MPC supervisors from LA and London assisted the two night shoot in LA. To allow a timely workflow and for cleanup to start straight away, 2K scans were graded before the edit was approved. MPC’s main challenge was to remove the camera arm fixed onto the front of the car.

The 2D team had to paint out this arm on moving shots and patch pieces of clean road over the top, which was made harder by the fact that it was raining in the live action plate. The camera’s shadows and car reflections also had to be removed frame by frame as well as the stunt driver who was in the back seat steering the car.

Some of the hero’s action in the car had to re-shot using green screen. These shots needed a background tracked and composited, involving very complicated hair keying. This was achieved using Shake’s extensive keying tools.

The band was also shot green screen on a separate day in New York and the location material was shot later in Los Angeles. This material had to be composited and a light change over them had to be tracked to reflect the headlight interaction. For the final scene when the car crashes the actor had to be shot separately and composited.

Colourist Mark Gethin worked closely with Patrick Daughters to create the dark, moody atmosphere for the spot.

About MPC
MPC creates high-end digital visual effects and computer animation for the feature film, advertising, music and television industries. With studios based in Soho London, Santa Monica LA and Vancouver Canada, this award winning facility has worked on many high profile projects including The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Quantum of Solace and the classic Cadbury ‘Gorilla’s Moment’.
For more information about MPC visit: www.moving-picture.com.

Credits
Track: Wrong
Artist: Depeche Mode
Record Company: Mute Records
Director: Patrick Daughters
Comissioner: John Moule
DoP: Shawn Kim
Production Company: The Directors Bureau
Production Company Producer: Lana Kim
Editor: Akiko Iwakawa @ Final Cut

Chosen to help launch the Candy Collection, New Balance’s colorfully cool new brand of footwear for tweens, Syndrome have taken inspiration from old school pinball machines, childhood board games and the tasty sweets we all remember as kids to deliver a surreal sugarcoated ride through an elaborate gumball machine.

With their irresistible ice-bottom soles and mouthwatering colors, the New Balance Candy Collection has style for miles and is guaranteed to satisfy any tween girl’s fashion sweet tooth.

About New Balance:
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance employs more than 4,000 people around the globe, and in 2007 reported worldwide sales of $1.63 billion.
www.newbalance.com

Commissioned to create a series of promos for TV, web and cinema, Superfad developed and animated the launch spots for the three iconic red noses (This One, That One and The Other One, new designs for 2009) and in doing so help developed the awareness campaign hand in hand with the charity. The animated noses also feature in the launch trailer starring the comic duo Simon Pegg and Nick frost.

“Breathing life into the three noses was a lovely animation project, made all the more satisfying in the light of the incredible achievements of comic relief. It also helped that we kind of fell in love with the noses themselves and so channeled that love into making them move in a proper rubber nose authentic way. I think that makes us rubber animation pioneers.” Superfad London

“Illusion” immerses viewers in the imagination of a woman vacationing at the MGM Grand. Gazing into her crystal martini glass, she’s swept into a mystical world. Adorned in an elaborate showgirl costume, she rides a giant swan through a theatrical setting before diving into the air, which morphs into water. She wades past a magnificent martini olive before the spot shifts back to reality.

With the snap of a finger, her charming date puts their table center stage as a procession of dazzling showgirls wearing gold costumes enter a spiraling ramp surrounding them. The spot concludes with a series of spinning-record-dance-floors under the light of golden disco balls, and playing cards falling from the sky like confetti.

Credits:
Client: MGM Grand
Spot Title: “Illusion”

Ad Agency: SK+G
Executive Creative Director: Eric Stein
Creative Directors: Ted Trautwein, Bill Kauker Art Directors: Joe Bergman, Jordan Roweider
Copywriters: Miles Nebeker, Jill Spradley
Producer: Joaquin Rosales

Production Company: Supply and Demand
Director: Bruce Dowad
Executive Producer: Keira Carstensen
DP: Bojan Bozelli
Producers: Leora Glass, Sartia White

Where Shot: Culver Studios, Culver City, CA

Editorial Company: King Cut/Venice, CA
Editor: Enrique Aguirre

VFX Company: Riot/Los Angeles
Creative Director/VFX Supervisor: Andrew MacDonald
Compositors: Andrew MacDonald, Wensen Ho, Joey Brattesani, Kevin Prendiville, Satoshi Ozeki, Claus Hansen Desktop Compositers: Robert Tatum, Cecile Tecson, David Hernandez CG Artists: Andy Lesniak, Michael Johnson, Bryant Reif Executive Producers: Matthew McManus, Robert Owens

Postproduction Company: Company 3/Los Angeles
Colorist: Rob Sciarratta
Assistant: Jim Harmon
Producer: Denise Brown

(Article by CGnews)