Hasta La Motion!

Mothership is back. Directors Dael Oates and David Rosenbaum —in collaboration with Goodby Silverstein & Partners— have joined forces to create the studios latest spot, Firsts. The ad displays an elaborately choreographed domino effect that, one by one, topples the world’s technological and cultural “firsts.” While visual effects were contributed by Mothership’s sister facility, Digital Domain, Oates and Rosenbaum, who do not regularly direct as a duo, came together to handle this complex and ambitious project, which includes all live-action and the digital integration of hundreds of all-CG elements.

UPDATE: The previously featured video has now been swapped out with an extended :60 version.

Posted on Motionographer

Photo by Mark Sebastian

When the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) announced the formation of a new chapter, AICP Digital, we wondered what impact that might have on motion graphics, animation and visual effects studios and freelancers.

Thanks to Motionographer’s Bran Dougherty-Johnson, we set up an interview with AICP President and CEO Matt Miller and President, Commercials Division and Executive Producer of Digital Domain, Ed Ulbrich, who has helped make AICP Digital a reality.

If you’re not sure whether or not this is relevant to you, don’t worry: it is. As Ulbrich says in our interview, “This should be of really critical importance to the individual, because their quality of life and their livelihood and their pay indirectly is determined by that relationship between these design companies, these animation shops, these visual effects studios, these web development houses—and the relationship with their clients.”

Many of our questions about AICP Digital revolved around rising issues regarding labor practices. “Labor is one of the great ticking time bombs of the motion graphics and design world,” says Ulbrich. “And it’s [about] getting the companies to have awareness of their obligations under the law and employees understanding what’s appropriate.”

Check out the interview here. It’s also available through iTunes, along with our other podcasts.

Download audio file (download.php?filename=2009-07-22_aicp02.mp3)

Posted on Motionographer

Hot off the heels of Benjamin Button’s Oscar success, Digital Domain’s commercial division shows us what they’ve been up to with a three-spot campaign for the 2010 Lexus RX. They’ve been getting plenty of airtime on TV, but in case you’ve missed them, take a look:

• Assembled
• City
• Intersection

The spots were directed by Carl Erik Rinsch and had some top notch talent on board with DP Claudio Miranda (nominated for an Oscar for cinematography) and production designer Donald Graham Burt (won the Oscar for set design).

The first two spots are filled with a beautiful blend of visual effects and live action, while the third spot is mostly live action with a sparse graphic touch. Some of my favorite moments from “Assembled” are the conveyor belt moving almost snake-like over the black leather couch and the pull-out shot of the car being assembled by robotic arms on the street.

“City” has its own share of visually rich shots and easily convinces you that a whole city of cars and buildings were literally hoisted up for your traffic-free pleasure.

If you haven’t already had your fill of car commercials, take some time to browse Digital Domain’s ever-growing library of 45+ automotive spots in the Advertising / Automotive section of their website.

If you’re a fan of Digital Domain’s work, remember that Ed Ulbrich, Executive Vice President and President of Commercials Division, will be speaking at F5.

Credits

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

CLIENT: Lexus
PRODUCT: 2010 Lexus RX

AIR DATE for “Assembled”: 02/16/09
AIR DATE for “City”: 02/16/09
AIR DATE for “Intersection”: 02/16/09

ADVERTISING AGENCY: Team One / El Segundo, CA

Chief Creative Officer: Chris Graves
Group Creative Director: Jon Pearce
Group Creative Director: Gavin Lester
Executive Producer: Jennifer Weinberg
Account Supervisor: Kristie Weston

PRODUCTION COMPANY: RSA Films, Inc. / Los Angeles, CA

Director: Carl Erik Rinsch
Executive Producer: Marjie Abrahams
Director or Photography: Claudio Miranda
Line Producer: Annie Johnson
1st Assistant Director: Howell Caldwell
Production Supervisor: Bryan Mitchell

ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS: Digital Domain, Inc. / Venice, CA

President of Commercials, Exec. Producer: Ed Ulbrich
Executive Producer / Head of Production:  Karen Anderson
Visual Effects Supervisor: Jonah Hall
CG Supervisor – “Assembled”: Ron Herbst
CG Supervisor – “City”: Greg Teegarden
VFX Producer: Chris Fieldhouse
VFX Coordinator: Stephanie Escobar
Previsualization: Simon Dunsdon
Flame Artist: Jonny Hicks
Flame Artist: Brian Boungiorno
Flame Artist: Dave Stern
Flame Artist: Chris DeCristo
Flame Artist Assistant: Matt Bramante
Nuke Compositor: Rafael Colon
Nuke Compositor: Sven Dreesbach
Nuke Compositor: Brian Smallwood
Nuke Compositor: Michael Morehouse
Digital Artist: Marc Perrera
Digital Artist: Tim Nassauer
Digital Artist: Jon Gourley
Digital Artist: Chris Norpchen
Digital Artist: Terry Naas
Digital Artist: Justin Lloyd
Digital Artist: Jeff Dierstein
Digital Artist: Adrian Dimond
Digital Artist: Ruel Smith
Houdini Artist: James Atkinson
Matte Paint: Wei Zheng
Roto Artist: Marianne Magne
Roto Artist: Mattaniah Yip
Roto Artist: Tom Piedmont
Roto Artist: Mike Boden
Roto Artist: David Wu
Roto Artist: Kanae Morton
Roto Artist: Keith Weilmuenster
On Set Tracker: Scott Edelstein
Integration Tracker: Som Shankar
Integration Tracker: Shelley Larocca Courte

EDITORIAL HOUSE: The Whitehouse / Santa Monica, CA

Editor:  Rick Lawley
Producer:  Joni Wright

MUSIC, SOUND DESIGN & AUDIO POST/MIX HOUSE
Location:  HUM

Posted on Motionographer

Digital Domain Campaigns for Lexus