42 Establish your horizon Your creative vision knows no limits. Where others end, you continue to the next horizon. Your production technology needsto keep up with you.

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VP8b_Stash.indd 1 2/20/08 11:42:37 AM Animation inspires games. Effects merge with film. Science conspires with art. Imagination and reality converge.

Get fmx-ed! Come discover what has made fmx one of the hotspot events for digital media professionals worldwide: www.fmx.de

fmx/08 is an event by Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in collaboration with VES - Visual Effects Society, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film and AIAS - Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. fmx/08 is organized by the Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg and NX Publishing. fmx/08 is funded by Staatsministerium Baden-Wuerttemberg, Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Wuerttemberg, MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg and the FFA German Federal Film Board.

stash_booklet_anzeige-02.indd 7 08.01.2008 17:25:57 Inspiration. Everywhere.

MUNICH JAKARTA MINNEAPOLIS SAN DIEGO LIMA BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR SANTA MONICA HONG KONG TORONTO NEW YORK LONDON TEL AVIV

CAPETOWN ISTANBUL SINGAPORE TOKYO VANCOUVER CARACAS PARIS GHENT NEW DELHI BANGKOK SHENZHEN BELO HORIZONTE HAMBURG

Find a Stash retailer near you at www.stashmedia.tv/community At the reception after the Best of Stash 2007 screening at the Museum of the Moving Image in NY last month, one of the audience asked why stash short films were on the program, as they are art and not design or DVD MAGAZINE 42 advertising. I was still formulating my quasi-intellectual attempt at an answer when a rather hairy man I had not met leaned in and said, “Of Stash Media Inc. course short films are advertising. We call it branded content.” Editor: Stephen Price Publisher: Greg robins The term “branded content” is one of the cloudier gems to emerge Associate editor: HEATHER GRIEVE from the new media lexicon. It is applied to marketing materials – Associate publisher: CHRISTINE STEAD usually video – where the sales message is subordinated in some Account managers: STACY JAMES FRY, substantial way to the entertainment quotient. The BMW films from APRIL HARVEY earlier this decade are the classic (and no doubt too-often cited) Producer: BRANDON DEMARCO example. Submissions coordinator: ABBEY KERR Music editor: STEVE MARCHESE And by that definition Hairy Man had a point: Short films are Proofing editor: MARILEE BOITSON investments in studio/artist moral, skill development and ego building Preview director/producer: but, longer term, they are also portfolio pieces intended to attract STACY JAMES FRY more and better-heeled patrons. Perhaps traditional fine art pieces Preview editor: JEAN-DENIS ROUETTE can be seen in the same way: a form of advertising for the talent Montage editor: JEFF ZEMETIS involved. Contributing producer: ERIC ALBA This idea implies a kind of art and media grey zone where no hard Technical guidance: IAN HASKIN line exists between commercial art and art for art’s sake. The visual I Cover image: MK12 get is a long, messy, mercurial spectrum where companies like MK12 comfortably occupy both ends. WWW.STASHMEDIA.TV ISSN 1712-5928 Have a look at their 30-minute opus “History of America” on the bonus

Legal things: Stash Magazine and Stash DVD disk and see if you agree with the Hairy Man and me. are published 12 times per year by Stash Media Inc. All rights reserved and contents copyright Stash Media Inc. No part of this booklet nor the Stash DVD may be copied Stephen Price without express written permission from the publisher. Stash Media Inc.does not Editor promote or endorse products, services or New York, March 2008 events advertised by third party advertisers. Submissions: www.stashmedia.tv/submit [email protected] Subscriptions: www.stashmedia.tv Contact: Stash Media Inc. 484-1642 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2J5 Canada. Curated in New York. Printed in Canada. stash 42.01

Monster “Legs” TVC :60

Agency: BBDO, New York Director: Rupert Sanders Production: MJZ VFX: Mass Market www.massmarket.tv Working with the MJZ production team and VFX guru Stan Winston, Mass Market tested several approaches to this spot’s eponymous legs. Mass Market EP Justin Lane says the final technique combined stilts and prosthetics held together with Flame magic. And what about the center of the earth set piece? “From the start, Rupert had a very For BBDO, New York For MJZ Designer: Josh Harvey clear vision of what he wanted with CCO: David Lubars Director: Rupert Sanders CG animators: Jonah Friedman, the gyroscopic rig and in pre-pro ECD: Eric Silver EP: Eric Stern Chris Hill his production designer created AD: Jerome Marucci Producer: Laurie Boccaccio Tracking: Joerg Liebold, Steven Hill, an amazing design for it. We had Copy: Steve McElligott Hyunjeen Lee to augment that design with CG For Mass Market Sr producers: Anthony Curti, Lead roto: Leslie Chung elements to extend the structure EPs: Justin Lane, Angela Bowen Ed Zazzera Roto: J Bush, Alejandro Monzon, and create the grandness that Producer: Nancy Nina Hwang Executive music producer: Tiffany Chung everyone was looking for. Finally, in VFX super/lead Flame: Loren Parkins CG we designed and built the cave Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Toolkit environment, capturing this dark Flame: Chris Staves, Sarah Eim Maya, Flame, Silhouette, boujou otherworldly space.” Lead TD: David Chontos s t a s h 42.02

FedEx “Carrier Pigeons” TVC :30

Agency: BBDO NY Director: Tom Kuntz Production: MJZ VFX: Framestore NY www.framestore.com “We knew it would be time- intensive to create full CG birds, but we knew we could bring a lot to the animation and make these look and feel like 15-foot, half-ton, genetically engineered creatures,” recalls David Hulin, VFX Super and head of 3D at Framestore NY of this spectacular HD Super Bowl spot. “3D feathers can be very challenging and this job was no exception. We created the heavily feathered Hippogriff in Harry Potter For BBDO For MJZ Audio post: Sound Lounge and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but CCO: David Lubars, Bill Bruce Director: Tom Kuntz Mixer: Tom Jucarone that involved 100 people working ECD: Eric Silver DOP: Jeff Cronenweth for a year. For this spot, we had to Watch Behind the Scenes on Associate CD/copy: Reuben take all that CG knowledge and For Framestore NY the DVD. Hower technology and apply it to 30,000 Animators: Dave Hulin, Murray AD/CD: Gerard Caputo feathers on each bird in an eight- Butler EP: Elise Greiche week schedule.” Producer: Satoko Linuma stash 42.03 Coke “It’s Mine” TVC :60

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Director: Nicolai Fuglsig Production: MJZ VFX: The Mill NY www.the-mill.com The languid pace, seamless VFX and endearing pneumatic cast lifted this spot out of the crowd at Superbowl XLII. After studying footage from the Macy’s Day Parade the animators at the Mill NY emulated giant balloon behavior using a mix of keyframed animation and dynamics simulation. Defining how For Wieden+Kennedy CG producer: Asher Edwards Williams fast the characters should move CDs: Hal Curtis, Sheena Brady Sr CG: Ben Smith Flame: Pheng Sisopha, was crucial – too slow and the Producer: Matt Hunnicutt CG: Andrew Proctor, JongJin Choi, Randy McEntee spot would drag, too fast and the Keith Kim, Glen Swetez, Smoke: Jeff Robbins For MJZ characters would appear too light Rob Petrie, Kevin Ives, Justin Support artists: Greg Gilpatrick, Director: Nicolai Fuglsig and unbelievable. Zurrow, Wyatt Savarese, Emily Anu Nagaraj, Suzanne Dyer Producer: Emma Wilcockson Meger, Mike Panov, Joshua Merck, Telecine: Alex Maxwell, DP: Ellen Kuras Dylan Maxwell, Douglas Luka, Sal Malfitano For The Mill NY Vince Baertsoen, Yann Mabille, Telecine producer: Angela Botta CD: Angus Kneale Tomas Salles, Yorie Kumalasari Toolkit Producer: Bethan Thomas Shake: Andrew Proctor, JongJin Maya, XSI, Shake, After Effects, VFX supers: Angus Kneale, Choi Photoshop, Mudbox, Massive, Andrew Proctor, Asher Edwards Lead Flame: Angus Kneale, Dan Flame, Spirit stash 42.04

Kit Kat “The Ultimate Break” Viral/TVC Agency: JWT, Paris Director: Akama Production: Wanda Productions Animation: Akama Studio www.akamastudio.com Fellow Parisians and longtime collaborators Wanda Productions and Akama Studio help Nestlé launch the new Kit Kat bar with this engaging and ambitious character-driven film. The clip leads off a massive campaign which culminates with two consumers winning trips into outer space for their “Ultimate Break”. For JWT, Paris CD: Ghislain de Villoutreys, Olivier Courtemanche AD: Xavier Beauregard For Wanda Productions, Paris Concept/copy: Hadi Hassan Producer: Claude Fayolle Assistant AD: Yan-Gaël Cobigo Web agency: Grouek Producer: Elisabeth Boitte Music: Xavier Berthelot stash 42.05

CCM “Anatomical” TVC :30

Agency: Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee Director: Ben Grossmann Animation: The Syndicate www.syndicate.tv “Organic subject matter is always one of the hardest things to do in VFX,” admit the powers that be at The Syndicate in LA. “In order to design a hockey skate that looked like it was the result of natural human evolution, the team spent time brushing up on their anatomy, and studying reference macro imagery of cellular life. We also bought and photographed slabs of beef, bone and cartilage. After getting a solid handle on all that, the trick was really to pull it back to keep it from looking too real and too gross. We needed to For Cramer-Krasselt For The Syndicate Oliver Arnold, Jesse Franklin set up several procedural systems EP: Kara Harris Director: Ben Grossmann Modeler: Jaview Bello to create and animate things like CD: Curtis Smith EP: Kenny Solomon Lighting/rendering: veins, bone growth, and muscle Copy: Ray Boome Producer: Magdalena Wolf Anthony Bussiere tissue. All of these systems Sr AD: Jim Root VFX producer: Erik Press Colorist: Beau Leon became very complex in order to VFX coordinator: Jena Huynh Editor: Ben Grossmann be controllable, yet still appear CG super: Beau Cameron Toolkit natural and random.” Digital artists: David Sliviak, Maya, Shake, After Effects stash 42.06

For Psyop “This was one of the hardest jobs world and therefore cutting out a Guinness “Dot” Director: Eben Mears creatively I have ever worked on,” section in the middle really throws Cinema, TVC EP: Justin Booth-Clibborn admits Psyop director Eben Mears. everyone in production for a loop. Producers: Jen Glabus “Because of the nature of the brief, The most challenging technical Agency: Asst. producer: Carol Collins the story was always in flux. We hurdle was creating ink fluids IIBBDO, Dublin DOPs: Igor Jadue Lillo, ended up doing something like 30 in CG. We used Houdini for the Steve Koster or 40 versions of the previz and first time here to create particles Director: Additional design: Tanya Weiss, still we couldn’t lock it down. There for the ink section of the spot. Eben Mears John Saunders, Gordon Waltho, was a constant back and forth I was extremely happy with the Production: Pete Sickert-Bennett, Anh Vu, between the agency and us on results and think that we created Psyop Ine Van Den Elsen what ‘worlds’ best represented the something unique and original – Stink VFX super: Jake Slutsky Dot’s journey. This meant updating we started calling our fluids TD Animation: 3D: Jeff Lopez, Damon Ciarelli, and changing sections right up till ‘Particle Jesus’ when we saw the Psyop Iggy Ayestaran, Aditi Kapoor, the end. The spot is really built on results.” www.psyop.tv Saira Mathew, Boris Ustaev, Jeff fluid transitions from world to Dates, Jordan Blit, Josh Harvey, For IIBBDO, Dublin Todd Akita, Tom Cushwa, Lee CD: Mal Stevenson Wolland, Pota Tseng, Jason Vega, AD: Jonathan Cullen Kitty Lin, Jason Goodman Copy: Rory Hamilton FX: Miguel Salek Producer: Onagh Carolan Flame: Eben Mears, Aska Otake, Beer stylist: Thomas Power Jaime Aguirre For Stink 2D compositing: Molly Schwartz AD: Haejin Cho Lead 2D roto: Leslie Chung EP: Blake Powell Lead 2D tracking: Hyunjeen Lee, Producer: Sophie Kluman Seung Lee Storyboards: Ben Chan Editor: Cass Vanini VO: Donald Sutherland Toolkit Maya, Houdini, After Effects, Flame stash 42.07

Fox Sports Nascar “Engine City” TVC :30

Client: Fox Sports Directors: Mark Denyer-Simmons, Jason Scott Production: Fox Sports Animation: BUF www.buf.com A standout during Super Bowl XLII, in their newest homegrown like BUF and ask them to mimic For Fox Sports this promo for the 2008 Nascar production tool, you guessed it… something that’s already been CDs/ADs: Mark Denyer-Simmons, season re-teams the BUF and Fox Brender. “There’s always a frame done. Our creative meetings with Jason Scott teams for an epic race through 42 of reference for inspiration when them were about weeding out all of EVP marketing: Eric Markgraf CG shots burning up 3,000 hours starting a project,” says Fox Sports the absurd ideas and keeping the SVP/CD: Robert Gottlieb of rendering on 60 machines. The CD Jason Scott. “But any pictures, concept in its purest form: a city EP: Bill Battin 2D and 3D work was done via commercials, etc. we showed BUF made of engine parts.” Schedule: PA: Lauren Haugh BUF’s own Bstudio and Bpaint were for what we didn’t want. It’s six weeks. Editor: Kirk Smith software with rendering handled a crime to work with a company Sound design: Mic Brooling Mac artist: Tommy Wooh For BUF VFX super: Olivier Dumont, Julien Bollbach Flame: Thibault Debaveye Producers: Audrey-Anna Bazard, Vanessa Fourgeaud Toolkit Bstudio, Bpaint and Brender (all BUF proprietary software), Flame stash 42.08

Channel 4 “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” TVC :40 Client: Channel 4 Director: Simon Robson Animation: Nexus Productions Sixty40 www.nexusproductions.com www.sixty40.com Just the thought of working for British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay – known equally for his volcanic temperament as well as perfectionist cooking – would scare off lesser souls, but Nexus Productions director Simon Robson put aside preconceptions and set out to design a visual representation of the intense conflict that makes “Ramsay’s For Channel 4 Kitchen Nightmares” so popular. Producer: Shizuka Hata Supplied with an audio recording Director: Brian Harrington of the star’s verbal jousting, For Nexus Productions Robson and Sydney-based design Animation director: Simon Robson studio Sixty40 turned the promo Producer: Libbie Doherty around in one week from boards to Animators: Daniel Fitzgerald, final delivery. In the end, according Jason Morice, Dean Smith to Robson, “The project was a pleasure to work on. We even Toolkit created an unbleeped version with After Effects, Photoshop four-letter type animation. I heard that Gordon f***king loved it!” stash 42.09

CN Refresh “Elijah Rap” Broadcast design

Client: For Shilo Cartoon Network CDs: Andre Stringer, Jose Gomez Director: Associate CD: Evan Dennis Shilo Lead design: Evan Dennis, Mitch Paone Production/animation: Design: David Hill, Seth Ricart Shilo Cel animation: Stieg Retlin www.shilo.tv Animation/compositing: David Hill, Another broadcast treat from the Jose Fuentes, Gerald Soto, Shilo and Cartoon Network teams Rick Maltwitz, Yussef Cole where traditional cel, 2D, and 3D Audio: Darrin Wiener animation is driven by the actions Editor: Nathan Caswell and words of a talented young Producer: Dexter Randazzo performer named Elijah who was Line producer: Scott Lane discovered among the project’s EP: Tracy Chandler 100 audition tapes and wrote his own rap for the occasion. “Directing isn’t just about giving people orders,” asserts Shilo Co-founder Andre Stringer. “It’s as much about finding the right people and letting them do their thing. Once everybody saw Elijah, we knew we had our star.” Read more detailed notes at www.stashmedia.tv/42_09.

For Cartoon Network CD: Sean Akins AD: Kevin Fitzgerald HOP: Nathania Seales stash 42.10

Cartoon Network UK Broadcast design

Director: Claire Underwood Production: HANraHAN Films Animation: Pesky Productions www.pesky.com Pesky is the animation studio started in Brighton in 1997 by animation director Claire Underwood and creative director David Hodgson. Now based in London, the company dishes out work for hire gigs as well as developing their own properties. For HANraHAN One of their series, “The Amazing Managing director: Adrenalini Brothers”, caught the Mark Hanrahan fancy of Cartoon Network UK who EP of animation: Alan Dewhurst asked for a series of IDs with a For Pesky similar frantic style and energy. Director: Claire Underwood Schedule: Six weeks. Pesky is Producer: David Hodgson repped by London’s HANraHAN Design/animation: Elena Bolardo, Films. Gary Boller, Steve Lenton, Mia Nilsson, Claire Underwood Sound: Paul James Toolkit Flash, After Effects stash 42.11 Fuel “Below Deck”, “Sackrifice” TVCs :15 x 2

Client: Fuel TV For Fuel Director: VP marketing/on-air promo: Ryan Honey Jake Munsey Animation: Director on-air promo: Oren Hatum Buck Producer: Todd Dever www.buck.tv For Buck The last half of Buck’s four- CD: Ryan Honey clip assignment from Fuel TV EP: Maurie Enochson (the first two, “Buzz Kill” and Producer: Nick Terzich “Damn Gravity” ran in Stash 36) AD: Thomas Schmid keep up the channel’s habit of 3D: Jens Lindgren, Chris Phillips, commissioning the coolest visuals Markus Wipplinger, Bill Dorais, they possibly can. As fun as the Matthew Everton, Paul America, work is, Maurie Enochson EP at Tim Hayward, Jeremy Sahlman, Buck LA, says there was a hurdle Yates Holley, Henry Foster, to clear in the “Sackrifice” spot, Alexander O’Donnell, Shannon “We wanted to do a cel-shaded Pytlak, Martin Jung, Chris Phillips 3D style, but not the same obvious Character animation: Steve Day one you always see. We did 2D: Joe Mullen, Fede Reano some great R&D on toon lines Music: Insurgent Music and shaders, but it was not until Photoshop CS3 arrived at our Toolkit Maya, Fusion, After Effects, office that we were really able to Photoshop dial it in. Three artists spent about a week each just drawing over it frame by frame using the new Photoshop animation timeline.” stash 42.12 For Dinamo Digital Director: Ricardo Carelli “Meus Prêmios Nick” CDs: Ricardo Carelli, Broadcast design Ricardo “Magrão” Fernandes Director’s assistant: Clara Morelli Post coordination: Maria Luiza Client: “Tutu” Mesquita, Anderson Nickelodeon Coutinho Director: Concepts artists: Daniel Moretti, Ricardo Carelli Vitor Cervi , Bruno Farneze Animation: ADs: Daniel Moretti, Vitor Cervi Dinamo Digital CG super: Chrystie Lira www.dinamodigital.com.br Texture/shade: Bruno Farneze Character/set modeler: Natan Director Ricardo Carelli of São Zuanaci, Cezar Zambelli Paulo studio Dinamo Digital says Character setup: Cinthia Fuiji, the biggest hurdle in creating this Daniel Moreno promo for an annual Nickelodeon Character animation: Lincoln Lima, Brazil awards show was wrangling Leo Cadaval, Daniel Moreno the cast of 14 parade characters: Editor: Beto Araujo “The main technical challenges were to turn all the sketches into 3D and think how they would move, since very few of them had arms or legs. The rigging was the aspect most discussed, so the characters could have a jellylike consistency, walk and look funny. Besides, some scenes had dozens of creatures interacting with each other and the animation had to be very detailed.” Toolkit Maya, After Effects, Smoke, Final Cut stash 42.1142.13

Discovery Channel “Lobstermen” TVC :30 Agency: Frame by Frame Director: Justin Harder Production/VFX: Justin Harder www.justinharder.la Director/writer/animator/ compositor Justin Harder admits his problems all started with the lobster suit. After several delivery delays, the crustaceous costume finally arrived leaving him only 10 frantic days to shoot, edit, create, animate the 3D ship and composite the entire promo. In a word, Harder describes the production as, “Insane!!!” But in hind sight allows, “It was the most successful project I’ve done under such an extreme timeframe and limited budget.” For Frame by Frame CD: Kristian Boserup Director/writer/animator/ compositor: Justin Harder Toolkit Final Cut Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator stash 42.14

Michael Fakesch “Blackbird” Music video Record label: K7 Records Director: Giraffentoast Production: Giraffentoast Animation: Giraffentoast www.giraffentoast.de For Michael Fakesch’s upcoming solo album, Hamburg-based creative shop Giraffentoast created the surreal music promo for the first single called “Blackbird”. Fakesch who was once a semi- professional break dancer is now known as the Munich-based beats genius that made up 1/2 of the now-defunct band Funkstörung with Chris De Luca. As for Giraffentoast, when not working on motion projects, design leads Philip Braun and Jens Lueg also pursue print jobs, web design and silkscreen projects. For Giraffentoast Design/animation: Philip Braun, Jens Lueg MORE NEWS + MORE INSPIRATION + FEATURE STORIES + JOBS + EVENTS + STUFF WE HAVEN’T EVEN THOUGHT OF YET = THE BRAND NEW FEED NEWS, INSPIRATION, STUFF TO WATCH

feedhere.com stash 42.15

“Me and My Goldfish” Branded content

Client: Goldfish Bank Agency: Grey London Directors: Arno Salters, Loyalkaspar, Foreign Office, Adam Marko-Nord Production: Stink Digital Animation: Arno Salters, Loyalkaspar, Foreign Office, Alphaville www.arnosalters.com www.loyalkaspar.com www.foreignoffice.com www.alphaville.se “Me and My Goldfish Went for a Stroll” “Me and My Goldfish Love Cranial Osteopathy” Director: Foreign Office Director: Adam Marko-Nord London-based production house Sound design: Foreign Office Animators: Adam Marko-Nord, Andreas Paleologos, Stink Digital and Grey London As written/read by: Sir Ranulph Fiennes Kimmo Popponen unveil four three-minute branded Producer: Sara Waldestam films for the new Goldfish credit Audio/sound Design: Ljudligan AB card campaign, “Me and My As written/read by: Meera Syal Goldfish”. Grey commissioned original stories from writer Anthony Horowitz, comedian Rik Mayall, adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and television presenter Meera Syal. Each were instructed to write a story on the subject of “Me and my Goldfish”, where “goldfish” could represent anything, whether literal or symbolic. Each personality recorded complete narrations of their respective tales; Grey then commissioned Stink Digital to create animated films for each voiceover. Stink Digital took a global tack, pairing Mayall with the Paris- based Arno Salters, Fiennes with London’s Foreign Office, Horowitz with New York’s Loyalkaspar and Syal with Stockholm’s Adam Marko-Nord. The resulting visual treatments, from Loyalkaspar’s stop-motion/set-design hybrid and Salters’ cardboard cutout Monty Python homage to Marko- “Me and My Goldfish Went to the Pub” “Me and My Goldfish Went Swimming with Sharks” Nord’s vibrant watercolor-feel Director: Arno Salters Director: Loyalkaspar animations and Foreign Office’s Animator: Eric Montchaud Director/animator: Sarah Orenstein snowy bitmapped “digital antique” AD: Mahi Grand CDs: Beat Baudenbacher, David Herbruck approach, are stylistically as Sound design: RV Salters Producer: Jenn Dewey different as the narratives. Stills photographer: Ben Fogg Audio/sound design: Ear Goo, NY For Grey, London As written/read by: Rik Mayall As written/read by: Anthony Horowitz ECD: David Alberts CDs: Jimmy Blom, Jonathan Marlow Producer: Jacqueline Dobrin For Stink Digital EP: Mark Pytlik stash 42.16

Les Savy Fav “What Would Wolves Do” Music video

Record label: Frenchkiss Records Director: Ryan Quincy Animation: Ryan Quincy www.ryanquincy.com How does the LA-based director of animation for Comedy Central’s South Park come to animate the latest music video for an obscure Brooklyn-based band? “I contacted Les Savy Fav via Myspace out of the blue offering up my services if they ever wanted to do a music video,” says Quincy. “To my surprise, Syd Butler, their bassist and head of their record label, got back to me later that day. After a few back and forth e-mails, the band gave me their blessing and off I went.” Total amount of sleep lost to moonlighting? Three months. Artwork/animation/director: Ryan Quincy Editor: Eric Erickson Toolkit Flash 8, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro stash 42.17

“Immerse” Short film

Client: Carter Films Romania Director: We Are Om Animation/VFX: We Are Om www.weareom.com

For We Are Om Design/direction/post: Anton Groves, Damian Groves, Richard Hardy Lighting: Mihai Sibianu Editing/sound: Studioset Thanks: Videolink, Stopfilm Romania, John Ketchum, Kodak Romania Toolkit Cinema 4D, After Effects, 16mm We Are Om is the front for the blur the boundaries between the looking in on it. Making the scale film film and VFX endeavors of two,” explains Anton Groves. “This model look like it was animated Anton Groves, Damian Groves meant building the machine and and alive was also a big challenge, and Richard Hardy. For their its environment both in reality one we approached both digitally second film project together, the and virtually. A big problem was and manually. In fact, throughout London and Bucharest-based trio our inability to shoot underwater, all stages we were working with wanted to creatively question the having the means only to shoot the intention of blending old microscopic level of existence. in a glass water tank. This meant shooting techniques with modern “We set out with the intention we had to find other ways of software to get an image that was of combining live action filming creating the sensation that we somewhat timeless.” with post-production to create were surrounded by that infinite Schedule: two-day shoot, one this world, and to try and cleverly inner space and were not just month for post. stash 42.18

“Rapt Soda” Short film

Directors: Alexandre Ada, Cédric Jeanne Production: Akama STUDIO Animation: Akama STUDIO www.akamastudio.com Either a short film or long spec spot, this tale of a rat and his caffeine/sugar quest was produced over six months between paying gigs at Akama Studio in Paris – partially for fun but also to demonstrate the studio’s talents for weaving CG with live action. Produced in HD after a two-day shoot.

For Akama Producer: Cyril Deleye Directors: Alexandre Ada, Photography director: Alexandre Ada, Laurent Herveic Rendering: Christophe Parelon, Cédric Jeanne Félix Darasse Tracking: Stéphane Soubiran Alexandre Ada Directors’ assistant: Second camera: Louis Mikulski Animation: Cedric Jeanne, Compositing: Alexandre Ada Emilie Nicodex Sound director: Nicolas Mas Helder Pereira, Guillaume Dhont Sound design: Alexis Assadourian AD: Denis Moutereau Cloth: Cedric Jeanne PM: Jacques Vilaplana Toolkit Props manager: Setup rigging: Cedric Jeanne, PM assistants: Maxence Rapp, Maya, After Effects, MatchMover, Barthélémy Moutereau Laurent Herveic Laure Auger Shave & Haircut, Illustrator, Lead edit: Pietro Di Zanno Shave: Christophe Parelon, Location managers: Alexandre Photoshop Petellat, Eric Marguillier Design: Nicolas Dabos Alexandre Ada Modeling: François Rimasson, stash 42.19

“Seat 29E” Short film

Director: Elena Wen Animation: Elena Wen www.elenawen.com NY director/animator Elena Wen says the narrative for her latest short film “Seat 29E” was given to her by a friend: “I think he just found the complaint letter somewhere and thought I might appreciate the humor and want to make something out of it. He was right – besides the potential of a fun animation project, I also saw it as an exciting little playground to exercise and explore design/ illustration directly aimed at storytelling.” Wen shot the sky footage – seen out the airplane window – while flying herself. Schedule: one month Director/animator: Elena Wen Sound effects/engineering: Juan Sosa Toolkit Photoshop, After Effects, pen, paper stash 42.20

Plastic Operator “Home 2070” Music video

Record company: Fine Day Director: Pete Circuitt Animation: Bitstate www.bitstate.com After the success of Plastic Operator’s music video for their “Folder” track (Stash 18) the electro-pop duo from Antwerp and Montreal returned to collaborate with Bitstate director Pete Circuitt for their latest single “Home 2070”. Wanting the new clip to match the quality and character of “Folder” but also be unique, Circuitt created the new video out of still photography and 3D backgrounds matched with digital camera moves. FYI - the 94-year-old man is Peter Circuitt Sr. filmed on location at his residence in New Zealand. For Bitstate Director: Pete Circuitt Animation: Pete Circuitt, Bill Sneed stash 42.2142.20

MTheika Bl “Looodllip Aromp” featuring AMusicnais video“Do I Have Your Attention?” Music video Record label: RCecordasabl label:anca BDirector:ecause TV Agency:Bonzom WAnimation:anda Directors:Passion P ictures Awww.passion-pictures.comnthony Liu, PJBonzom Richa isrd thes collectiveon name for VFX/animation:five young French animators (Jack, LaKalkair,und Prozla,y! Waterlili and Moke), www.laundrymat.tvall recent graduates of renowned French animation schools Les ForGobelins, Laundry! La Poudriere and DL’Eirectors:SAAT. T Ahey’venthony worked Liu, together PasJ animatorsRichardson on series and feature Pprojects,roducer/ includingPM: Kari theSalrin multi-award Ewinningditor: Matt “Persepolis” Berberich which was Firstselected AD: toGraham represent Rich France DPat the: Michael 2008 ODscars.allatore E arlier this Firstyear, ACPassion: Nate PKolbeckaris offered them “The biggest creative challenge “The technical challenge was to “The extremely tight schedule Ctherane opportunity Op: Henry to Flores gather their was to make a high contrast get this edited to our liking then presented a number of challenges. Bcreativeest boy energies electric: forPablo commercial Jara performance video original and key it out and animate it in our After we got approval on the Grip:representation. Chris Sloan T his project for unique. It’s a pretty easy and short deadline. We were initially concept/style, we had about three PLondonlayback: singer Monty Mika, Buckles Bonzom’s common route to take the footage, concerned about the volume of days to prepare for the shoot at the Wardrobe:first music Laurenvideo, expandsCulter on the edit it, make it black and white keying since we shot on green Panavision Stages in Woodland Makeup/hair:whimsical design Chervine of the Moncharte artist’s and poof! video,” recalls Laundry screen, but the black and white Hills. We had two HD cameras and PAwebsites: Matt (www.mikasounds.com). Berberich, Brandon co-director Anthony Liu. “We was very accommodating to the a 30-foot Techno Crane. Once the Thompson, Rachel Polan referenced a lot of 60’s op art for smaller details of green screen footage was captured we had two Toolkit patterns as transitional devices removal that usually haunt us re: weeks to edit and composite the After Effects, cel animation and animated elements and to hair and spill. entire thing.” help carry the pace of the track. stash 42.22

Fair & Square “Dots”, “Pattern” TVCs :30 x 2 Agency: BBH London Director: Chris Dooley Production: For Not To Scale / National Not To Scale Television Director: Chris Dooley Animation: Producers: Rebecca Blakenship, National Television Debbie Impett www.natl.tv EPs: Jared Libitsky, Dan O’Rourke It’s not your average launch Animation: Brumby Boylston, campaign, and it’s certainly not Bran Dougherty-Johnson, the average launch for a bank. Sang Lee, Diffan Norman But that’s the point as BBH Music: Hear No Evil London positions new UK financial Composer: Mark Lord institution Fair & Square as Producer: Sam Reid anything but your average bank. After a heavy pre-production phase involving multiple rounds of concept design and storyboard options, National Television and London production company Not To Scale arrived at “Dots” and “Pattern”, two spots recalling the film title work of Saul Bass and the op art canvases of Bridget Riley. For BBH London Creative team: Andy Brittain, Yu Chang CD: John O’Keefe Producer: Michelle Kendrick stash 42.23

Ford EcoSport Virals x 2

Agency: Digital@JWT, Argentina Director: StudioChu Animation: StudioChu www.studiochu.tv Watch closely and you’ll notice the animated elements in this pair of virals never touch the edges of the screen. Director/animator Julian Pablo Manzelli of Buenos Aires-based StudioChu explains the clips were designed to run on the white borderless field of the Ford EcoSport Argentine website and admits, “This technical or layout point defined the animation ideas.” Schedule: one month for two spots. For StudioChu Animation: Julian Pablo Manzelli, Agustin Viguera Sound design: Emilio Haro Toolkit Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects stash 42.24

RAC “Nodding Off” Cinema :30

Agency: AMV BBDO Director: Bloom Animation: Partizan Lab A jarring message from the UK roadside assistance and automobile services company RAC delivered via the directing and animation talents of Paris-based CG collective Bloom. Julie Crosbie of Partizan Lab reveals the spot was a charity project completed over five months between paying gigs. Main challenges: “To do something hard hitting and that has a very individual look and to give humanity to the project even though we are using the metaphor of the nodding dog for the driver that is falling asleep.” For AMV BBDO Producer: Maggie Mullan CDs: Tony Hardcastle, Mark Tweddell For Partizan Lab Director/animator: Bloom Toolkit LightWave stash 42.25

Hornbach Baumarkt Ag “Projects Haunt You” TVC :30 For Heimat Werbeagentur Creative team: Guido Heffels, Agency: Yves Krämer Heimat Werbeagentur, Berlin For Markenfilm EP: Lutz Müller Director: Line producer: Tobias Steinhauser Carl Erick Rinsch Director: Carl Erick Rinsch Production: For Furia Digital Markenfilm VFX super: Alex Grau VFX: Animation: Hugo Torres, Furia Digital Salvador Simó, Kepa Casado www.furia-digital.com FX: Sergio Pinto, Pablo Gimenez Aired throughout Germany to Lighting: Alberto Corpas promote a chain of hardware Flame: Ana Cortes, Oriol Puig stores, this vignette of Kafkaesque Toolkit antagonism between one man Maya with mental ray, Houdini, and his decrepit washroom was Combustion, Flame also a battle for Barcelona-based VFX shop Furia Digital. Here’s a quick run-through of their daytime terrors: 1. Director Carl Erick Rinsch insisted the bathroom pieces move in different ways for every shot. 2. The actor was shot on green screen for the fight scenes without any props or reference points. 3. Nightmare-inducing tracking with a variety of handheld camera moves in each shot. Schedule: eight weeks. stash 42.26 For DDB Italy Volkswagen Producer: Giuseppe Brandolini “The Moving City” ADs: Francesco Guerrera, TVC :45 Andrea Maggioni Copy: Luca Gelmuzzi Agency: For Parco Film DDB Italy Director: Andrew Hardaway Director: Producer: Catherine Byrne Andrew Hardaway Editor: Pedram Torbati DOP: Jordan Valenti Production: Parco Film For The Embassy Producer: Charlie Bradbury VFX: VFX super: Winston Helgason The Embassy Sr CG: Simon van de Lagemaat, www.theembassyvfx.com Marc Roth The Embassy continue to build CG: Tristam Gleni, Dan Prentice, their international reputation for Paul Copeland, Jim Hebb, Adam high-end CG realism with this VW Marisett, Michael Blackbourn clip shot in the Czech Republic Music: Human for DDB Italy to run in Europe and Japan. Besides the CG car shots Toolkit and digital building choreography, LightWave, Modo, Shake the studio explains there were more mundane factors to deal with: “Because the weather in Prague did not always play nice (it rained half the time), we were forced to do some sky replacement. For two shots we created skies completely in 3D because the practical plates were so dark they didn’t work with the rest of the piece.” Post schedule: three months. stash 42.27

“Insight” Short film

Director: Salvador Simó Animation: The Animation Workshop, Viborg www.animwork.dk Spanish illustrator/designer/ animator/teacher/director Salvador Simó completed this seven-minute short with a crew assembled during his teaching stint at The Open Workshop in Viborg, Denmark in 2006. Inspired by a question from Simó’s six-year- old daughter about a homeless woman she saw on the street, the film was in production for over a year with the volunteer crew taking freelance jobs along the way to pay the bills. Looking back For The Animation Workshop Rigging: Laia Alomar, Additional animation: Rustlan Simó (now on staff at Furia Digital Writer/director: Salvador Simó Ferran Casas, Salvador Simó, Piterja, Alexis Liddell, Henri Leik, in Barcelona) says the biggest Producers: Mathilde Schytz Juul, Lluís Llobera Bettina Ostersen challenge was just trying to keep Soren Fleng, Tim Leborgne, Animation: Lighting/rendering/compositing/ the project doable: “We had to find Salvador Simó Angel Aguirregomozcorta, editing: Salvador Simó a simple style that fit the extremely Storyboard/designs: Dripha Benseghir, Svetlana Technical support: Svend Nordby, low budget and the timeline, but Salvador Simó Bezdomnikova, Paulien Bekker, Thomas Christensen, Thomas trying to keep the ambiance of the Layouts: Bahadir Tosun, Lluís Llobera, Stein Lotveit, Ingo Ahlmark film. Composition was used as Ferran Casas, Laia Alomar Schachner, Salvador Simó, a basic element to tell the story, Toolkit Modeling: Ferran Casas, Laia Bahadir Tosun, Ilga Vevere, Marie adding just what was necessary; Photoshop, Maya, Digital Fusion, Alomar, Salvador Simó, Yran Xu Verhoeven, Signy Magnusdottir always thinking ‘simple is better’.” Premiere Texturing: Salvador Simó stash 42 BONUS FILMS Hellgate: London Barrett Meeker, Laurent Pierlot MX vs ATV Blur Studios Game cinematic Rigging: Malcolm Thomas- TVC :60 Recent Game Work x 3 Gustave, Steve Guevara, Game developer: Jeff Wilson Agency: Flagship Studios Hair/cloth simulation: Ayzenberg Group There are only a handful of studios Becca Baldwin, Jon Jordan sprinkled across the planet who Creative director: Developer: Tim Miller Animation: Brent Homman, Jacob Rainbow Studios produce the dense, detailed and Patrick, Davy Sabbe, dynamic cinematics, trailers and Animation: Brian Whitmire Creative director: TV spots required to keep gamers’ Blur Lighting/compositing: Luis Calero, Tim Miller eyes and wallets wide open. The www.blur.com Sebastien Chort, Dan Knight, Animation: 800 pound gorilla on that list – “The toughest challenge on Laurent Pierlot, David Stinnett, Blur the company producing by far this project was the asset Rodrigo Washington www.blur.com the largest quantity of this time management of over 700 templars FX: Craig Brown, Seung Jae Lee, and talent-intensive work is Blur “This was the very first project charging into battle against the Attila Zalanyi Studios. Jennifer Miller, co-founder at Blur done entirely in mental demons emerging from the Mocap: Chris Bedrosian, and CD of the studio in Venice, CA, ray. In the beginning it seemed a HellGate. It required us to push Gavin Carlton gives us some insight into three of bit crazy, but everyone picked it the advancement and organization Mocap prep/clean-up: their recent game projects. up extremely fast and were able of the production pipeline and Ryan Girard, Jeff Weisend Concept design: Hugo Martin, to use 3D motion blur, and that asset tracking in regards to alone gave us the visual edge over animation, hair, cloth, and FX. Sean McNally, Francisco Ruiz, Chuck Wojtkiewicz what we usually do. The agency Another interesting innovation wanted the hero vehicles (MX Bike, included a pseudo-parametric/ Toolkit ATV, Monster Truck and Dune procedural modeling approach to Character animation: 3ds Max, Buggy) to be ‘born’ from their own the environment elements.” facial animation: XSI, compositing: environments. Ultimately ‘The Rise Schedule: four months Digital Fusion, modeling/layout/ of the Machines’ idea was For Blur assembly: 3ds Max, rendering: chosen.” Schedule: eight weeks. Brazil 1/mental ray CG super: Kevin Margo For Blur Animation super: Davy Sabbe CG super: Daniel Trbovic CD: Tim Miller Creative Director: Tim Miller Producer: Debbie Yu Producer: Mandy Sim EP: Al Shier EP: Al Shier FX super: Seung Jae Lee FX super: Kirby Miller Layout: David Nibbelin Modeling: Darren Butler Modeling: Shaun Absher, Luis Luis Calero, Joshua Cox, Alex Calero, Sze Jones, Tim Jones, Watch Behind the Scenes on the Litchinko, Leandro Amaral, Alex Litchinko, Kevin Margo, DVD. Zack Cork Empire Earth III FX super: Kirby Miller Kirby Miller, Brandon Riza, August Game trailer Layout: Andy Grisdale Wartenburg Modeling: Shaun Absher, Darren Mocap: Chris Bedrosian, Game developer: Butler, Sze Jones, Ian Joyner, Heather McKenney Mad Doc Software Alex Litchinko, Barrett Meeker, Mocap prep and clean-up: Creative director: Iain Morton Ryan Girard, Jeff Weisend Tim Miller Rigging: Fabio Stabel, Malcolm Character modeling QC super: Thomas-Gustave Sze Jones Animation: Hair and cloth simulation: Concept Design: Hugo Martin, Blur Becca Baldwin, Jon Jordan Sean McNally, Chuck Wojtkiewicz www.blur.com Animation: Andy Grisdale, Music: Rob Cairns “The objective was to create a Davy Sabbe, Nye Warburton SFX and final mix: Gary Zacuto Lighting and compositing: Heikki powerful trailer comprising the Toolkit Antilla, Corey Butler, Kris Kaufman, many factions, civilizations, and 3DS Max, XSI, Digital Fusion, Rigging: Michael Stieber Barrett Meeker, Dave Wilson wars from the game. We wrote Brazil 1, mental ray Layout/animation lead: FX: Craig Brown, Seung Jae Lee, August Wartenberg and directed a story focused on Animation: Ander Bergstrom, one warrior fighting an epic battle Bryan Hillestad spanning from ancient times to the Lighting/compositing: Darren future. It was vital the transitions Butler, Luis Calero, Joshua Cox, through the different eras and Daniel Trbovic multiple costume changes remain FX: Ian Farnsworth, Seung Jae seamless while energized with bold Lee , Andrew Melnychuk-Oseen, camera moves. All the details on Kirby Miller the characters had to be modeled Character modeling QC super: so they could fit inside each other. Sze Chan The clothing, accessories and Vehicle and prop modeling QC weapons were also modeled and super: Barrett Meeker rigged so we could literally peel Concept design: away one layer to reveal the next.” Chuck Wojtkiewicz Schedule: nine weeks. Toolkit For Blur Animation/rigging: XSI, CG supers: Dave Wilson, compositing: Digital Fusion, Heikki Anttila modeling/layout/assembly: 3ds Animation super: Davy Sabbe Max, rendering: mental ray CD: Tim Miller Producers: Debbie Yu, Scott Tinter EP: Al Shier stash 42 BONUS DISK

“History of America” Short film

Director: MK12 Production: MK12 Animation: MK12 www.mk12.com There are few motion graphics Until many assumed the project studios one could classify either as had been mothballed for good. an enigma or as a legend. MK12 Cut to may be the only one qualified as both. Founded as an artist Int: Darkened theatre, Sundance collective and design lab by Ben Film Festival 2008 Radatz, Jed Carter, Tim Fisher, The credits roll on a short film and Shaun Hamontree in Kansas called “History of America”. The City, MO in 2000, the group audience jumps to their feet in a quickly stablished a cult following standing ovation. as they defined the freshest edge of motion design. Yes, the finished 31-minute film the studio calls their, “psychedelic They found a wider international western space opera”, pitting audience after joining the Ebeling astronauts against cowboys in a Group in 2002 and then, in 2005, complex, absurd, and apocalyptic MK12 released a head-snapping struggle, had truly arrived. trailer for something called “History Watch Behind the Scenes on the of America”. In classic viral The MK12 collective, now Bonus DVD. tradition, the popularity of the clip numbering nine, are currently crashed the company’s server. at work on Marc Forster’s new James Bond adventure (releasing But the initial anticipation and November ’08) but promise they feverish rumors faded as the are conjuring more of their own tall months passed. And passed. tales to tell. Featuring: Additional props: Scott Murray Jim Korinke, Marv Dunkle, Cactus boy costume: Quinn Van Camp, Rebecca Callyann Casteel Neuenschwander Additional wardrobe/makeup: Rita Brinkerhoff, Ashley Kelly The History of America players: History book illustrations: Meshel Cook, Ruby Dibble, Steven Sanders Kelsey Harder, Will Laffery, Additional 3D modeling: Jason Leftwich, Kieran Malloy, Brien Hindman Rachel Mcmeachin, MK12, Additional roto: Derek Rausch Terrence Moore, Rebecca ADR character voices: Neuenschwander, Amber Paitz, Michael Ashcraft Jack Ruhl, Peter Ruhl, Alex ADR recording/final mix: Chapman Sandmann, Van Albert Sneed III, Recording Kansas City, Mo Jerry Spencer, Corrie Van Ausdal, ADR/final mix engineer: Evan Clark Quinn Van Camp, Andrew Westermann, Jessica Williams Additional camera: Darin Fisher Additional camera/jib operator: Scott Jolley Additional gaffer: Bill Thomas Additional grip/electrician: Glenn Eddins Additional grip/boom operator: Chris Brechnitz The Manhandler: Beniah Leuschke NEWS, INSPIRATION, STUFF TO WATCH

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