Hasta La Motion!

In a spot that appeals to our competitive natures, agency 72andSunny launches an integrated campaign for Nike Running in Europe aptly titled “Men vs. Women.”

With Gnarls Barkley crooning through their earbuds, some well-known sports celebrities turn on the juice and go shoe to shoe in this sixty second rivalry. The women get some help from world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe and dancer Sofia Boutella. The men are supported by Roger Federer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Tony Parker, among others.

The 72andSunny/Nike team are no strangers to recruiting superstar athletes for their campaigns – my favorite being the “Take It to the Next Level” soccer spot directed by Guy Ritchie posted on Motionographer back in April of 08.

It’s refreshing to see an agency sell a concept that doesn’t rest on explaining the technology behind the product, but rather finds a way to appeal to what really gets our blood flowing – an old fashioned rivalry.

Credits

CLIENT:  Nike
EMEA Brand Connections Director: Enrico Balleri
EMEA Advertising and Content Manager: Marcella Fauci
EMEA Brand Communications Manager: Oliver Eckart

Agency: 72andSunny
CD: John Boiler, Glenn Cole
Writer/CD: Jason Norcross
Designer/CD: Bryan Rowles
Brand Team: Alex Schneider, Evin Shutt, Megan Woods
Director of Film Production: Sam Baerwald
Producer: Angelo Ferrugia
Business Affairs: Jessica Reznick

Production Company: Biscuit
Director: Tim Godsall
DP/Cameraman:  Steven Keith Roach
Producer: Rick Jarjoura
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Sr. Executive Producer: Shawn Lacy
Editorial: Spotwelders
Editor: Robert Duffy
Editorial Producer: Carolina Padilla
Asst Editor: Patrick Murphree
Executive Producer: David Glean

Post Production:  The Mill, Los Angeles
Flame Artists: Giles Cheethum, Tara Demarco
Producer: Arielle Davis

Audio Post:  Lime Studios
Mixers: Rohan Young, Joel Waters
Sound Design: Rohan Young

Telecine: CO3
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Producer: Rhubie Jovanov

Music Artist: Gnarls Barkley
Song: “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)”

Posted on Motionographer

Pictoplasma, the global clearing house for contemporary character design and art, commissioned director David O’Reilly to create the show open for Pictopia, the Pictoplasma exhibition taking place in Berlin this week.

Set to a hollow yet pleasing rendition of “When You’re Smiling,” O’Reilly tells the story of a skeleton looking for character parts in a warehouse-like digital space. Once the pieces are chosen, he replaces himself with the bits to create a generic but adorable little guy who walks through a mirror onto a stage.

WYS sparked some discussion at Motionographer headquarters. Although it seems innocent enough on the surface, O’Reilly’s film is subtly subversive: The central figure transforms itself from a human form into a clichéd icon, one assembled from samples of Japanese pop culture—a tendency that’s obvious in much of the character work at exhibitions like Pictopia.

In broader terms, “When You’re Smiling sets up a debate about the nature of animation and character design as triggers for empathy,” said Motionographer’s Justin Cone. Do characters—especially simplified, cuddly critters—act as psychological mirrors for audiences? If so, what sort of relationship is that? What kind of stories does that encourage/discourage? Are some stories being left behind?

As the opening for a gathering about character design, O’Reilly’s film couldn’t be more appropriate. It once again shows his penchant for intelligent iconoclasm expressed through engaging narrative. He reminds me of Brad Bird’s famous insistence that animation isn’t a genre, it’s an artform.

Watch When You’re Smiling

Posted on Motionographer

The LA Times has a Scene Stealer break-down of Imageworks’ Dr. Manhattan vfx.

100 Free Useful Apps for Mac. You might find something you find useful.