonald points out, the duo saw the “digital tsunami” coming a few years ago, but they were unable from within an already-existing visual effects/post company to change direction due to dedicated architecture and overhead. “The move away from traditional means of advertising and content, to that of Internet and mobile technologies has created a new way of collaborating with clients,” he explains. “Companies now more than ever have to be flexible to meet the ever-evolving media environment.”

KILT launches with a core team that includes founding partners: McManus and MacDonald, as well as CG Artists Andy Lesniak and Michael Johnson. Together, they have a multi-disciplined approach and the ability to adapt their working pipeline to any project (as opposed to forcing a project into an existing, and potentially damaging workflow) regardless of the delivery format: television, mobile, internet, etc. A key aspect of the studio’s flexibility is scalability. “We can easily expand and contract as the project requires, and we are portable as well. So we can set up and work wherever our client is or wants us to be,” adds MacDonald.

This new mode of collaboration served KILT well on its premiere project, a commercial project for Director Peter Berg and 2K Sports. Featuring the collision of two trains against a desert landscape, symbolizing the power of baseball, the KILT team was called on to create the train’s collision. The athletes had already been shot on-set, so creative problem solving was needed.

The KILT team recommended to Director Berg that they create an entirely computer-generated 3D environment, and then integrate the CG elements with the live-action footage. The director agreed, so a small team from KILT led by Producer Matthew McManus traveled to the high desert and shot reference plates with the Red Camera.

They then integrated the cg trains and environments into the commercial’s live-action footage of the athletes. KILT artists were able to create fully CG trains using Maya and Mental Ray, and rendering using Lightwave. They had to custom-write some software for the integration of the three programs, but all this was accomplished on deadline and to budget.

KILT is now hard at work on a DirecTV campaign, which includes a series of 14 spots for NFL Prime Ticket, also scheduled to break in July.

KILT Studios

Managing Director/Producer/Partner:
Matthew McManus Matthew McManus is a leading executive in the postproduction community. In 2005, he was hired by Ascent Media to reinvent the RIOT VFX brand. Through a rebranding effort and increasing RIOT’s visibility, he generated over $6 million per year in revenue, a goal which had previously alluded RIOT. During his tenure at RIOT, Matthew led local and national seminars for both HD production workflows and digital acquisition workflows such as RED. Prior to joining RIOT, Matthew served as Executive Producer at Radium for three years, generating revenues of $4.5 million per year. His credits at Radium include the Pass That Dutch video by Missy Elliot, the 2004 VES Awards winner for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Effects in a Music Video. Previous to venturing into the postproduction world, he served has Head of Production at commercial production companies, Fahrenheit Films, M-80 and Bedford Falls.

Creative Director/Flame Artist/Partner:
Andrew MacDonald MacDonald served as creative director at METHOD/RIOT and previously at CreoCollective. He has built his reputation and staff around the idea of artistic excellence and innovation. His background also includes service at Digital Domain as a senior visual effects supervisor. Collaborating with the top filmmakers in advertising, MacDonald was instrumental in the creation of classic spots for Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Isuzu, MCI and many other advertisers. His work was recognized by numerous awards including four Clios, a Bronze Lion at Cannes and several AICP Awards for excellence. Born in England, MacDonald earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Coventry Polytechnic. He began his career as a postproduction artist, working through such London postproduction companies as Rushes, The Mill and Moving Picture Company. He went on to found several companies of his own, spanning a diverse range of creative and technical services. One of them, Hughes MacDonald, was the first independent visual effects firm in London.

CG Artist: Andy Lesniak
Andy Lesniak has applied his considerable skills as a CG supervisor and artist to feature films, television, commercials, music videos and interactive games. Among his recent credits are spots for NetZero, Lincoln and Canon. Lesniak was an original staff member of CreoCollective and a co-founder of Station X Studios. At Creo, his work included the film The Core and commercials for Volvo, Nextel and New Balance, among many others. At Station X, he contributed to the film Dogma and My Favorite Martian, and to commercials for Chevy, Toyota and Sony Wega.

CG Artist: Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson joined RIOT in 2005 and has applied his broad-based animation skills to projects for Subaru, Honda and Scion. Johnson previously spent three years at CreoCollective where his work included the films Hostage and The Core, and commercials for Ford, Microsoft, Nintendo, Olympus and Sprint. He also held a staff post at Tippett Studio in Berkeley where he was part of a team that created a series of thrilling action sequences for the film “The Matrix: Revolutions.” His background also includes freelance work for Rhythm & Hues, Eden FX and Gray Matter on projects ranging from commercials for Burger King, Ford and Nintendo to the television series “Star Trek: Voyager.” Johnson began his work with Digital Domain. He contributed to numerous commercial projects, as well as the ride film “StormRider” for Disneyland Tokyo and the film “X-Men.”

www.kiltstudios.com

Popularity: 17% [?]

To ignite anticipation for the 2009 Summer X Games, Superfad lit the fuse on an explosive integrated campaign that celebrates the best extreme athletes in the world. Continuing its work with the Martin Agency on the “Original Works of Sport” campaign, this new round features a wide reach with print and television spots and other elements to be rolled out this summer.

To produce the work Superfad delighted in experimenting with the look and feel of fireworks explosion – digitally, people, digitally – to achieve something above and beyond the stuff of neighborhood Fourth of July festivities. Bits of BMX bikes, skateboards and motocross bikes were included giving an added sense of danger and derring-do to the imagery.

Fuses were also added to the athletes so that they would appear to be an extraordinary combination of human and firework with the right bang for the sport. Other hidden effects were employed including a high level of rotoscoping – especially in the Pastrana X10 spot where he appears to race himself.

“It was exciting to take the familiar image of fireworks and deconstruct it by really making these explosions individual to each of the athletes and their events,” says Superfad Creative Director Robb Rugan. “We enjoyed the challenge of making each moment separate and unique.”

About Superfad:
Superfad is a brand-driven design and live action production company, a collective of designers, directors, animators, and artists, their mission is to see brands in unexpected ways and to express a brand voice in an undeniably original fashion.

Superfad was founded in 2001 and has produced award-winning work for many of the most respected brands worldwide. Honda, Sony, Target, Adidas, and AT&T are just a few of the companies who have turned to Superfad for inspired branding.

CREDITS
ESPN
Summer X Games Fifteen
Print & TV

Client: ESPN
Client location: New York, NY
Topic: Summer X Games 15
First Run Date: July 2009
Medium(s): TV
Ad Name(s): Expectations :30, Bigger Bang :30, Pastrana Times Ten :30

Agency: The Martin Agency
Creative Director: Rob Schapiro
Copywriter: Dave Gibson
Art Director: Michael Carpenter
Strategic Planner: Rad Tollett
Account Director: Steve Sanders
Agency Broadcast Producer: Darbi Fretwell Agency Assistant Producer: Rebecca Gricus

Production & Design: Superfad
Creative Director: Robert Rugan
CG Supervisors: Michael Wharton
Art Director: Andrew Stubbs Johnston
Executive Producer: Geraint Owen
Head of Production: Amy Selwocki
Line Producer: Barry Gilbert

Print Designers: Kinda Akash, Patrick Arrington, Pierce Gibson, Andrew Stubbs Johnston, Robert Rugan

Animators: Patrick Arrington, Dan Savage Rotoscope Artists & Compositors: Quentin Below, Fuchun Chu, Chris Lohouse, Ann Sankosik, Adrian Winter

CG Senior Animator, Lighting: Todd Alan Peleg CG Modeling, Tracking, Particle FX, Animation Team:
David Alonso, Justin Burton, Ryan Chen, Domel Libid, Angel Negron, Dave Thomlison

Editors: Brenton Gregory-Morley, Johnathon Vitagliano

Audio Post Company: Rainmaker Studios
Engineers: Jeff McManus, Mike O’Connor
Mixer: Jeff McManus

www.superfad.com

Popularity: 17% [?]

Over the past several years, creative trendleaders representing automotive enthusiasts, designers, cool hunters, passionistas, influencers and other progressive individuals worldwide have responded with great enthusiasm to the combined efforts of global creative agency ATTIK with the filmmakers from creative production company Shilo.

Beginning earlier this month, there is something new for these and other fans of this brand of stunning audiovisual excitement, with the debut of the Scion xD “Explosion” :30 TV spot, which along with the Scion Brand Manifesto campaign ad for the Scion tC was directed by ATTIK’s co-founder and creative director Simon Needham in conjunction with Shilo.

For the official Brand Manifesto campaign launch, along with this new :30 TV spot, ATTIK’s integrated scheme also recently introduced new creative elements online, in print, and in out-of-home media, with additional TV and print executions set to roll out over the weeks ahead.

“With this Brand Manifesto campaign, we’ve found some fun and exciting ways to invite even more trendleading, creative individuals to participate in the brand’s unique philosophy of ‘vehicle as self-expression,’” Needham began. “For the new TV spots, our creative focused on finding dynamic ways to convey each vehicle’s personality, and connecting those with individuality. Shilo really impressed us with their past work on ‘Fable’ and numerous other great Scion films; they really get into the personality of their creations, and that spirit transfers to the screen.”

Under the creative direction of Shilo co-founder and creative director Jose Gomez and associate creative director Evan Dennis, Shilo’s team worked with ATTIK’s in-depth campaign positioning information, a detailed script, and moodboards conveying each vehicle’s manifestos with suggestions on photographic and graphical styles, colors, textures, and typography.

“ATTIK’s brief for this project was pretty interesting, in that each car has an animation technique associated with it that speaks to the character of the car itself,” Gomez said. “For the xD, its animation has this shard-like quality reflecting the sharp angles of the car’s design. We find it really interesting when the animation itself speaks to the nature of the subject at hand.”

With the goal of finalizing the look and feel of the spots, Shilo’s artists began the project workflow by creating an animatic. “Getting everyone happy with the storyline itself was the first big step. Once we had the edit locked, we moved forward in refining the animation in the action taking place, as well as the camera moves. At the same time, we also created a motion test to present the spot’s final look and feel. With approval on that, in this case, all the rendering, compositing, and color came from Method.”

About Shilo
Shilo is an Emmy Award-winning creative production company representing a group of filmmakers led by directors Jose Gomez and Andre Stringer. Internationally known for creating original and commissioned work that is powerful, provocative and visually extraordinary, Shilo’s deeply held passions for design-infused storytelling and their innovative applications of live-action, design, and animation techniques deliver breakthrough experiences for screens large and small. From its studios in New York and La Jolla, California, where recent projects have spanned short films, commercials and music videos, Shilo has the capacity and experience to originate ideas and handle all aspects of production. Shilo published its first book, We Make It Good, in 2007, and also curates the site www.WeMakeItGood.com.

About ATTIK
ATTIK is a global creative agency committed to designing extraordinary creative experiences that inspire consumers through compelling communications. ATTIK strategic planning, design, advertising, production, client service and young-adult research expertise have driven success across an array of consumer product and service categories. ATTIK articulates corporate brand strategy, designs creative solutions for advertising, below-the-line and online media, ensuring target audiences are vitally connected to every facet of its clients’s brands.

About Scion
Scion is the newest line of vehicles from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. Developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind, Scion mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. The Scion brand features three ground-breaking models – the xD a subcompact five-door; the xB, an urban utility vehicle with an iconic shape; and the tC sports coupe.

Credits
Ad Agency: ATTIK
City/State: San Francisco, CA
Creative Director/Co-Director: Simon Needham
Associate Creative Directors: Ron Lim, Stan Zienka

Production Company: Shilo
Director: Simon Needham (ATTIK) and Shilo
Creative Director: Jose Gomez
Associate Creative Director: Evan Dennis
Lead Designers: Evan Dennis, Jose Gomez
3D Animation: Cody Smith, Jesse Franklin, Henning Koczy, Gene Arvan
Editor: Adam Bluming
Production Coordinator: Katlin Bradley
Producer: Jake Hibler
Executive Producer: Santino Sladavic

VFX and Finishing: Method Studios
City/State: Bicoastal, USA
Senior Executive Producer: Gabby Gourier
Producer: Leighton Greer
Visual Effects Supervisor: Chris Nichols
Compositing Supervisor / Lead Compositor: Chris Bankoff
Flame Artist: Marguerite Cargill
Lighting Supervisor: Daniel Buck
CG Artists: Scott Metzger, Felix Urquiza, Alexander Lee, Didier Levy, Dave Carlson
Nuke Compositors: Ryan Raith, Jake Maymudes
Coordinator: Lauren Haggard

Music/Sound Design/Mix company: Face The Music
City/State: Bicoastal USA
Executive Producer: Adam Joseph
Composer/Sound Designer: Matthew Kratz
Additional Sound Designer: Michael Schmidt
Mixer: David Carden

www.attik.com
www.shilo.tv

Popularity: 17% [?]

Summer is camping season and a high-risk time for wildfires, nine out of 10 of which are caused by human carelessness. With wildfire prevention in mind, DraftFCB tapped Director Jason Zada of Tool of North America and visual effects company Ntropic to create a new PSA called “Bonfire” on behalf of the Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

For “Bonfire,” Ntropic was presented with the challenge of redesigning Smokey Bear to add greater CG realism to the classic icon of wildfire prevention in an intensive 4-week production cycle. Ntropic’s animation acumen produced a full cinematic treatment for Smokey including lifelike hair and movement and physical proportions appropriate for the ultimate protector of the woods.

Ntropic worked hand in hand with both the agency and Jason Zada who directed the charming cautionary tale of the potential pitfalls of having a casual attitude towards fire and wildfire prevention- from an annoyed girlfriend to the impact on communities.

“It was amazing to work with the agency team and Jason on the rollout of the newly designed bear on Smokey’s 65th birthday,” says Ntropic’s Andrew Singara. “We were honored to help bring such a classic character to full 3d life.”

“Working closely with Jason Zada, our director from Tool of North America, and Andrew Sinagra, our VFX guru from Ntropic, reminded me just how lucky we are when given the chance to truly craft and shape and mold an idea into something special,” concludes DraftFCB Group CD Scott Murray. “These guys and their teams were the heart and soul of bringing this idea to life in a way that was fitting of an iconic figure like Smokey Bear.”

About Ntropic
Ntropic is a boutique VFX company with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since opening its doors in 1996, the studio has thrived on creating 2D and 3D visual effects for cinematic high-concept work from feature films such as ‘Underworld Evolution’ and ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ to commercials for Nissan, Mercedes, Coca-Cola and Kohl to music videos for My Chemical Romance, Justin Timberlake and Green Day. A staunch believer in creative collaboration and integrating all aspects into the whole, Ntropic partners with filmmakers to envision and design shots, and incorporate music and sound design.

About Tool
Tool of North America is known for its mastery of “very, very short films, with blatant product placement.” The aptly-named production company serves as an implement, enabling directors to discover-and then endlessly rediscover-what they do best. Tool’s talented roster and knack for delivering laugh-out-loud comedy and arresting visual style engenders advertising’s top honors. Well-established in the integrated media arena, Tool serves as a resource for agencies, collaborating with creatives to develop compelling content.

About DraftFCB
DraftFCB is a full marketing communications agency designed to build clients’ businesses by focusing on consumer behavior. DraftFCB create ideas that drive consumer behavior in the most creative ways.The Draft FCB objective is simple. To offer total integration that is effective and efficient and optimizes consumer behavioral insights to drive results.

Credits
Agency: DraftFCB
Sr. Producer: Tom Anderson
Associate Producer: Jeffrey Perino
Exec. CD: Teddy Brown
Group CD: Scott Murray

Production Company: Tool of North America
EP: Brian Latt
Director: Jason Zada
DP: Ross Richardson
Line Producer: Joby Oschner

Animation/VFX: Ntropic
Creative Director/VFX Lead: Andrew Sinagra CG Artists: Dustin Zachary & Rob Hubbard
Animator: Joel Fletcher
Producer: Esther Gonzalez
Executive Producer: Dana Townsend

Related Links
www.ntropic.com
www.toolofna.com
www.draftfcb.com

Popularity: 15% [?]

Click 3X has launched a hilarious 3:00, long-form piece starring financial expert Mellody Hobson and the famous E*TRADE babies, in the latest effort for the financial services company’s long-running 1000 New Accounts a Day campaign via Grey NY. Grey CCO Tor Myhren and his team looked to Click 3X to elevate the campaign by adding additional characters, more interaction, and the backing of renowned outside financial experts.

Click utilized their extensive resources to complete all aspects of the campaign, from casting to live-action shooting to FX to making selects and seamlessly implementing them into the edit, all under the demands of a three-week schedule, showcasing the company’s broad range of expertise.

The spot opens with Good Morning America’s Financial Contributor Mellody Hobson firing up an online teleconference with the E*TRADE Babies, who will ostensibly explain the complexities of stocks and bonds to her in the simplest possible terms. In the humorous exchange that follows, the E*TRADE Baby defines the various financial instruments while “Benny” makes awkward compliments about Hobson’s beauty. The spot, which debuted on ABC May 29, is also running as two condensed :60 cutdowns in movie theaters and on YouTube.

“E*TRADE’s 1000 New Accounts a Day campaign featuring the E*TRADE Babies is one of the most instantly recognizable on the advertising and cultural landscapes today, so it was a great moment for Click to be asked to take it to a new level,” stated Lead Flame/VFX Artist John Budion. “Rather than just rehashing past material, I think our team did a great job of doing something fresh and funny with characters that are familiar to almost everyone.”

Using a combination of new footage shot of 6-year-old’s mouths at Click’s stages, ABC-shot footage of Mellody Hobson, and pre-existing material of the infants shot against green screen for previous spots, the studio assembled the sequence that made the babies appear to be conversing with Hobson. Budion directed the 6-year-olds to deliver the lines at different perspectives, with different cadences, in order to capture a more believable performance of the mouths. Specific copy needed to be delivered in a fashion that matched the verbiage and content of the words. If the babies were annoyed with something, the lines needed to be delivered with that attitude, flare, and timing in their cadence.

When it came time for the flame stage, Click’s ability to streamline and work efficiently without any effect on the quality of the final product was on full display. Budion was aided by veteran Lead Flame/VFX Mark Szumski, and Flame Artist Sophia Avgousti who helped him to set up a live-action and VFX pipeline that completely removed the typical challenges of doing a three-minute full HD piece, allowing an intense collaborative focus on the creative. The team had ample time to perfect the subtleties of emotion and attitude that define the exchange between Hobson and the babies. After final picture, the entire piece was treated to give it the feel of an online video. Click added more damage to the jump cuts to make it feel as though the video were hanging up.

“We had the challenging assignment of doing a made-for-TV spot that had the feel of an innovative web project, but with our HD-Flame resources, this wasn’t a problem,” noted Head of Production Jared Yeater. “With all the components of production centralized in Click’s studios, all the people involved in the disparate parts of the project are able to easily collaborate to work out the best final product.”

About Click 3X:
New York-based Click 3X produces cutting-edge visual solutions for commercials, feature films, television, music videos, and broadcast clients around the globe. Founded in 1993, Click 3X has become one of the preeminent providers of innovative media content, housed in an environment led by artists, yet supported by one of the most technologically advanced digital studios in the industry. With award-winning design, powerful visual effects, and a visionary animation team, Click 3X has worked on array of diverse highly-recognizable projects, including a series of films from academy-award winning directors like Jonathan Demme and Davis Guggenheim, a recent multimedia package for eight HD Time Warner spots, My Home 2.0, a five episode reality TV series for Verizon Fios, and a long line of recent commercials for major brands such as Sharp, Ford, and Goodyear.

In addition to Click 3X’s commercial and film expertise, their interactive design studio, ClickFire Media, specializes in multi-platform, media-rich interactive campaigns. CFM partners with agencies and entertainment industry clients in the conceptualization, design, and development of immersive branded experiences. Through insight and innovation, CFM combines the latest interactive technologies with the best design, video, animation, and live action skills from Click 3X to deliver integrated solutions in the ever-developing media landscape. Haunt is a division that specializes in cutting-edge motion design for music videos, virals, and installations, and has worked with many of the industry’s top music talent and directors. Click 3X Entertainment focuses on broadcast branding and design, rounding out the company’s expertise for every screen.

The Creds:
Client: E*TRADE
Spots Title: “Financial Literacy”
Air Date: 5/29/09

Agency: Grey New York
CCO: Tor Myhren
ECD: Rob Baiocco
Creative Director/Art Director: Paul Behnen
Producer: Seth Gorenstein

Prod Company (Lip Shoot): Click 3X
Director (Lip Shoot): John Budion
Lead Flame/VFX Artist(s): John Budion, Mark Szumski
Flame Artist: Sophia Avgousti
Designer: Justin Wolfson
EP: Jason Mayo
Head of Production: Jared Yeater

Editor: Alex Cohan @ Grey, NY
Mixer: Dante Desole @Grey, NY

Shoot Location (Lip Shoot): Click 3X

www.click3x.com

Popularity: 19% [?]

Under Armour, Inc., the originator of performance apparel, footwear and accessories teams ups with the filmmakers from creative production company Shilo to debut the company’s latest artistic brand film, “Fierce Speed.” The creative collaboration between Shilo and Under Armour introduces the fastest generation of football cleats, the UA Fierce, through a high paced :30 spot that debuted July 13th on ESPN’s You Tube Channel.

“Fierce Speed” represents a dramatic fusion of football, space-age technology and science-fiction. The spot’s original score, courtesy of Gavin Little of Echolab, enhances the futuristic theme by weaving the familiar sounds of a football game with the supersonic frequencies of sound-waves, creating a cinematic feast for the eyes, ears, and mind.

The new project reunited Under Armour creative director, Marcus Stephens and art director Brian Boring with Shilo co-founder and creative director Andre Stringer and ACD Noah Conopask. Shilo also recruited the skills of 3D supervisor Chris Fung to produce the spot entirely in CGI, creating the unique look and science-fiction feel that surpasses the quality of live-footage. The original HD content was ultimately modeled and animated by Shilo’s artists using Maya, and After Effects was used for final compositing.

“Our goal with the film was for it to knock viewers out of their chairs when they watched it… it had to be super intense,” explained Noah Conopask. “We wanted it to feel like it was born of and infused with speed and the high paced action that is out on the field during a football game.”

“Under Armour has an amazing knowledge of their product and their consumers, and our expertise is in creating and producing engaging, cinematic stories,” said Andre Stringer. “Given the objective of telling the story of the fastest shoe on the market, we sat down together and brainstormed on how to be visually innovative. By using visual metaphors to explain speed, this new spot hits UA’s marketing objectives while also presenting a highly creative, interesting take on the whole genre of the shoe marketing spot.”

Credits for Shilo also include executive producer Tracy Chandler, producer Amy Fahl, editor Nathan Caswell, 3D animators Joji Tsuruga, Christina Ku, and Tamir Sapir, 3D modeler Youngmin Kim, VFX artist Warren Heimall, and compositors Dorian West, Joel Voelker, Will Decker, and Bashir Hamid.

About Shilo
Shilo is an Emmy Award-winning creative production company representing a group of filmmakers led by directors Jose Gomez and Andre Stringer. Internationally known for creating original and commissioned work that is powerful, provocative and visually extraordinary, Shilo’s deeply held passions for design-infused storytelling and their innovative applications of live-action, design, and animation techniques deliver breakthrough experiences for screens large and small. From its studios in New York and La Jolla, California, where recent projects have spanned short films, commercials and music videos, Shilo has the capacity and experience to originate ideas and handle all aspects of production. Shilo published its first book, We Make It Good, in 2007, and also curates the site www.WeMakeItGood.com.

About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour(R) (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand’s moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China.

Related Links
www.shilo.tv
www.underarmour.com

Popularity: 17% [?]

Bicoastal U.S. creative production company Stardust Studios is very proud to detail its artistic collaborations with the creative team from LA-based ad agency Dailey for WONKA  brand candies NERDS and SWEETARTS . Unique :30 spots for both brands, created entirely in-house at Stardust under the direction of Neil Tsai, recently debuted on MTV, Nick at Nite, ABC Family and in other targeted broadcast and cable media outlets across the U.S.

As originally conceived by Dailey’s team of creative director Richard Bronshvag, art director Bryan Carroll, copywriter Aroon Mukhey and producer Aubrey Harms, the “Feed Your Imagination: NERDS  and “Feed Your Imagination: SWEETARTS  spots both explore colorful, surprising, highly imaginative worlds inspired by the WONKA  brand and the candies themselves. According to Tsai, as the ideas took more concrete forms, “Richard gave Stardust total creative space and thus, we were able to give creative input on the ideas as well as implement our unique Stardust style.”

“Ultimately, we’re telling the WONKA brand story through the attributes of the WONKA  candies themselves – which is a challenge when each candy needs to have its own visual identity,” Bronshvag said. “Stardust’s strength lies in the breadth of their stylistic repertoire. Which is not to say that these styles are rehearsed. Rather, that their exploration of color and form is so in depth, that they can create a range of looks that hold together. As this campaign evolves, Stardust’s range will become more and more apparent.’

(Wonka Nerds – by Stardust Studios)

Tsai, Stardust’s creative director Jake Banks, executive producer Paul Abatemarco, producer Erin Sullivan and designers Bill Bak and Gretchen Nash created their original illustrations, and project storyboards, using traditional cel animation techniques and Adobe Creative Suite.

“Because the project was well planned and scheduled, we had enough time to explore the style of the illustrations and the concepts,” Tsai explained. “Jake, myself, Erin and Richard worked closely on the creative part. From the R&D to design, storyboarding out the transition details, and motion tests, we ensured each scene transition flowed seamlessly throughout the spot… and really brought out the fun and playfulness of the WONKA  imagination world.”

Stardust’s artists, including animators Hai Ho, Sam Sparks, Maithy Tran, Yan Ng, GianCarlo Rondavi, Hung Vodish, Daniel Loeb, and Brian Broussard, used Autodesk Maya and Adobe After Effects for animation and compositing.

Both spots also feature custom sound design and musical scores, courtesy of Anthony Anderson of DJ Amplive and Dailey Broadcast sound designer Henry Correa, with audio mastering handled by sound editor Jimmy Hite and mixer Michael Jesmer of Santa Monica’s Margarita Mix.

“These two spots represent about six months of R&D, and a true partnership between us and the agency,” concluded Stardust’s Paul Abatemarco. “The process was long, but very fruitful.”

(Wonka Sweetarts – by Stardust Studios)

About Stardust Studios
Stardust is an award-winning, full-service creative production company, specializing in motion design, animation, visual effects and live-action production. Led by founder and creative director Jake Banks, Stardust’s Santa Monica and New York offices continually redefine creativity for commercial, on-air, music video and in-store presentations. Their recent work, including projects for the world’s top ad agencies, brands and recording artists, has earned numerous awards and worldwide editorial exposure.

Credits
Project Name: WONKA ‘Feed Your Imagination: NERDS’ and ‘Feed Your Imagination: SWEETARTS’
Running Time: 2 x :30

Advertising Agency: Dailey
City/State: Los Angeles, CA
Creative Director: Richard Bronshvag
Art Director: Bryan Carroll
Copywriter: Aroon Mukhey
Agency Producer: Aubrey Harms

Production Company: Stardust Studios
City/State: Bicoastal, USA
Director: Neil Tsai
Creative Director: Jake Banks
Design Director: Neil Tsai
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Producer: Erin Sullivan
Designers: Bill Bak, Gretchen Nash
Animators: Hai Ho, Sam Sparks, Maithy Tran, Yan Ng, Giancarlo Rondavi, Hung Vodish, Daniel Loeb, Brian Broussard

Music Company: DJ Amplive
City/State: San Rafael, CA
Executive Producer/Composer: Anthony Anderson

Sound Design: Dailey Broadcast
City/State: West Hollywood, CA
Sound Designer: Henry Correa

Final Mix: Margarita Mix
City/State: Santa Monica, CA
Sound Editing: Jimmy Hite
Mixer: Michael Jesmer

www.stardust.tv

Popularity: 20% [?]

US animation and VFX studio ‘Buck’ previously completed a spot for Coke Zero in early 2008, but the ad has only just received its first airing, over a year later, in Brazil. ‘Unbelievable Song’ is an epic rock opera commercial for Coke Zero that features memorable cast members including a wolf singing R&B, g-string sporting antelopes, and honeycomb encrusted sheep.

The animation is set in a forest and begins with a bear leaning against a tree, pondering how incredible it is that Coke Zero tastes just like Coke, yet contains zero sugar. ‘It unbelievable’ the bear croons ‘the greatest combo, anything is possible’.

The likeable singing bear then launches into a Meatloafesque performance where he considers what other amazing combinations should exist in life. The irrelevant and funny song lyrics underpin the colourful and exciting animated graphics of the spot.

As salmon fall from trees and rainbows turn into slides, the action follows the bear as he water ski in formation, with other forest animals, down a waterfall. ‘Oh wouldn’st it be great if Antelopes could dance? and bears wore tear off pants, oh life would just be dandy ….. if birds pooped candy …….’

The spot was commissioned by Wieden+Kennedy in 2007, Buck completed the work in early 2008, and the ad was first aired on Brazilian television in May 2009.

ABOUT BUCK
Specializing in design-driven creative, Buck’s directors and artists use animation, visual effects and live action to collaborate with clients, from concept to delivery, producing work that is visceral, innovative, and diverse. From offices in New York and Los Angeles, Buck works with a broad range of clients in the advertising, broadcast, retail and entertainment industries.

Credits
Production Company: Buck
Creative Directors: Ryan Honey, Orion Tait
Executive Producer: Maurie Enochson
Producer: Nick Terzich
Associate Producer: Eric Badros
Associate Creative Director: Jeremy Sahlman
Sr. Art Director: Thomas Schmid
Art Directors: Ben Langsfeld, Fede Reano
Matte Painting Supervisors: Alp Altiner, Daniel Thron
Matte Painters: Josh Caez, Craig Elliott, George Fuentes, Andrew Park, Daniel Thron
Concept Art Lead: Daniel Thron
Concept Artists: George Fuentes, Chris Lee, Andrew Park, Kieran Yanner
Design Assistant: Nahara Pacheco
Storyboards: Massive Black
Animators: Paul America, Hunter Athey, Minhee Choe, Steve Day, Matthew Everton, Mark Farquhar, Henry Foster, Kanishka Muthuthanthri, Shannon Pytlak, Yuriko Senoo, Bill Wright
3D Pipeline Leads: Paul America, Jens Lindgren
Lighting/Shading Lead: Bill Dorais
Lighting/Shading: Sarah Bocket, Meg Bright-Ryan, Raul Dominguez, Henry Foster, Tim Hayward, Jens Lindgren, Chris Phillips, Sean Rivet, Pedram Shohadai, Doug Wilkinson
FX Lead: Ryan Phalen
FX Artists: Yates Holley, Billy Maloney, Markus Wipplinger
Fur Lead: Bill Dorais
Fur Artists: Chris Christman, Yates Holley, Pedram Shohadai, Kalim Winata, Markus Wipplinger
Character Modeling Lead: Brandon Perlow
Character Artists: Yates Holley, Alex O’sDonnell, Chris Phillips, Markus Wipplinger
Environment Artists: Sarah Bocket, Meg Bright-Ryan, Raul Dominguez, Chris Phillips
Rigging Lead: Henry Foster
Riggers: Joel Anderson, Yates Holley, Jens Lindgren, John Riggs
Compositing Lead: Bjarni Robert Bragason
Compositors: Randy Little, Steve Mitchell, Bill Phillips, Fede Reano, Thomas Schmid
Editor: Harry Walsh
Assistant: Aaron Abt
End Card Producer: Kim Evans, Kate Treacy
End Card Animators: Joseph Chan, Joe Mullen, Doug Purver
Colorist: Mike Pethel
Flame Artist: Tim Bird
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam
Creative Directors: Al Moseley, John Norman
Copywriter: Patrick Almaguer
Art Director: Blake Kidder
Account Team: Abi Findlay
Producer: Eloise Hastings
Assistant Producer: Orlando Wood
Executive Creative Directors: Al Moseley, John Norman
Agency Executive Producer: Tom Dunlap
Music: Human
Sound Design: Machine Head

Related Links:
Buck
www.buck.tv
Wieden+Kennedy
www.wk.com

Popularity: 29% [?]