New York-based SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION has completed "Cold Start," a spotfor Prestone antifreeze, for agency Grey Advertising. Spontaneous used 3DStudio MAX to create the engine and antifreeze. Live-action footage wasproduced by New York-based Zero 2 Sixty.
Mumbai, India-based GRAPHITI MULTIMEDIA has completed two :15 spots forLimca soft drink. In one of the spots, an animated version of Indian moviestar Shah Rukh Khan is chased by a dog while on a date with his girlfriend.In the other spot, a cricket player is taunted by a duck. In both spots,the characters are encouraged to "take it easy" with a Limca soft drink.Graphiti used Cambridge Animation Systems' Animo software to composite thehand-drawn characters with the backgrounds, which were created using AdobePhotoshop.
Santa Monica, California-based SIMEX DIGITAL STUDIOS has completed "IceCliff," a spot for Dunlop Tires and agency Dentsu, Inc. of Tokyo, Japan. Inthe spot, five luxury sport cars race on rapidly eroding, digitallygenerated, ice covered cliffs. The camera moves back to reveal that thecliffs are created by a giant digitally created Dunlop tire. CGI ArtistJeff Chung used Alias Power Animator and Maya Media Illusion to create theeffects.
London, UK-based RICHARD PURDUM PRODUCTIONS has completed three spots forNestle Polo mints. In "Aliens," which was designed by Robin Heighway Bury,the mint is chased by aliens. In "Cement," which was designed by John PaulEarly, the Polo mint is hounded by a mob, and in "Beach," which wasdesigned by Adrian Johnson, the mint is chased by muscle men into a ladies'changing room. The three designers brought their individual styles to eachof the spots, which were all directed by Richard Purdum for agency J.Walter Thompson.
San Francisco-based CURIOUS PICTURES has finished "Decide & Conquer," a :30spot for Lugz athletic shoes. Directed by Jerry van de Beek, the spotresembles a video game and features Fantm Sklz, a hip male character, whomaneuvers through the obstacles of New York City, scoring points as hemakes his way to his final destination. Curious used 3D Studio MAX, AdobeAfter Effects and Discreet Paint for this project. New York-based AmsterYard was the agency.
New York City-based THE ATTIK has created the new visual style for UnitedParamount Network (UPN), the sixth largest network in the US, to help brandits new identity for its fall season. This includes promos, opens,transitions, and ids. To create the package, The Attik developed a seriesof models formed from translucent plastic and glass, and photographed themon an animation bed. The elements were edited to generate a sense offluctuation in the energy of the UPN logo, which was then combined with a
New York City-based QUIET MAN has completed "Giant Boy," a :30 spot forFritos Racerz, a race-car shaped snack food. In the spot, a NASCAR race cardriver wakens from a dream just before he and his car are eaten by a boy.Johnnie Semerad directed the visual effects, and Philana Dias was theFlame/Effects artist. Richard Sears directed the spot for New York andHollywood-based production company HKM Productions for New York-basedagency BBDO.
New York City-based CYCLOTRON has completed a photo-real, CGI end tag for aseries of Heineken spots for creative company Vidal, Reynardus & Moya. Thecommercials are targeted for the US Hispanic market. The 10-second end tagfeatures a frosty cold bottle of Heineken. Cyclotron used Side EffectsHoudini software and wrote proprietary shaders for Renderman. Bruce Gionetwas the CGI supervisor.
London-based BERMUDA SHORTS has completed "Rear Window," a spot for Natwestbank. The spot explores the things you can do in the privacy of your homeonce you own the property. The spot includes 2D animated people who sit bya stream, feeding fish, as well as a stop-motion animated man working onhis car. Phil Dale did the stop-motion animation. Run Wrake directed thespot for Agency TBWA.
Mumbai, India-based GRAPHITI MULTIMEDIA PVT. LTD. has completed a :20 spotfor ThumsUp soft drink, a Coca-Cola product. In the spot, a mosquito holdsa straw like a microphone and sings a 1970s Hindi love song until theThumsUp hero, played by a live model, squashes the insect. Graphiti usedCambridge Animation Systems' Animo software to composite the three mattelayers -- a highlight layer, a mid-tone layer, and a body shadow layer --making up the mosquito. The 3D environment was created with 3D Studio Max.Sunil Shetty directed the spot.
Santa Monica, California-based MIXIN PIXLS created the opening Warner Bros.logo sequence for DEEP BLUE SEA. The computer animated sequence presentsthe Warner shield flying through the sky. As the logo comes into full view,the sky undulates and the logo goes underwater, and transforms in the logoof Mirage Productions. Harri Paakkonen directed the animation usingAlias|Wavefront Composer and Sapphire Tools.
SIMON GOODCHILD, recently signed by London-based SHERBERT, has completedhis first commercial, "Colour Screams," a :40 spot for Procter and Gamble'snew washing powder, Vibrant. The agency was Grey Advertising. The spot,which uses abstract shapes and pure color to create a mood of vibrant,non-bleeding color, was designed with Truespace and Adobe Photoshop.
Boston, Massachusetts-based LOCONTE GOLDMAN has completed "Hearts on Fire"which consists of three :30 spots, and one :60 spot, for Grant Marketing, aProvidence, Rhode Island-based diamond company. The promos are for a tapethat will be used in a direct mail campaign, as well as for walk-incustomers. Maria LoConte directed the spots, and New York City-basedKLEISER WALCZAK did the 3D animation.
West Los Angeles-based RHYTHM & HUES has completed "Father and Daughter," a:30 spot for General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal. The spot featuresan alien pre-teen and her alien father discussing the out-of-this worldtaste and looks of the cereal. For the spot, real actors were videotaped asreferences. This reference footage was then used as inspiration whenplotting the animation curves in Maya. The spot was made for Minneapolis,Minnesota-based Agency Campbell Mithun Esty. Micheal Patterson directed for
Tony Caio of New York City-based DMA has designed a new program ID andtitle sequence for The Food Network's "Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay."In the ID, a Bobby Flay caricature appears in black tie, and juggles acocktail shaker, slab of steak, shrimp, and a pickle. Stylized stars dancein the background. Dancing pieces of food spin across the screen and circleonto plates, as the show's logo comes back into view, pulsating in apainterly fashion.
Toronto-based TOPIX/MAD DOG has completed the computer animated :15"Explosion" promoting Russell Stover's Pecan Delights. In the spot, whichwas created with Softimage and Flame, little chocolate men explode thecandies to find the pecan treats inside. Livio Passera and Mark Ainsliedirected the animation. Toronto-based Generator Productions shot thelive-action footage.
Sherman Oaks, California-based Warner Bros. TV Animation Studio hascompleted a spot featuring the classic cartoon characters, Tom and Jerry,in Promise Buttery Light "Butter Trouble," a :30 for New York-based agencyMcCann Erickson. In the cel-animated spot, Tom attempts to trick Jerry byswitching Promise Buttery Light for plain butter.
Stockholm, Sweden-based Filmtecknarna F. Animation has completed theanimation for "Chilled Cream," a three-spot campaign for British beercompany Boddington. The three ads combine 2D animation with 3D backgroundand CGI effects. The design of the characters and the overall look of thefilms were created at Filmtecknarna under the creative direction of StigBergqvist and Jonas Dahlbeck. The sound editing and overall productionmanagement was handled by London-based Nexus Films with producer ChrisO´Reilly in charge.
White Plains, New York-based J.J. Sedelmaier has completed two :30 spotsfor Old Navy. "Girls Zip Pocket Flares" features a young magician whoconjures up and controls Old Navy's new zip pocket jeans for her friends.In "Boys Boarder Jeans," boys show off their large style jeans whilewalking the dog, sawing a log, talking to a frog, and paying the rent whileskateboarding. The spots feature a '60s retro-style designed by DavidSheldon.
New York City-based QUIET MAN has completed "Caterpillar," a :20 CGI showopen for the Sci-Fi Channel, a cable service. The spot features a robotcaterpillar who changes into a metallic spider. Todd Mueller directed.
Toronto-based TOPIX/MAD DOG has completed the computer animated :15 RussellStover Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups "Oil Well" for Russell Stover andBerstein-Rein. For the spot, TOPIX/Mad Dog developed proprietary fluiddynamics software that can be customized to replicate jelly spurting out ofan "oil" derrick. Done in Softimage, the spot features little chocolateconstruction workers who become excited when their derrick hits jelly. SeanMontgomery directed.
London-based PASSION PICTURES' CG animation director Chris Knott and postproduction house RUSHES' Paul Wratten have finished "Very Boggy," a :40spot for Nouvelle toilet tissue. In the spot a variety of toilets open andshut in time to the music of Handel's "Water Music." CG animator ChrisKnott reproduced the toilet seats which were first shot as live-actionreference. Mark Wilson completed all the builds, surfacing, lighting, andcompositing in Lightwave 5.6.
Mumbai, India-based GRAPHITI MULTIMEDIA has completed "The Case of theMissing Tooth" for Pepsodent, a 7-minute infomercial in which detectivesSqeezy, a tube of toothpaste, and Bristles, a toothbrush, work their waythrough a tooth maze, battle germs in a haunted house, peer into a foodcave, and are lectured by a dentist who explains to them the benefits ofgood oral hygiene. Traditional line drawings were used to create thecharacters, but environments were produced in 3D Studio Max. Cambridge
Hollywood-based Super 78 used Adobe After Effects 4.0 to design the 2Dgraphics for a :30 spot, "Wanna Bet?," for YouBet.com, a new thoroughbredhorseracing on-line wagering service.
Santa Monica, California-based Mixin Pixls completed the computer animationfor "Mouse," a spot for DiTech.com in which a computer comes to life andtells its owner about DiTech.com. Live-action was directed by Ken Robertsfor Laguna Beach, California-based Ken Roberts Productions.
