“The main focus of these spots was to show that J-POWER creates energy and makes everything possible for daily life,” Banks explained. “One was an environmental spot, and the other was a global spot that speaks to the industries, businesses, infrastructures and everything that the company powers.”

Although the original approach called for the use stock footage, Banks and the agency’s creatives, including creative director and copywriter Isamu Nakamura, and art directors Takehiko Araki and Kenichi Horie, ultimately agreed on the greater benefits of capturing original live-action footage for the project. During one day of green screen shooting on a soundstage in Tokyo, Banks and director of photography Naoki Noda captured HD footage of actors and various animals using the ARRIFLEX D-21 camera package.

Artists at Stardust’s Santa Monica studio then used Maya to create the natural habitats, the turbine and many other elements for both spots, and Adobe After Effects was used for visual effects and compositing.

About Stardust Studios
Stardust is an award-winning creative production company, specializing in motion design, animation, visual effects and live-action production. Led by founder and executive creative director Jake Banks, Stardust’s Santa Monica and New York offices continually redefine creativity for commercial, on-air, music video and in-store presentations. Their recent work – including projects for the world’s top ad agencies, brands and recording artists – has earned numerous awards and worldwide editorial exposure. For more information, please visit www.stardust.tv.

Credits:
PROJECT NAME: J-POWER “Global” and “Environment”
RUNNING TIME: 2 x :30
DATE OF FIRST AIRING: April 15, 2009 (Japan only)
FILM STAGE/LOCATION(S): Japan

CLIENT: Electric Power Development Co., Ltd (”J-POWER”)
CITY/STATE: Tokyo, Japan

AD AGENCY: McCann Erickson Japan, Inc.
CITY/STATE: Tokyo, Japan
CREATIVE DIRECTOR/COPYWRITER: Isamu Nakamura
ART DIRECTORS: Takehiko Araki, Kenichi Horie

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Kirameki, Inc. & Stardust Studios
CITY/STATE: Tokyo, Japan & Bicoastal, USA
DIRECTOR: Jake Banks
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Naoki Noda
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Sachiko Tamaru (Kirameki)

DESIGN/ANIMATION COMPANY: Stardust Studios
CITY/STATE: Bicoastal, USA
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jake Banks
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Paul Abatemarco
DESIGN DIRECTOR: Neil Tsai
PRODUCERS: Jody MacKinnon, Clara Park, Steven Poulsen
DESIGNERS: Neil Tsai, Gretchen Nash, Tosh Kodama, Bill Bak, Ling Feng, Angela Ko, Jenny Ko, Juliet Park
ANIMATORS: Sang Lee, Angie Tien, Brian Broussard, George Longo, Damon Snyder, Ryan Hooks, Marisol Baltierra, Catherine Yoo, Giancarlo Rondani, Maithy Tran, Thomas Horne
2D ARTISTS: Brian Williams, Davina Sanchex, Stephen Edwards, Kristen Swanson

MUSIC ARTIST: Hifana
MUSIC PRODUCER: Masayo Okino

ADDITIONAL POST-PRODUCTION: Sony PCL
CITY/STATE: Tokyo, Japan
ONLINE EDITOR: Masashi Hosoda
MIXER: Tsutomu Higa

FINAL MIX COMPANY: Omnibus
CITY/STATE: Tokyo, Japan
MIXER: Norisato Nakauchi

RELATED LINKS:
www. kirameki.cc
www.stardust.tv
www.jpower.co.jp

In a pair of whimsical new :30 and :15 spots, McGuinness adds a human touch to the face of Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 product. In the spot Deployment, one IT pro is packed with camping gear, prepping for a large, global deployment project. The other calm, collected IT pro inquires about the gear, stating he has his own project as well, and shows the other IT pro how his deployment will work better.

Showdown, the second spot, features dueling IT pros intent on one-upping each other with their web deployment strategies. What becomes clear in both spots is that one of the most effective ways to effortlessly manage, finish and deploy web applications is through Windows Server 2008 with IIS 7.0 technology, underscored by the appearance of the iconic, CGI created Windows Server 2008 robot “IT 24-7″ at the end of each spot.

When asked why Microsoft chose to run this particular advertising campaign, Microsoft Group Marketing Manager Colette Stallbaumer said, “We wanted to let Web designers and developers know that it’s possible to run both their ASP.NET and PHP apps on the Windows platform. We wanted to get that message out in a way that would really resonate with the people out there working with the web.”

Says Kommitted Executive Producer Marc Siegel, “The agency was keen on taking the action of this campaign out of the server room and into the real world, which gave Nathan plenty of room to stretch his live action directorial skill set.” Earlier phases of Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 campaign, which included the spots Imitator and Rodeo, both helmed by McGuinness, revolved primarily around the hero CGI robot IT 24-7.

“Working with Microsoft and the same creative team at McCann gave us the ability to experiment and expand on what we accomplished in the previous campaign. This time we went for a more organic approach,” says McGuinness. “Utilizing real locations and minimizing the green screen lent itself to the actors having an easier time finding their key moments. The end result was incredibly fun and inspiring.”

A holdover from the last campaign is the Windows Server 2008 robot IT 24-7, which was brilliantly animated by Pitor Karwas and his skilled team at VFX and design studio Asylum. The creative will run internationally from April 6 to the end of June 2009.

About Kommitted:
Production company Kommitted Films was founded in 2005 by Director Nathan McGuinness, the Academy Award and Bafta nominated Co-Founder/Creative Director of the VFX company, Asylum. Shortly after, in 2006, veteran Executive Producer Marc Siegel was brought on to expand the directorial roster, feature film slate, and music video presence. Over a short time period, Kommitted Films has numerous recent high-profile spots for Target (peterson milla hooks/MN), Nintendo (Leo Burnett/Chicago) and Blackberry (RIM) (Arc Worldwide/Chicago).

The Creds:
Client: Microsoft
Spot Title: Deployment, The Showdown
Air Date: April 6, 2009

Agency: McCann Worldgroup San Francisco
Executive VP/Chief Creative Officer: Rob Bagot
SVP/Executive CD(s): Josh Denberg, Paul Hirsch
SVP/ACD/Copywriter: Doug Green
SVP/ACD/Art Director: Michael Furlong
VP/ACD/Art Director: John Reid
Senior Broadcast Producer: Annie Uzdavinis
Senior Integrated Producer: Jose Rivera
Integrated Producer: Monica Velasquez
Software Architect: Todd Spatafore
Interactive Developers: Dan Magsino, Michael Trueman, Jacqueline Vo
Senior Interactive Designer: Ariel Chang

Prod Company: Kommitted
Director: Nathan McGuinness
DP: Sal Totino
EP: Marc Siegel
Producer: Jodi Fisher
Prod Designer: Aron Beroud

Post/Effects: Asylum
VFX Animation Supervisor: Piotr Karwas
Lead Inferno Artist: Miles Essmiller
EP: Michael Pardee
Producer: Ryan Meredith
Production Coordinator: Emily Hoovler
Bidding Producer: Michael Hanley
Compositing Supervisor: Tim Davies
Inferno Artist: Colleen Smith
3D Animator(s): Craig Van Dyke, Samir Lyons
3D Animator/Lighter: Michael Shelton
3D Lighter(s): Mathew Maude, Michael Sean Foley
3D Tracker(s): Eddie Offerman, Michael Lori
3D Rigger: Omar McClendon
Rotoscope Artist(s): Elissa Bello, Laura Murillo, James Lee
Lead Matte Painter/Designer: Tim Clark

Editorial: Cosmo Street
Editor: Katz
Assistant Editor: Sean Lagrange
EP(s): Yvette Cobarrubias, Jerry Sukys

Telecine: Company 3
Colorist: Stephan Sonnenfeld

Sound Design: Machinehead
Sound Designer: Kip Smedley
Creative Director/ Sound Designer: Stephen Dewey
EP: Patty Chow Dewey

Audio Mix: Eleven Sound
Engineer/ Mixer: Jeff Payne
Asst. Engineer: Luis Rosario
EP: D.J. Fox-Engstrom

RELATED LINKS:
www.kommittedfilms.com

Each team used the same character, Trixi, the festival’s mascot to tell a short story between :30 seconds and 2 minutes. Animation students from international film schools, as well as independent animators and producers, 30 years or younger qualified for participation.

The Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (5-10 May 2009) was founded in 1982 and is one of the biggest and most important festivals of animation film worldwide. An amount of 52,500 euros prize money in total is awarded in seven competition categories. The Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film works in close relation with fmx/09, Europe’s biggest conference on animation, effects, games and digital media.

Directed by: Kompost (Oliver Conrad and Gian Klainguit) of DUCK

About DUCK:
Los Angeles-based DUCK, formerly Duck Soup Studios, is a continually evolving creative studio producing commercials, music videos, short films and web content. DUCK offers a wide range of services, including live action and integration, character design, film title design, 2D and 3D animation, digital compositing, digital/traditional ink & paint. In recent years, the studio has expanded, adding an original content division that works with writers and animators on unique ideas for film and TV.

Related Links:
www.duckstudios.com

In addition to their formidable production and post production talent, Brand New School’s efforts on the project included design of a 50-foot long Coca-Cola logo and the casting of more than 40 highly-skilled athletes, including tennis players, skateboarders, yoga practitioners, and more.

“We were asked to create approximately two minutes of content for Coke,” says Jens Gehlhaar, Creative Director at Brand New School. “Specifically, the content is intended for an installation outside the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live. The theater is adjacent to the Staples Center and will be the site of the Grammy Awards. Outside the theater, there are large columns holding 14 huge, vertical screens, as well as one wide format screen over the entrance and another LED billboard on a neighboring building. It is a wacky assortment of 17 different-sized screens, but we have experience with these sorts of installations. The specific instructions from Coke gave us a lot of leeway. They wanted things very specific to the L.A. lifestyle, multicultural in look and feel, and not patronizing in any way. They wanted the focus to be on the active people involved.”

The short films reveal various athletes interacting with a huge white Coca-Cola logo backed by a special purple-red-orange gradient that breaks with the traditional Coca-Cola red in favor of a more L.A.-inspired hue.

Supported with engaging music composed by Machinehead, golfers, soccer and tennis players, wall climbers, and many more athletes all interact very physically with the immense logo. In an age when so much entertainment is achieved through computer-generated models and background, the logo is all the more astounding because it is real.

“After careful consideration, we realized that it would be more authentic to have our live actors interact with a real sculpture,” says Gehlhaar. “It is 15 feet high and more than 50 feet wide and everybody was extremely impressed with it, so much so that Coke insisted on keeping it. We did a timelapse film of its construction, just to commemorate the act.”

The engineering of the structure would eventually be put to the ultimate test, as the cast of some 40 skateboarders, climbers, and others climbed it, jumped on it, ran into it, etc.

“The logo never faltered,” says Gehlhaar proudly. “It was insanely sturdy in the end, especially considering what we put it through. We used no wires on our athletes, so there was no interaction or impact that was faked. It was all real action. It’s filming this kind of elegant, completely realistic live action that has given Brand New School such a great reputation for these kinds of jobs. Also it is rare for an installation job of this complexity to be produced in-camera; traditionally the solution would be more animation-based. There are very few companies that can pull both off.”

The job was not entirely without technological aspects however. The entire two-day shoot was shot against a blue, rather than red, background, and the final edits held more than 70 shots requiring significant keying and compositing work by the Brand New School team, all of which were then composited into a signature gradient environment.

Behind The Scenes – The Making of Coca Cola LA Live

“This was a very challenging and unusual job, but those are the ones we are most excited about,” says Gehlhaar. “Brand New School is getting very good at alternative media installations, and we are eagerly anticipating more opportunities like this. We want to be a market leader in this area.”

ABOUT BRAND NEW SCHOOL
With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Brand New School is a bicoastal directing collective working in all fields of commercial art. Ever evolving, the studio continues to cultivate a sense of wonder and exploration. For its artists and clients alike, BNS represents an opportunity to play at work, to conduct experiments in image-making, and to feed the inspiration that drives the industry.

CREDITS:
Directors:
Brand New School:Jens Gehlhaar & Ludovic Schorno

Shot on stage in Los Angeles

Production & post production:
Brand New School, Los Angeles
Producer:
David Wolfson
Director of Photography:
Ottar Gudnason
Assistant Director:
Patrick Finnegan
Key Grip:
Steve Strausser
Fabricator:
Vision Scenery Corporation
Stylist:
Christine Wada

Designer:
Wakako Ichinose
Still Photographer (banners):
Ian Brook

Editor:
Graeme Pereira
Flame Artist:
Philip Ineno
Post producer:
Craig Houchin

Color
Mark Gethin, MPC, Santa Monica

Client
The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta

Music
Installation: Machine Head, Los Angeles
Montage: Beyond Music Library

RELATED LINKS:
www.lalive.com
www.brandnewschool.com

The fully computer-animated opening was designed by Hall to look and feel like one of the epic stop-motion masterpieces of Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton. The content artfully presents a take-off of the strangely similar aesthetic of studio titles – like Hollywood with a dramatic twist – that welcomes viewers to Newport Beach and their 10th annual celebration of film with wit and charm.

“Andy Hall is a mix of pure enthusiasm and sheer talent,” began Scott McDonald, creative director at RPA. “Our client understood and supported what we were trying to do and believed in the artistry of the project. Elastic, Andy and a52 contributed such a sharp point of view – the very first ingredient was world class – we just kept throwing gasoline on that fire. I got to see this piece play on the biggest movie screen this side of the Mississippi and, let me tell you, it dropped some jaws.”

“Being as this is the festival’s 10th anniversary, the initial idea was a celebration of fanfare to the studios,” Hall explained. “With that in mind, I wanted to create a narrative that took us on a journey connecting all these pieces. After much thought, it felt right to give the work a sense of style that tipped its hat to those opening fanfares – but in a whimsical way… and getting back to my roots in animation, I really wanted to create a unique vision that would make the opening something special in its own right.”

Working closely with a52’s CG team, Hall achieved his desired style by focusing on the staging of the various shots in the sequence, while adding countless details and textures to ensure that each world feels like a hand-crafted set, while the separate elements fit together into the action-filled narrative like clockwork.

“I was heavily influenced by the work of Terry Gilliam, particularly ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’ because of its theatrical nature,” Hall added. “By giving it a lot of texture and layering the lighting, I was able to capture a stage-like quality, and the whole film became very much a labor of love. I wanted there to be layers of detail, so that every time it’s watched, viewers might see something new.”

The end-frame of Hall’s open, showing an iconic 3D sand sculpture forming the words, “10th of a Century: Newport Beach Film Festival,” is the image featured on the festival’s poster, program and within its print advertising.

Finally, Hall also confirmed that Autodesk Maya 2009 formed the vital component of the project’s production. “Especially with the new feature sets like the animation layers, it allowed for even great flexibility to create this imagery exactly the way I imagined it… if not better.”

About Elastic
Elastic is a full-service design studio launched in Santa Monica in 2008 by the founders of editorial company Rock Paper Scissors and visual effects company a52.

About a52
Established in 1997 as a home for the very latest high-end photo-real visual effects technologies and the industry’s most innovative and talented graphic design artists, visual effects boutique a52 creates award-winning imagery for the world’s most visually ambitious commercial and television projects. Having relocated to Santa Monica in 2007, the company’s work has earned AICP Show recognition, along with recent “Outstanding Commercial” Emmy, Andy, BDA, Belding, Clio, British Design and Art Direction, International Monitor, International Automotive Advertising, London International Advertising, One Show and PROMAX awards.

CREDITS:
Project Name: 10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival “Tenth of a Century”
Running Time: :30
Date Aired: April 23, 2009 (in-theater only)

Client: Newport Beach Film Festival
Founder & Head of Marketing: Todd Quartararo

AD Agency: RPA
Chief Creative Offier: David Smith
Creative Director/Art Director: Scott McDonald
SVP/Executive Producer: Gary Paticoff

Design/Production Company: Elastic
Director: Andy Hall
Executive Producer: Alex Gorodetzki
Producer: Jenny Bright

VFX/Animation/Finishing Company: a52
Executive Producer: Linda Carlson
Producer: Jenny Bright
Film/DI Colorist: Patrick Murphy
CG Supervisor: Kirk Shintani & Max Ulichney
3D Artists: Adam Newman, Paulo de Almada, Christopher Janney

Music & Sound Design: Robot Repair
Executive Producer & Sound Designer: Douglas Darnell
Composer: Kael Alden

Final Mix Company: Framework Sound
Mixer: Ken Dahlinger

RELATED LINKS:
www.a52.com
www.elastic.tv

Directed by the award winning team of Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”) and Bob Peterson; ‘Up’ is extremely funny and often poignant and is an animated tale that will lift the most down at heart.

Pixar’s Up hits theaters on May 29th 2009.

About Pixar:
Pixar Animation Studios is an Academy Award winning computer animation studio with the technical, creative and production capabilities to create a new generation of animated feature films. Pixar combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heart warming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages.

Pixar & Disney
In May 1991, Pixar entered into the Feature Film Agreement with Walt Disney Pictures for the development and production of up to three computer animated feature films to be marketed and distributed by Disney. It was pursuant to the Feature Film Agreement that Toy Story was developed, produced, and distributed. In February 1997, Pixar entered into the Co-Production Agreement (which superseded the Feature Film Agreement) with Disney pursuant to which Pixar, on an exclusive basis, agreed to produce five original computer-animated feature-length theatrical motion pictures for distribution by Disney. The five original Pictures under the Co-Production Agreement were A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars. Toy Story 2, the theatrical sequel to Toy Story, was released in November 1999, and is also governed by the Co-Production Agreement.

CREDITS:
Directed by: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Produced by: Jonas Rivera
Written by: Bob Peterson, Ronnie del Carmen
music by: Michael Giacchino
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures

CAST:
Edward Asner
Christopher Plummer
John Ratzenberger
Jordan Nagai

Updated Trailers:

With a triple-punch combo of shows to develop creative for, NYC based boutique Broquard Studio needed to bring all of it’s expertise in 2D/3D design, animation and compositing to the project.

“The HBO Sports brand and the boxing packages in particular are the ultimate sports package to work on from a design and motion graphics perspective. It was important to deliver something that had an event-night feel. Incorporating rich finishes and slick glossed surfaces, while also maintaining the energy and vigor that comes from primetime fights was the focus.”
Jacques Broquard, Director of Broquard Studio.

About Broquard Studio:
Broquard Studio is a motion graphics, design, animation and visual effects boutique for entertainment and advertising. For information on Broquard Studio visit: www.broquardstudio.com.

About Digital Kitchen:
Digital Kitchen is a creative agency that focuses on film production, experiential design, motion graphics, brand identity, and interactive work for marketing and entertainment. For more information on Digital Kitchen visit: www.d-kitchen.com

One day, whilst in the midst of her favourite past time of drawing, Méline suddenly finds herself face to face with an unknown furry creature. This short animated film follows a petite heroine called Méline as she makes a discovery of a lifetime …

“Meet Méline” is the brainchild and loving creation of 3D artists and creative directors Virginie Goyons and Sebastien Laban.

Initially the idea behind the project was to produce a 20 second clip that would provide a platform on which the two artists could develop and perfect their skills ….. two years later the piece has developed into a short animated film.

Goyons and Laban have recently completed a teaser trailer that gives a clear view of the character of Méline but keeps details of the plotline under wraps ….. ensuring we are intrigued to see more.
“Meet Méline” The Short Film and “Meet Méline” The Making of : are both due for release in 2009.

The making of “Meet Méline” has also lead to the production of a hard backed book and some beautiful, emotive poster artwork.

CREDITS: Written by: Virginie Goyons & Sebastien Laban
Animated by: Virginie Goyons & Sebastien Laban
Sounds by: Cedric Denooz
Music by: Guillaume ROUSSEL!

RELATED LINKS:
www.meetmeline.com

Meet Meline Blog on CG Society

Indebted is a campaign directed at college students that aims to raise awareness about excessive debt and promote action to help stop the fiscal crisis in the U.S. With Indebted 2, Superfad helps illustrate what young people might expect from the future, a bleak picture if we don’t help turn back the hands of the national debt clock. This spot is the follow up to an earlier Superfad animated piece that focused on the pitfalls of personal debt.