Category Archives: Post Production Design VFX

Arsenal FX Goes ‘Walkin’ on the Moon’ in 2085

Those of us who were around in 1985 thought life was pretty cool (we thought we looked cool, too, but ok…). In “Walkin’ on the Moon,“ the new clip from The Dream, feat. Kanye West, 2085 is even more promising. Helping director Hype Williams realize a future that’s so bright we gotta wear shades are Mark Leiss and Joseph Grosso of Arsenal FX. The artists contributed some stunning “moon” replacement, comp’d in starships and starfields, and – of course – added just the right flare on those kick-ass sunglasses.

Arsenal FX Draws on Colorful Inspirations for ‘Crayon’ from US Cellular

Directed by Tim Godsall and created by the team of Rich North and Adam Koppel of Publicis & Hal Riney, this new spot for US Cellular has a “Crayon” (crafted by celebrated sculptor Deim Chau) representing each contact stored on your cell phone. With US Cellular’s My Contact feature, those close to you will never be out of reach. Arsenal FX - which worked on the entire campaign – created additional crayons to give the scene depth, and modified the shapes of the crayons to make for a very graceful melting effect. And – as the commercial is all about color – let’s not forget the subtle tweaks in that area, which give “Crayon” a distinct and vibrant beauty. Kudos as well to Justin Trovato for his seamless editing.

Client: US Cellular

Spot Title: “Crayon”

Agency: Publicis & Hal Riney (SF)
ACD/Copywriter: Adam Koppel
ACD/Art Director: Rich North
Producer: Debbie Chin

Production Company: Biscuit Films
Director: Tim Godsall

Editorial: Cosmo Street/LA
Editor: Justin Trovato

Post/VFX: Arsenal FX
Online/VFX Artist: Mark Leiss

Arsenal FX GM Rally Campaign

The artists at Arsenal FX lent their talents to this new spot, in which GM showcases 19 of its new models, all of which get 30 MPG or better and are available for their respective Red Tag sticker prices.

Whether pulling up to a house to close a real estate sale or arriving at an event, Cadillac drivers exude “Total Confidence,” in this spot from GM’s new “Rally” campaign.

GM “Rally” campaign

‘Port of Los Angeles’ Opens, with Help from AlphaDogs

BURBANK, CA, April 29, 2009 – Leading post house AlphaDogs provided post-production services on "PORT OF LOS ANGELES: A Four Part Documentary Series – The History of America’s Busiest Port (1542-2008)." The film had its premiere screening Sunday at The 6th Annual Los Angeles Harbor International Film Festival in San Pedro, CA.

Created by Jon and Nancy Wilkman, "PORT OF LOS ANGELES" combines photos, film clips, and oral accounts to tell the history of America’s busiest port. The Wilkmans interviewed more than 100 Port residents, workers, managers, and others, the oldest of whom "was 101 at the time of the interview and is still talking at 103." the director said.

The documentary is comprised of four parts: (1) Spanish discovery – 1920, (2) 1920-1940, (3) 1940-1960, (4) 1960-2008.

"The Port of Los Angeles series had a huge scope, covering several centuries of development," said Russell Frazier, who designed the main title for the series. "Fortunately the Wilkmans had done exhaustive research, finding hundreds of historic stills, illustrations and clips to choose from. About a hundred of them made it into the main title, along with pristine HD aerial shots, which conveyed the massive energy – and even some of the fun and personal sacrifice – which has gone into making our busiest port." 

"One challenge was to convey just how much the physical layout and scale of the port changed over the decades," said Sean Williams, VP of Design at AlphaDogs. "I worked closely with John and Nancy to create animated maps that would clearly illustrate the port’s growth, while using photographic backgrounds to subtly introduce a visual sense of the changing harbor. Accurately recreating maps for eras before aerial photography and modern surveying proved especially challenging, but the Wilkmans’ research and archival resources were invaluable in achieving the result we were looking for."

Additional members of the AlphaDogs team who contributed to the project were Terrence Curren, who served as online editor and colorist on two of the four segments, and Rosanne Tan, who was the online editor for the remaining two portions. Brian Hutchings was the colorist on those segments.

Kanye West’s Amazing Video Breaks with VFX/Online from Arsenal FX

Arsenal FX, a special effects and finishing boutique catering to a diverse global client base that spans Advertising, Film, and Sports, announced its official launch in March 2009. Founder/Artist Mark Leiss embarks on the venture with the support of key staff Executive Producer Ashley Hydrick and Graphic Artist/Compositor Joseph Grosso. Arsenal FX has already worked with many prestigious clients, including Triple Double, Fox Sports, NFL, Chevrolet, Saab, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, Bumble Bee, and Walmart; the company also recently completed music videos for Jamie Foxx, Bow Wow and Nickelback.

Festa, Walker, Throw New Hat Into the Ring

Non-linear style Telecine Boutique’s Roster Comprised of Colorists Bob Festa, Beau Leon, and Marcelo Aprile

April 24, 2009 – Founders/Principals Bob Festa and Darby Walker (pict., l.) have officially launched New Hat, a Los Angeles Telecine for commercials and music videos boutique with a roster comprised of colorists Festa, Beau Leon, and Marcelo Aprile.

First work out of the gate includes projects for Cisco (Agency: O&M, Editorial: Lost Planet), Blackberry (Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago, Director: Joseph Kahn, Editorial/VFX: Stardust Studios), and Chase (Agency: mcgarrybowen/NY, Director: Michael Haussman, Editorial: Spotwelders/Robert Duffy).

“We have all worked together for a long time,” said Executive Producer Walker of the principals’ shared history at Ascent Media’s Riot. “The chemistry and common background had all the makings of a great new company, so we decided to build one.”

“New Technology mixed with talented workmates makes for a powerful cocktail,” noted Festa, 2004′s Commercial Colorist of the Year in da Vinci Systems Master Colorist Awards competition. From the original Levis 501 Blues campaign to Alfa Romeo “Hollywood,” for which he was a 2007 HPA Outstanding Colorist finalist, and a 2009 Super Bowl spot for Jay Leno’s new 10pm series, Festa has long been established as one of the most accomplished colorists in post production.

According to Walker, New Hat offers a new level of film scanning efficacy and unlimited color correction. “The industry has moved away from linear color-correction,” she stated. “We offer true non-linear, random access workflow, and since we cater to a tapeless client base, we are poised to service any data based delivery such as web delivery and film outs.” New Hat’s facility is outfitted with Spirit 4K’s, a 300 TB SAN, Pandora’s Revolution and Filmlight’s Baselight, among other specifications.

Leon, who comes to New Hat after a successful run as Partner/Colorist at The Syndicate, is a four-time MVPA Award-winner, who, like Muller, was formerly on staff at 525. At New Hat, Leon is reunited with his Riot compatriot Walker. His latest work is a diverse mix of spot, music video, and longform projects, including HBO (Noam Murro, dir.), Kings of Leon (Florida Sigismondi, dir.), Chase Bank (Michael Haussman, dir.), and the documentary “Sister Corita.”

Aprile got his start at Riot in 2002, becoming a colorist in 2006. He has built a diverse clientele, with projects for Chevy, Coca Cola, LA Times, Mervyns, Toyota, Farmers Insurance, Mercury Insurance, and DTS 7.1 audio. On the music video front, Aprile has lent his talents to an array of artists, including Jakob Dylan, The Shins, Rocco Deluca, Sea Wolf, Jem, Devendra Banhart with Natalie Portman, and Black Eyed Peas.

Walker’s experience began in production and editorial, before focusing on Telecine at Encore Santa Monica. She enjoyed a nine-year tenure at Riot, first as producer, and eventually as Executive Producer. “When the opportunity arose to partner in a company with Bob Festa, I couldn’t resist,” she concluded. “Now Beau and I are reunited after seven years, and we have this brillant team…it’s a very exciting time.”

AlphaDogs Editor’s Lounge Continues to Inform – and Impress

BURBANK, CA, April 20, 2009 – Leading post house AlphaDogs recently welcomed more than 75 attendees to yet another successful Editors’ Lounge event at its Burbank facility. Moderated by industry author Debra Kaufman, the panel included 2-time Oscar^TM-nominated film editor Billy Weber, veteran television editor and post-producer Glenn Morgan, Emmy^TM-nominated television and trailer editor Carol Streit, and seasoned finishing editor and colorist Terence Curren.

(Pict., left to right: Billy Weber, feature editor; Terence Curren, finishing editor/colorist; Glenn Morgan, reality TV editor; Carol Streit, trailer editor; Debra Kaufman, moderator )

The March 27th Editor’s Lounge was titled "The Craft of Editing: Where Are We Now? A Moderated Panel Discussion with Editors on Editing’s Past, Present, and Future."

"The objective was to have all the major fields of the craft represented," said Curren, who is CEO & Founder of AlphaDogs. "The discussion was great, and as a panel we were able to bring our diverse perspectives together to offer a comprehensive look at where the art of editorial is headed."

Launched in 2003, the Editor’s Lounge is a contemporary forum and networking opportunity for post-production professionals, featuring the hottest product demos and insight into the latest trends in post.

"I always thought there should be a non platform specific group just for editors," Curren recalled of his decision to launch the Lounge. "I realized I should just start one. AlphaDogs had the space to hold meetings, and the idea was to create a forum for editors to meet and network, share tips and tricks and keep up on the latest trends in our area of expertise."

The next Editor’s Lounge event will take place May 1, and will be the group’s sixth annual post-NAB wrap-up panel.

Effects and Finishing Boutique Arsenal FX Launches in Santa Monica, CA

SANTA MONICA, CA, March 20, 2009 – Arsenal FX, a special effects and finishing boutique catering to a diverse global client base that spans Advertising, Film, and Sports, has announced its official launch in Santa Monica, CA. Founder/Artist Mark Leiss embarks on the venture with the support of key staff Executive Producer Ashley Hydrick and Graphic Artist/Compositor Joseph Grosso. Arsenal FX has already worked with many prestigious clients, including Triple Double, Fox Sports, NFL, Chevrolet, Saab, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, Bumble Bee, and Walmart; the company also recently completed music videos for Jamie Foxx, Bow Wow and Nickelback.

Leiss is a graduate of the Grove School of Music, and a multi-talented artist with 20 years of experience in film, television, and music videos. He enjoyed a successful tenure at Jigsaw Editorial, before initiating work via Arsenal FX in October of last year. As an editor and visual effects artist, Leiss has lent his talents to many notable advertising projects, including Saab “Cycle”, Honda “Dog Show”, and BMW “Freeway,” work that garnered him an EMMY nomination for editing. An unconventional thinker, Leiss has never shied away from venturing beyond his traditional discipline, a trait which will surely be reflected in his new company’s development. “The ability to show art in the advertising medium has always fascinated me,” said Leiss, “and at the same time our ability to work across numerous platforms, from ads, to movies, and sports content, has allowed us to thrive even in difficult economic times.”

Hydrick brings to Arsenal FX a broad range of experience in commercial post production, and stated that her role at Arsenal FX all comes down to shared philosophies. “In launching Arsenal FX with Mark, I am lucky enough to be paired up with not only an extremely talented artist, but one of the nicest guys in town,” she said. “We agree that it’s extremely important to surround yourself with good people who are supportive. That energy extends to our entire staff, who feel that they have a voice and their contributions count, which in turn, enables the creative process to thrive without restriction.”

Prior to the launch of Arsenal FX, Hydrick was a staff producer at Beast Editorial. Visual effects have also figured prominently into her work history. As the lead scheduler at Digital Magic, Hydrick worked on commercials and TV programming such as “Star Trek” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Grosso, an accomplished Flame Artist, Compositor, and Graphic Artist, has years of experience in post production, much of it spent under the tutelage of Leiss, whom Grosso assisted at their previous roost, Jigsaw, from 2003 through 2008. During that time, he also had the opportunity to do some Flame work of his own, refining his skills and branching out as a freelance artist in his own right. “Arsenal FX is the perfect place for me to grow creatively, while working with great people,” said Grosso, whose credits include music video and commercial projects for Deadly Syndrome “Emily Paints”, The Submarines “Peace and Hate”, NFL Network “Bold Predictions – Eli” and “Bold Predictions – Dentist” (directed by Locksmith’s Benjamin (Tapas) Blank), and “Polygarol” and “Eau De Polygamie” for the HBO series Big Love. “Having an impact artistically is really gratifying, and what I love most about this business,” he said.

Arsenal FX has also formed an association with graphics company Carosall, featuring artists Ryan Gibson, Lauren Mayer-Beug, and Nathan Boldman, whose work includes the opening of “24″ and projects for Fox Sports and Comcast. “Having Carosall under the same roof as Arsenal FX allows us to offer additional value to clients while maintaining our standard of excellence and service,” Leiss said.

Union Editorial to Play with Pablo Piriz

SANTA MONICA, CA, August 15, 2008 – Editor/Post Producer Pablo Piriz has joined the roster of bicoastal Union. Based in LA and working bicoastally, Piriz has been awarded his first assignment with Union, a campaign for Nestle Pure Water via AdCastells.

Piriz has won several awards for his work, including the Belding Award in 2004 for Toyota 4Runner “Singers”, the AHAA Bronze for Toyota Sienna’s “Family Research”, and Caribbean Advertising Festival honors for Xbox “Glider”. His recent work includes a popular three-spot campaign for Modelo Beer via Casanova Pendrill, Irvine. Produced by Pilar Matallana and directed by Augusto Gimenez Sapiola from La Fabrica Films, the campaign turns on the conceit that rivals can argue about anything but the taste of Modelo Beer.

“The decision to join Union was an easy one,” Piriz said. “Theirs is a talented team that cares for the quality of the spot as I do, and their company reel is amazing.”

“Pablo is firmly established in the Hispanic market, and at the same time he is perfectly calibrated to general market work,” said Union Partner/Executive Producer Michael Raimondi. “We had not planned to expand the roster in LA, but the fit and potential made this a no-brainer.”

Piriz broke into advertising as a graphic designer studying under Andries Van Onck and other masters of the craft. He was working on the graphics for a TV show about the World Qualifying Surfing Competition when fate stepped in: the edit wasn’t coming along as planned, so Piriz jumped in and edited the piece himself. Absorbed by the process of marrying narrative, imagery, and audio, Piriz immediately started editing for a local edit company and in 1993 was recruited by Paris/Texas, a renowned production company, as their in-house editor. Five years later, Piriz expanded his career by moving from his native Montevideo to Los Angeles, working with both the U.S. Hispanic and general markets. He then started Purepost Edit, but after some time decided rather than editing while running a company, he wanted to dedicate his time and energies to his first love. The freedom to focus on his art is another reason Piriz considers the move to Union an ideal one. “I know that the Union team can help put my name out there in places I haven’t been able to reach before, and at the same time they can take much better care of my previous clients than I ever did.”

A passionate musician, Piriz has worked on several music videos and in 2004 won MTV Latin’s Best Music Video award for Cafe Tacuba “Eres”. He also has worked closely with Kinky, a hugely popular alternative band who’s widely acclaimed music has been in everything from Skyy Vodka ads to Nip/Tuck and feature films. His diverse taste in music complements his facility with all genres of film, from comedy to visual and dramatic work. On the film front, Piriz cut the 2007 short film “Feathers to the Sky,” which was an Official Selection at the AFI FilmFest LA, Santa Barbara FilmFest, and Tribeca FilmFest.

Immediately prior to joining Union, Piriz edited a non-traditional piece for the CW Network: titled “Nicole Scherzinger,” the project took his work beyond the traditional process, with the job requiring great involvement in graphics. His background in design and AVID, FCP, AfterEffects, Apple Shake, and all the usual plug-in packages and emerging technologies were brought to bear. Piriz said this skill set enabled him to “know how things are going to turn out before we send them into the long process of animation”.

Piriz looks forward to upcoming projects at Union, both traditional and nontraditional. “In the end, I love the collaboration and creative process that goes into the making of commercials,” he said. “Being trusted to carry a project forward for the agency and director is a responsibility I am honored to have.”

Eight VFX Puts ‘Jerry’ in His Place – New York City – for HP

Though he is one of the most successful comedians in history, Jerry Seinfeld still feels pressure to excel at everything he does. So, if he was going to do what he calls "one of those HP computer hand commercial things," Seinfeld was compelled to make an impressive showing.

With help from Eight VFX, director Joseph Kahn, and HP agency Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, "Jerry Seinfeld" does just that.

Like the previous HP spots to which Eight lent its talents – "Michel Gondry," "Vera Wang," and "Petra Nemcova" – "Jerry Seinfeld" features wall-to-wall effects.

The spot opens with Seinfeld (shown from the chin down, of course) at a table in something of a limbo setting, he produces an equalizer and a basketball stadium – tongue-in-cheek references to Jay-Z’s HP spot appearance. He quickly changes course, landing in a NYC diner, with which he is strongly identified via his eponymous hit series. "We suggested setting Jerry in the diner because of the association and to ground the spot in reality," notes Eight VFX Art Director Yann Mallard. "Other than the setting and Jerry himself, the commercial features no practical elements."

Seinfeld next produces a CG representation of the Big Apple, whose topography allows the spot to showcase the Vista Live Map. The cityscape morphs into Central Park, providing Seinfeld the opportunity to shamelessly promote Bee Movie.

Later in the spot, he cleverly cites Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg as the mastermind behind the plug.

The drawing created by Eight for the Bee Movie clip involved massive simulation, reports Mallard, who also utilized his drawing skills in the sequence where an email from Seinfeld’s wife ushers in a presentation of her pop-up cookbook. "I love to draw, so in representing a character from the pop-up book, we proposed a drawing of the child versus live plates of an actor," he says.

Next, Seinfeld uses a handful of salt to form a baseball diamond – he explains that he uses an HP gadget to follow games – and the aforementioned Katzenberg reference appears in the form of a written reminder from the mogul to mention the flick twice. Seinfeld dutifully honors his commitment and wraps up the ad literally sticking HP with the check for lunch.

Noting the many transitions in the spot, Mallard credits the sound designer Ren Klyce with enhancing the animation of the flow of the piece. "His work pushed us to go even further with our animation," he points out. "It really helped our game."

According to Eight VFX Executive Producer Baptiste Andrieux, the process of designing and creating back-to-back effects such as these requires a clear vision of how to combine these elements with the story the subject is telling onscreen. The end result relies heavily on two things: mutual trust and preparation. "Yann breaks down the spot for the agency the week before we go into 3D," Andrieux says. "It’s a very smooth process from start to finish, and in exchange for the trust and creative freedom the agency gives us, we give them a crystal clear idea of what we plan to do and what solutions we’ve devised."

Overall, Mallard notes, "the vibe between our team and the agency is very energetic; they don’t want us to be shy or cautious, and as a result we feel very safe." 

Client: HP (Hands)
Spot Title: "Jerry Seinfeld"
Air Date: November 1, 2007

Agency: Goodby, Silverstein and Partners
Co-Chairman, Creative Director: Rich Silverstein
Partner, Creative Director: Steve Simpson
Group Creative Director: Mike McKay
Group Creative Director: Stephen Goldblatt
Copywriter: Paul Charney
Art Director: Stefan Copiz
Producer: Cathleen Kisich

Production Company: HSI
Director: Joseph Kahn
DP: Dan Ming
Line Producer: Jonathan Winter
Executive Producer: Michael McQuhae

Visual Effects: Eight VFX
Art Director: Yann Mallard
VFX EP: Baptiste Andrieux
VFX Producer: Marsi Frey
Senior Compositor: Stefan Gaillot
Compositors: Nicolas Cadorette-Vigneau, Amalia-Luyet McMahan, Joe Chiao
3D supervisor: Fred Hopp
3D artists: Vania Alban-Zapata, Rob Stauffer, Zach Tucker, Olek Lyzwanski, Mathias Jourdes, Chien-I Kao
Roto Artists: Marianne Magne, Eliza Penhall-Randall, Shelby Wong

Editorial Company: Cosmo Street
Editor: David Blackburn

Telecine Company: Bobine
Colorist: Jais

Sound Design Company: Mit Out Sound
Sound Designer: Ren Klyce

Audio Mix Company: POP Sound
Engineer: Peter Rincon