Hasta La Motion!

May 23

Mirada: 3 Dreams of Black Interview

Posted in: 3 dreams of sleep, General, Interactive, interview, Mathew Cullen, miarada, Motion Theory

Motionographer recently posted 3 Dreams of Black, the Chris Milk music video intended for exclusive viewing on a browser. When it’s running, the animation progresses so fluidly that you forget it’s built entirely in WebGL and rendering on the fly. It’s in the computer… or, perhaps more accurately, in your graphics card (which doesn’t sound quite as dramatic).

I had the chance to speak with some of the folks over at Mirada about the process of making 3 Dreams of Black, interactivity’s increasing influence in the motion design field, and the future of Mirada. Check out the interview and some lovely production art here.

Posted on Motionographer

Jul 30

Motion Theory: Target “A Better Bullseye”

Posted in: a better bullseye, branding, character animation, character design, Chris Riehl, factory, General, Motion Theory, Target

Target has good taste. By enlisting Motion Theory, the studio has left its mark on the rich history of Target advertising and embarked on a project that sets itself apart from the usual Motion Theory repertoire—creating a different approach for the themselves and a fresh perspective for the client.

In A Better Bullseye, the studio has delivered a piece that fits easily into the Target aesthetic, but remains unique. Gone are the typical Warholian graphics and pop-art visuals of previous Target campaigns; in are the good, old fashioned methods of character based advertising.

By setting the location of the spot in a factory, the piece hopes to convey the spirit of teamwork and efficiency that keep the Target brand strong and healthy. Beginning with an establishing shot of the famous bullseye, factory employees work together to fully stock the towering icon like a refrigerator. The attention to detail, as explained by director Chris Riehl, was not to be ignored:

“The team and I explored every possible detail you see from the memorable cast of characters to the host of strangely specific heavy machinery and vehicles which we hope comes through when watching the spot.”

The character design of the piece—like the Target aesthetic—is distinctively retro and in many ways, resembles the 60′s style design of Pixar’s, The Incredibles. In a production schedule described as “condensed,” the team of artists—similar to the factory workers in the spot—worked feverishly to create something high-end for a mega-mart that has a commitment to good design.

Posted on Motionographer

Mar 17

IBM’s Data Films

Posted in: coding, data, General, ibm, james frost, live action, Motion Theory, particles

IBM’s recent campaign exposing the data that flows through our world and keeps it moving, has produced Data Anthem and Data Baby. They called upon two names, respectively, who have become synonymous with beautifying data: James Frost of Zoo Films (partnered with The Mill) and Motion Theory.

Yes, we know the extraneous use of numbers, particles, etc. has run it’s course when used as stylistic flourish. However, this immaculately executed “data” and it’s aesthetic components, play supporting fiddle to this campaign’s concept.

Also, check out MTh’s behind-the-scenes of Data Baby.

DATA ANTHEM

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather NY
Executive Producer: Lee Weiss
Associate Producer: Rich Fiset
Sr. Partner/Worldwide ECD: Susan Westre
Sr. Partner/ECD: Tom Godici
Sr. Partner/ECD: Greg Ketchum
Creative Director: Rob Jamieson
Creative Director: Chris Van Oosterhout
Art Director: TJ Walthall
Executive Music Producer: Karl Westman
Music Track: Viktor Karlsson, “Soul Captain”

Production Company: Zoo Films, Los Angeles
Director: James Frost
Executive Producer: Gower Frost
Line Producer: Dawn Fanning Moore

Editorial: Union Editorial, Los Angeles
Editor: Nicholas Wayman-Harris

Post/FX: The Mill NY
Producer: Boo Wong
Creative Director: Jeff Stevens
Design: Joshua Harvey, Kristian Mercado
CG Artists: Rob Petrie, Ruben Vandebroek, James Studdard, Vincent Baertsoen, Joshua Merck, Mike Dunkley, Jeffrey Dates, Jeffrey Lopez, Graham Clark, Marco Iozzi
Flame: Dan Wiliams, Corey Brown, Claudia D’Enjoy
Compositing: Andrew Ortiz, Bashir Hamid

Aerial LIDAR: Aerotec USA
Director- Operations & Program Management: Scott Dow
Helicopter Pilot: Jamie Campbell
Airborne LIDAR Operator: Danny Gay
LIDAR Specialist: William Wallace
Chief Executive Officer: Jim Dow

Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies
Business Sector Manager/Sr. Technical Lead: Travis Reinke
Sr. Laser Scanning Technician: Chance Alford
Sr. Laser Scanning Technician: Phil Barker

DATA BABY

Credits coming soon…

Posted on Motionographer

Mar 24

Motion Theory: Triple Threat

Posted in: commerical, General, Motion Theory, music video

Spring is here, and I’m falling in love all over again with Motion Theory. They’ve recently released a bevvy of projects that show off their incredible diversity as image-makers and storytellers.

Royal Bank of Canada “Anthem”

First up is a charming character-driven animation for Royal Bank of Canada and agency The Buntin Group.

The spot’s seamless transitions are not only visually pleasing, they actually reinforce the underlying messages of interconnectedness and diversity. Coupled with the retro tinged palette and illustration work, the spot is smile-inducing even on the third or fourth viewing.

NCAA: “Ambidextrous” and “Boundaries”

And now for something completely different. “Ambidextrous” and “Boundaries” try to broaden the image of the NCAA through cleverly subtle visual effects. Neither spot socks you in the gut with eye-popping imagery—rather they take reality and augment it.

Again, this sober approach is consistent with the messaging crafted by agency Young & Rubicam SF: You think you know the NCAA? Think again.

Sara Bareilles “Gravity”

Lastly, put on your headphones and dim the lights for this Sara Bareilles promo directed by MTh’s Mathew Cullen. (This was actually released about a month ago, but it fits nicely in our round-up.)

The deceptively low-fi aesthetic pulls you in (no pun intended) and before you know it, you’re caught in the majesty of a lush universe seemingly built from little more than streetlights and umbrellas. The arc of the song’s intensity is beautifully mirrored by the visuals—a feat difficult to pull off in the span of several shots, let alone one long shot.

And therein lies Motion Theory’s power: weaving technical mastery with solid storytelling. Head and heart working together as one.

Posted on Motionographer

Feb 09

Motion Theory : NFL

Posted in: General, live action, Mathew Cullen, Motion Theory, NFL, sprint

So Super Bowl XLIII has come and gone. That doesn’t mean we should overlook one of the few commercials that premiered during the big game that actually had something to do with football.

Motion Theory’s ‘Run’ takes viewers on a journey through the “other” season of NFL running back Darren McFadden. It follows him through the combine, the draft, training camp, practice, and then the opening game of the season. Directed by Mathew Cullen, who has an impeccable eye for detail, the spot is chock full of layers that build around the NFL star. Cullen and the Motion Theory team, led by Senior Art Director Kaan Atilla and VFX supervisor Bryan Godwin, had a very tight schedule to create the evocative, layered journey that highlights all the work and preparation that goes into a great NFL season.

Also, big congratulations to Mathew for winning the Grammy last night for Short Form Music Video Director.

NFL “Run”

Airdate: 2/1/09

Client: NFL Network

Agency

Agency Consultant: Mering Carson

Partner & Creative Director: Greg Carson, Dave Mering

Executive Producer: Liz Ross

Sr. Art Director: Lucho Ortega

Sr. Art Director: Dennis Milllete

Sr. Copywriter: Scott Conway

Copywriter: Jeffrey Butterworth

Production

Production Company: Motion Theory

Director: Mathew Cullen

DP: Claudio Miranda

Executive Producer: Javier Jimenez

Line Producer: Bernard Rahill

Post-Production

VFX Company: Motion Theory

Sr. Art Director: Kaan Atilla

VFX Supervisor: Bryan Godwin

Comp Lead: Danny Yoon

Producer: Matt Winkel

Lighting Lead: Charles Paek

CG Lead: Danny Zobrist

Designers: Heidi Berg, Jenny Ko, Angela Zhu

2D Animation: Joseph Chan, Evan Parsons, TJ Sochor

3D Artists: Ben Grangereau, Michael Clarke, Jericho Green

Lighter: Matt Bell

Modeler: Troy Barsness

Compositors: Deke Kincaid, TJ Sochor

Previsualization: Patrick Rodriguez

Rotoscope Artist: Amy Paskow, Eric Almeras, Mike Boden, Megan Gaffney, Kanae Morton, Eva Snyder

Matte Painters: Ram Bhat, Pete Pace

Flame Artists: Matt Motal (1.1 VFX), Danny Yoon (1.1.VFX), Carlos Morales, Rob Winfield

Post Production Manager: Sheri Patterson

Post Production Assistant: Rebecca Lindberg

Editorial

Editorial Company: String

Editor: Doron Dor

Assistant Editor: Greg Kim

Editorial Coordinator: Peter Nelson

Finishing: Danny Yoon (1.1.VFX)

Music Superbowl: Lime Studios

Music Probowl: Bongo Post

Posted on Motionographer

Motion Theory : NFL

Mirada: 3 Dreams of Black Interview

Motion Theory: Target “A Better Bullseye”

IBM’s Data Films