Recently in Commercials Category

Framestore's Commercials team are very pleased to welcome new addition Simon Gosling, who has recently joined the company as Senior Producer.

Simon Gosling brings almost 20 years of experience to his role as Senior Producer at Framestore. During that time he has worked as Head of New Business and Senior Producer at The Moving Picture Company, Managing Director at Cut+Run and set up a music and sound design company, 2110.

Simon has in depth knowledge in the realm of effects supervision, compositing and 3D animation. He has post produced films for the World's leading brands, including Adidas, Toyota, Barclays, Proctor & Gamble, Kelloggs, BBC, Sony, Guinness and Hasbro.  He wrote, and for 6 years conducted, both the APA and IPA lectures on post-production and editing, for their Masterclass courses.

Says Helen Stanley, Managing Director Commercials, "Over the years I have known Simon, I have always admired his industry knowledge, tenacity and charm. I am really pleased he decided to join our production team as a senior producer - he compliments greatly our existing talent."

Los Angeles, CA - (September 8, 2009) -- On Friday, August 28, audiences were introduced to Eddie, a unique, animated spokesperson for Nissin Chow Mein who was brought to digital life via a rich collaboration between advertising agency Dentsu America and digital production company Zoic Studios. The commercial features the voice of preeminent actor James Hong (Blade Runner, Mulan, Kung Fu Panda).

To view the spot please visit: http://www.zoicstudios.com/#/creations/latest/118-nissin-noodle/

Dentsu America approached Zoic Studios as a creative partner to develop the animated Eddie character and oversee the commercial's production as a whole. Working from the agency's written character biography and general photo references, Zoic Studios hired key designers who produced distinctly different pencil sketch approaches that were then honed in collaboration with Dentsu America's creative team.

Meanwhile, Zoic Studios vetted Craig Tanimoto of Bully Pictures for his comedy acumen to direct the live action portion of the commercial while Zoic Studios' Loni Peristere assumed the responsibility of creating the endearing performance of "Eddie" as Director of Animation.

Once the general look and feel of Eddie was decided, digital production began. Zoic Studios VFX Supervisor Les Ekker attended the voice-over performance by James Hong and video was taken of the session so that Image Metrics (Benjamin Button) could extract the facial animation thereby providing an organic and realistic baseline from which to build authentic looking lip synch and delivery. Hong's face, neck and hands were photographed using a custom camera with a polarized lighting rig built by Zoic's Ekker and CG Supervisor Andy Wilkoff to capture the incredible detail and texture needed to produce surface and subsurface texture for realistic, lifelike skin. Other key details, like hair and clothing movement and aesthetics were created with simulations held up to rigorous scrutiny and exacting production standards.

With a custom, adaptive pipeline that can handle immense projects including episodic and feature film, Zoic was able to develop a realistic character with surrealistic proportions, and oversee the live action integration along with in house VFX editing and final Flame finish.  Zoic was also responsible for animating the Nissin signature logo at the end of the spot.

"This was an amazing opportunity on a number of fronts," says Zoic Studios EP/Producer Erik Press. "We poured our passion and knowledge into developing an iconic animated spokesperson for the world's leading noodle-maker, while overseeing the production and end logo design. It worked all sides of the Zoic brand and we loved every minute of it!"

MINNEAPOLIS (September 3rd, 2009) - It's not every day that CRASH+SUES animators and visual effects artists get to rebuild and enhance the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon and the Pyramids of Giza, but they recently had the opportunity to skillfully manipulate these wonders of the ancient world in a trio of inventive spots for Bridger Steel.
 
The campaign's three 15-second spots from Flying Horse Communication/Bozeman, Montana, first introduce the landmarks as they look today with stock footage of the Great Wall's crumbling stone, the Parthenon's long-faded marble beauty, and the Pyramids' eroding sandstone.  The voiceover then asks what these architectural icons would look like if they had originally been crafted of steel.
 
CRASH+SUES FX team 3D tracked, rotoscoped, keyed and composited new CG elements into selected iconic scenes.  A pan of the Chinese landscape reveals a tower fortress built of steel.  A wide shot of the Acropolis shows the hill capped by a shining steel Parthenon. And a pull back on the Egyptian desert finds a gleaming steel pyramid nested among its sandstone counterparts. "Isn't your home worthy of steel?" asks the voiceover.  "Bridger Steel - Create Lasting Beauty."
 
The spots are part of a long-term growth plan for Montana-based Bridger Steel and a key component of a major rebranding effort by Flying Horse Communications.
 
"It's been fun to see the broadcast campaign come to life," says agency creative director JC Estensen who worked with CRASH+SUES previously, when he was based out of Minneapolis.  "These spots are the first Bridger has done of this caliber.  CRASH+SUES was as excited about them as we were - and their team developed and shared some innovative ideas with us throughout the campaign's evolution.  It's been an absolutely fantastic creative partnership."
 
CRASH+SUES CG artist Matt Sattler modeled and textured photorealistic steel representations of the Great Wall guard tower and the Parthenon in Autodesk's Maya. He then exchanged those files with Flame artist Adam Celt to animate and composite into the hero shots.  Sattler provided color, specular highlights, reflections, and normal mapping passes, which gave Celt the ability to relight scenes with maximum interactivity in client-supervised sessions.  Celt created the pyramid entirely in Flame, adding shadows and reflections.
 
Dealing with the various stock footage elements posed a challenge as the scenes had been shot with different lenses and on an array of prosumer-format cameras, which the FX team was tasked with tracking and matching. Several scenes required sky replacements, and Sue Lakso color corrected numerous passes in order to match scenes taken from differing times of the day and seasons to achieve a more uniform and seamless look.

Smoke artist Mark Anderson also contributed to the compositing, performed the online, and finished the spots with an animated end tag created by Sean Hall in Maya and After Effects.  CRASH+SUES also provided 4K renders of the 3D models to be used for print ads and billboards.
 
"Part of our goal with the Bridger campaign is to get across the idea that steel can be warm, inviting and beautiful in addition to long lasting," notes JC Estensen.  "Not many people think of steel as a design element, but it can be a striking design aesthetic.  Working with CRASH+SUES on the spots really raised the bar.  It's why I'm comfortable calling on them time and again."
 
CRASH+SUES is an award-winning post production company specializing in the seamless integration of FX, animation, motion design, color correction, creative editing, finishing and multimedia services.  For additional information, contact executive producer Donna Drewick at 612.338.7947 or visit their website:  crashandsues.com.
 
CLIENT/PRODUCT: Bridger Steel:  Creating Lasting Beauty broadcast campaign  CATEGORY:  3x :15 broadcast spots, plus print and billboard            
TITLES:  The Pyramids; The Great Wall; The Parthenon. AD AGENCY:  Flying Horse Communication/Bozeman, Montana:  CEO: Mike Gold; CD/AD/ COPYWRITER/PRODUCER: JC Estensen; ACCOUNT MANAGER: Gareth Gold.  FX + POST HOUSE:  CRASH+SUES/Minneapolis: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Donna Drewick; ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Stephanie Szeremeta; COLORIST: Sue Lakso; JR COLORIST: Matthew Jensen; ONLINE EDITOR: Mark Anderson; ONLINE ASSISTANT: Matthew Kroese; FLAME ARTIST: Adam Celt; CG ANIMATOR:  Matt Sattler; ANIMATOR: Sean Hall. STOCK FOOTAGE: Corbis; Getty Images /AUDIO POST COMPANY: Peak Recording/Bozeman: ENGINEER: Gil Stober.   MUSIC: Snap! Music Pro/Bozeman:COMPOSERS: DJ Hofer, Paul Durham.
 

Prime Focus brings Hollywood VFX veteran to India

Mumbai, August 3, 2009 - Michael Fink, Hollywood visual effects veteran and
Academy Award winner, has directed his first Indian TV commercial for Lotte
Coffy Bite candy. Fink is president, VFX Worldwide at Prime Focus, India's
leading visual entertainment services company. The Mumbai-based company was
appointed by Rediffusion-Y&R and MAD Entertainment for the toffee brand's
latest TV commercial.

The commercial shows that the Coffee-Toffee argument propagated by the
Coffy Bite brand has moved beyond humankind and into the realm of the
animal kingdom. The ad shows two frogs - Leo and Dino - vying for a Coffy
Bite. Because the frogs needed to emote and converse, they had to be
completely created using CGI and visual effects, with each frog having its
own unique and distinct characteristics.

Commenting on his first time experience directing a commercial in India,
Michael Fink, president VFX Worldwide, Prime Focus said, "It was a
delightful experience to be working on an Indian TV commercial. This is a
tipping point for Indian advertising with increased exposure and
involvement of global specialists in Indian advertising projects. I hope to
be associated with many more challenging projects like the Coffy Bite
commercial in the future."

MINNEAPOLIS (July) - Integrated production/post FX house CRASH+SUES teamed with Indianapolis agency Young & Laramore to produce an impressive three-minute branding video, "Sensori by BRIZO."  Showcasing Delta's upscale line of shower fixtures, the project tapped a wealth of in-house design, production and post services and is a tribute to CRASH+SUES comprehensive creative capabilities - from helming the live-action shoot with the Phantom camera to crafting CG elements and performing editorial, color correction and finishing.  Echo Boys, the company's sibling audio house, created the evocative original score and sound design.  The end-result is a visually compelling piece that highlights BRIZO's latest products and features while affirming their role as a leading high-end retailer of shower fixtures.

 CRASH+SUES signed on veteran DP Jeff Stonehouse to shoot all the live-action on the Phantom because of his extensive expertise working with water as subject matter and with the revolutionary high-speed digital camera which raised the bar considerably for the production.  

 "During the pre-viz we had interactive 'powwows' with Jeff and the agency creatives to determine the choice of camera, style of moves and the editorial workflow required by a digital file-based camera like the Phantom," notes CRASH+SUES executive producer Donna Drewick.  "This process proved very helpful especially with our tight shooting schedule and quick turnaround on the deliverable."

MINNEAPOLIS (July) - Integrated production/post FX house CRASH+SUES teamed with Indianapolis agency Young & Laramore to produce an impressive three-minute branding video, "Sensori by BRIZO."  Showcasing Delta's upscale line of shower fixtures, the project tapped a wealth of in-house design, production and post services and is a tribute to CRASH+SUES comprehensive creative capabilities - from helming the live-action shoot with the Phantom camera to crafting CG elements and performing editorial, color correction and finishing.  Echo Boys, the company's sibling audio house, created the evocative original score and sound design.  The end-result is a visually compelling piece that highlights BRIZO's latest products and features while affirming their role as a leading high-end retailer of shower fixtures.

 CRASH+SUES signed on veteran DP Jeff Stonehouse to shoot all the live-action on the Phantom because of his extensive expertise working with water as subject matter and with the revolutionary high-speed digital camera which raised the bar considerably for the production.  

 "During the pre-viz we had interactive 'powwows' with Jeff and the agency creatives to determine the choice of camera, style of moves and the editorial workflow required by a digital file-based camera like the Phantom," notes CRASH+SUES executive producer Donna Drewick.  "This process proved very helpful especially with our tight shooting schedule and quick turnaround on the deliverable."

Los Angeles & San Francisco -- (July 20th, 2009) -- Summer is camping season and a high-risk time for fires, nine out of 10 of which are caused by human carelessness. With fire prevention in mind, DraftFCB tapped Director Jason Zada of Tool of North America and visual effects company Ntropic to create a new Ad Council-sponsored PSA called "Bonfire".

For "Bonfire," Ntropic was presented with the challenge of redesigning Smokey The Bear to add greater CG realism to the classic icon of fire prevention in an intensive 4-week production cycle. Ntropic's animation acumen produced a full cinematic treatment for Smokey including lifelike hair and movement and physical proportions appropriate for the ultimate protector of the woods. Ntropic worked hand in hand with both the agency and Jason Zada who directed the charming cautionary tale of the potential pitfalls - from annoyed girlfriend to destroyed communities - of having a casual attitude towards fire and fire prevention.

To view: http://www.interdubs.com/s/ntropic/smokey_the_bear

"It was amazing to work with the agency team and Jason on the rollout of the newly designed bear on Smokey's 65th birthday," says Ntropic's Andrew Singara. "We were honored to help bring such a classic character to full 3d life."

"Working closely with Jason Zada, our director from Tool of North America, and Andrew Sinagra, our VFX guru from Ntropic, reminded me just how lucky we are when given the chance to truly craft and shape and mold an idea into something special," concludes DraftFCB Group CD Scott Murray. "These guys and their teams were the heart and soul of bringing this idea to life in a way that was fitting of an iconic figure like Smokey Bear."

MINNEAPOLIS (July 15,2009) -- Life is a beach and youngsters are enjoying their customizable SpongeBob SquarePants toys free with Burger King Kids' Meals, despite their clumsy dad, in "Look Out/SpongeBob."  The new campaign from Campbell Mithun/Minneapolis, called upon the talents of award-winning colorist Sue Lakso of CRASH+SUES, the full-service postproduction company.

The spot opens with Nickelodeon's animation of SpongeBob and his friend Patrick on a beach. Director Mike Bigelow of Gartner, Inc. shot the live-action beach sequence, which opens with the dad wreaking havoc with the surfboard that he has hoisted on his shoulder despite the 'NO SURFING' sign posted. As he makes his way through the crowd, the hapless fellow swings around, knocking over a man who then falls into an elaborate sandcastle.  Mayhem ensues as the would-be surfer takes out a lifeguard whose fall tips over a beach umbrella that ultimately gets tangled in a young boy's kite. While his son and daughter cringe at their dad's behavior, it doesn't effect their good time, as they relish Burger King Kids' Meals and play with the SpongeBob toys that were included with their purchase.
 Sue Lakso transferred Bigelow's film on the C-Reality telecine and color corrected with the da Vinci 2K+ system.  She pushed the spot's bright primary colors and used secondaries extensively to make the man's bright yellow surfboard pop while toning down the kids' apple fries so they didn't look like golden French fries.  She also balanced the lighting in some scenes to finesse hot and dark exposures on the beach. Matthew Jensen assisted Lakso, and Kathy Yanko produced the project for CRASH+SUES. The spot ends with a VFX shot of a giant wave washing a Burger King restaurant ashore, which was provided by Nickelodeon.
CRASH+SUES is an award-winning post production company specializing in the seamless integration of cg, visual fx, animation, motion graphics + design, color correction, creative editing, finishing, audio and multimedia services. For additional information, contact executive producer Donna Drewick at 612.338.7947 or visit our website at: www.crashandsues.com.                   
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Design House Incorporates 'Pixelation' Concept To Network's First Major Branding Campaign For Original Programming

NEW YORK, NY - If you're a fan of reality television, then you've no-doubt seen pixelation -- the technique networks often use to hide questionable content. Award-winning design house PMcD Design, part of the transmedia branding and design group LORI PATE+, has referenced that technique to create a comprehensive branding and promotional tool for Fox Reality Channel's original programming.

"Since their programming is extremely varied -- everything from American Idol Extra to Solitary, an endurance-based reality show," McDonough says. "Creatively it was crucial that we address the RFP to find a way to connect all of these shows and brand them as Fox Reality Channel Originals, as well as provide a visual toolkit."

Brilliant in its simplicity, the pixelation concept represents one of Fox Reality Channel's largest strategic branding efforts to date, giving them a truly identifiable look for their original content that, according to Lorey Zlotnick, Senior VP of Marketing and On-Air Promotion for Fox Reality, will serve as the visual core for network originals.

"In order to create a sense of environment and link all these shows together, we needed to create a branding campaign with an umbrella look to pull the wide depth and breadth of our original programming together," Zlotnick said. "With so many challenges including a wide range of viewing options, program repurposing where viewers can see the same show on a variety of networks and new ways to consume media; it was essential to create a graphic package that truly interacts with our content and we can own. The pixel package does just that and more and if viewers watch closely, they will get some additional visual surprises."

As U2's new tour gets underway, there's a lot of excitement in the air about their new album, "No Line on the Horizon," and their revolutionary new stage design. Both are on display in "Light," a new "event" spot touting the band's partnership with BlackBerry.

In the ad, we see the band performing a cut from the new LP, as tiny specks of light reflect off their instruments (and Bono's shades, of course). The specks multiply, and become more prominent, culminating in a visual crescendo. Bono is enveloped in brightness, as he sings of "sparks of light." The camera pulls back over a sea of screaming fans, and we see the entire band onstage. The visual is complemented by the line "BlackBerry Loves U2," and the url, www.blackberry.com/u2.

Directed by longtime U2 collaborator Alex Courtes and created via ARC/Chicago, the spot was cut by Adam Jenkins of bicoastal Union, who was handed the challenge of bringing two distinct brands together in the perfect edit.

"This project is the coming together of a lot of different elements," Jenkins explains. "We had the band, crowd and stage shot on green screen in Dublin, and everything else (including the 3D model of U2's concert backdrop) was added in post. It helped that Alex knew exactly what he wanted this to look like. The finished product very closely resembles his storyboards." 

When it came to shots of the band, Jenkins viewed this more as a music video than a commercial. "Bands of this magnitude and image have a certain look that's part of their mystique," he says. "Both Alex and I have worked with U2 before, and while they were shot with two cameras at all times, they're such professionals and work with a solid blueprint that makes the edit a lot more manageable."

Transporting, organizing, and prepping the footage - shot both on the Phantom and on 35mm film - involved what Union's East Coast Executive Producer Caryn MacLean calls "a lot of logistical intensity. " "I'm grateful to Nicky and her team at ARC for assembling this group," concludes Union Partner/Executive Producer Michael Raimondi. "We all really enjoyed collaborating on 'Light,' and making it a reality."

Los Angeles, CA (July 7, 2009)-VICON House of Moves recently provided
motion capture services to Motion Picture Company (MPC) and Zoic for high
profile commercial projects. The new Playstation 3 commercial for the game
"inFAMOUS" directed by Luis Nieto includes VFX work by MPC Los Angeles, and
Mountain Dew's Code Red "Level Up or Die" spot directed by Tarsem Singh
features effects work by Zoic Studios.   Both MPC and Zoic completed motion
capture sessions for these spots at VICON House of Moves in Los Angeles.

MPC's work on a spot for the release of the new Playstation 3 game,
"inFAMOUS", features the game's main character Cole, leaping to life from
the pages of a comic book into action packed 3D environments.

"We recently had the pleasure of working with House of Moves on the Sony
Playstation 3 commercial for 'inFAMOUS.' Working with Scott and his team is
always a fantastic experience. In the commercial world where one is always
fighting the clock, House of Moves was pivotal in maximizing the quality of
work on such a tight schedule. This was quite a challenge but thanks to
their professional, eager, and creative team that can only be compared to
an army of MacGyvers, we got everything we needed. This on set experience
was then complimented by the quality of the cleaned data, and the speed in
which it was delivered," said Nick Losq, VFX Supervisor, MPC Los Angeles.

Los Angeles - (June 29, 2009) -- The Mountain Dew / World of Warcraft cross-promotional spot brought together some all-star players to handle these iconic brands.  The production would be executed by Radical Media lead by esteemed director Tarsem Singh.  With the vision of the spot being solidified, the team now had to worry about execution.  Based on Blizzard's recommendation, BBDO reached out to Zoic Studios to handle the visual effects and animation. Having recently completed projects for Saboteur and Killzone 2, Zoic Studios was hip to the challenge of plunging World of Warcraft game characters into a live action setting.

What begins as a mild-mannered moment in a grocery store checkout becomes a havoc-filled battleground.  Tension builds as two women approach the checkout counter with different flavors of Mountain Dew's new drink 'Game Fuel'.  As they notice that they are buying different flavors, one character prepares for an attack.  The first swing of the sword triggers the transition from humans to Orc and Night Elf.  As the spot progresses, the characters wildly battle through the grocery store, knocking over shelves and displays.

Zoic began by modifying the Blizzard designed assets to account for visual needs and technical requirements of the project. Then, using stunt performers at motion capture studio House of Moves, Zoic shot the action sequence needed for the 'Level Up or Die' faceoff.  Zoic's 3D team created animation for the character's facial expressions and applied dynamic simulation for the costumes and hair, transforming the stylized beings into "living" creatures. These multilayered characters were then given to Zoic's 2D team for final compositing and interactive effects integration.

All of this work was done with the collaboration from legendary director Tarsem, who helmed the project with "incredible knowledge about all aspects of the process and a clear and compelling vision for the spot," comments Zoic Creative Director/VFX Supervisor Les Ekker. "The fact that the process flowed so smoothly is a tribute to his vision and expertise. It was cool to be able to work with him on such an entertaining project."

"Level Up or Die" can be viewed here: http://zoicstudios.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=bac7e1bac6f4ac8c5c2eeec316f81776

International award-winning Creative/Director Nando Costa, founder of top industry leading design and animation studio Nervo, has teamed with Portland-based Bent Image Lab to form, NANDO@BENT. Costa brings his entire Nervo shop to BENT, including creative partner Linn Olofsdotter. Costa, age 30, will become the fourth partner of BENT which includes: Co-Founder/EP Ray Di Carlo, Co-Founder/Director Chel White, and Co-Founder/Director David Daniels.

The Brazilian-born Costa brings a sprawling portfolio to BENT that includes everything from branding efforts, commercials, broadcast TV, photography, and a range of expertise that will completely reshape BENT into a true one-stop content creation studio. "BENT has consistently evolved since our founding in 2002, and joining forces with Nando is just one more move forward," stated Di Carlo. "His branding expertise, acute eye, and unparalleled experience in motion graphics will further complement our existing range of animation services."

Daniels added, "Nando is re-defining the future of motion graphics with every job he does. He takes immense joy in all his work, especially design, and that's a gift that will germinate throughout the character and story-telling traditions of this studio, thus strengthening everyone around him."

NEW YORK, NY - June 4, 2009 - FilmTecknarna (www.FilmTecknarna.com), the
legendary storytelling and design house based in Stockholm and serving
commercial clients all over the world, recently announced the company's
expansion to the United States. Under the direction of Executive Producer Bill
Hewes, the initial FilmTecknarna offices will house a full studio in New York
City within the next year, significantly strengthening the company's presence
in the U.S. market. The company will be repped stateside by Judy Wolff (East
Coast), Hilly Reps (Midwest), Reber Covington (West Coast) and Hesty Reps
(Canada).

FilmTecknarna is known for its groundbreaking work, including music videos for
Madonna ('Music') and Franz Ferdinand ('Take Me Out'), high profile ad
campaigns (Absolut, BMW, Boddingtons, Ikea, McDonald's, Hummer, Southern
Comfort) and short films ('Lies,' directed by Jonas Odell, won the Special
Jury Prize for Best International Short Film at this year's Sundance film
festival).

"We have looked forward to deepening our presence in the States for some years
now," says Lars Ohlson, who co-founded FilmTecknarna (with classmates Jonas
Odell and Stig Bergqvist) and now serves as the company's CEO. "We love to
tell compelling stories through unique design, and feel we can do it more and
better by expanding our presence into the US market."

LONDON, UK - MAY 22, 2009 -- Innovative soft drinks company, The Feel Good
Drinks Company, recently commissioned Loose Moose to turn a stop-frame
animation created for them by one of their consumers into a national TV
campaign.  To see the spot, and 'making of' film, go here
http://www.youtube.com/user/LooseMooseProds

De Montfort final year graphics student, Debbie Hulme, first
came to the drinks company's attention, when she submitted a
short stop-frame animation for the brand as part of the YCN
(Youth Creative Network) creative awards program last year.

In response to the brief of 'spreading feelgoodness', Debbie's
animation featured loveable little plasticine gnomes, who
discover 'feelgoodness' in bottles of Feel Good Drinks. The
Gnomes proved such an instant hit with the company and
consumers, the brand decided to feature them in their
upcoming TV campaign.

Campaign for Goodby Silverstein Marries CG and Archival Live Action Footage
to Create Stunning Portrayals of Historical Basketball Moments

Santa Monica, CA (May 21, 2009)--Artist owned-and-operated bi-coastal
effects boutique Brickyard VFX completed work on the ad campaign for the
2009 NBA Final Championship Series beginning May 19 via agency Goodby
Silverstein & Partners. Entitled "Elevated Moments," the four-spot campaign
was directed by longtime Brickyard collaborators Jonathan Dayton and
Valerie Faris of Bob Industries, and features NBA superstars Larry Bird,
Kobe Bryant, Dr. J, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal. The campaign first
broke on May 10, and will continue to air throughout the 2009 championship
season.

The 2009 CLIO Interactive Jury awarded Superfad a Gold CLIO Statue for Durex "Get it On" at the gala awards presentation in Las Vegas on May 13th. The spot was then awarded a Silver Clio for Animation at the TV/Cinema Awards the following evening.

The Durex film, featuring three energetic condom balloon animals, was recognized for both its creativity and viral success. The award-winning project can be viewed via the Superfad website here: http://www.superfad.com/player.php?project=251&item=566

"We are all really excited to receive the CLIOs! I mean, who would have guessed?" says Superfad Creative Director Rob Rugan. "We always thought this spot was going to be cute, but in order for it to work, we knew we had to go all the way. But then we also had to know when to pull...(pregnant pause)...back. I guess it all just came together. In the end, we are stoked about the award and would like to thank the agency, our balloon animal clown, the CLIO judges, and the smooth stylings of Barry White."

Design/Production House Rebrands College Sports Network
NEW YORK, NY -- What's life like on the campus of ESPNU? As envisioned by design/production studio nailgun*, for the rebrand of ESPN's college sports channel, it's a college sports-lovers paradise where stadium lights perfectly illuminate paths made of track and field lanes, and every other building is a different ballpark. The centerpiece of the rebrand is the ''hallmark'' spot that in lush stylized photo-real 3D animation defines the world of ESPNU. The network package includes an array of elements including IDs, bumpers, promo packages, logo treatments and more.
''Creatively we wanted ESPNU to feel more like part of the overall ESPN brand, but also have its own unique identity,'' Michael Waldron, Creative Director of nailgun* says. ''We wanted to give it a real sense of place -- a destination where college sports fans need to go not just for football and basketball, but for all sports played at the college level. It's stylized with a bit of twist.''

MINNEAPOLIS:  CLIO finalist in the Animation Category, "Shadows" highlights the talents of CRASH+SUES' lead animator/compositor, Adam Celt, animator Sean Hall, and particle animator, Matt Sattler. The team recently joined forces with Martin/Williams to create this 60-second animated spot - part of a campaign for the non-profit organization, Not For Sale -which sends the compelling message that slavery still exists and closer to home then we think. The full-service post house created seamless animated transitions, performed extensive compositing, and executed the online finish for the spot, which also recently made the prestigious ADC Young Guns Award's short list. Echo Boys, the sibling company of CRASH+SUES, crafted the message's affecting score and sound design.

 "Shadows" features the early art of hand shadows to relate a story of present-day human trafficking.  Its message is brought home by a compelling voiceover narrative: "When I was little, I had big dreams," says a young woman.  "I would stare at the clouds and wonder what I would become. My imagination ran wild. One day a man came promising a better life far away.  Now that I'm big, my only dreams are of when I was little -- when I was free."