Raging Artists » vfx for commercials

Mouse McCoy’s “Living in the Lights” proves to be a successful experiment in advertising, generating 915,000+ views on Youtube to date*, and garnering attention in fanzines and trades the world over.

In other news, McCoy’s full-service media company Bandito Brothers, in which he’s partnered with director Scott Waugh, recently took home multiple honors for its US Navy work at the annual ‘D Show’. Created via ad agency Campbell-Ewald/Detroit, “Navy Athletes” was presented with the award for Integrated Branding, and the agency’s US Navy account received the Ambassador Award, given for best marriage of creative content & context innovation. The work was honored in a ceremony held December 2, 2009, at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.

Based in Culver City, CA, Bandito Brothers is deepening its connection with the Motor City via the newly launched Bandito Garage, a one-stop shop that refines the process of producing industry-leading content for commercials, content footage, branded entertainment, and product placement by servicing all of these needs under one roof.

What follows is selected press to date on BMW “Living in the Lights”:

Automotive:

http://www.dubdaily.com/?p=16601
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314323
http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/10/29/bmw-living-in-the-lights%E2%80%9D-film-behind-the-scenes/
http://www.eurocarblog.com/post/2450/bmw-m3-film-living-in-the-lights
http://www.carversation.com/2009/10/25/video-awesome-bmw-m3-film/
http://vodpod.com/watch/2387136-bmw-presents-the-living-in-the-lights-m3-film
http://www.zercustoms.com/news/BMW-M3-Film.html
http://www.bmwcoop.com/2009/10/27/bmw-m3-film/
http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/7874/pure-filthy-car-porn-bmw-m3-film#
http://www.worldcarfans.com/109102322638/bmw-m3-film-is-pure-carporn
http://www.thelifefiles.com/2009/10/23/bmw-presents-the-living-in-the-lights-m3-film/
http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/10/23/bmw-living-in-the-lights-a-film-akin-to-the-hire-series/
http://www.funkybeast.com/2009/10/bmw-m3-movie-rocks—but-its-not-from-bmw.html
http://www.worldcarfans.com/109102322638/bmw-m3-film-is-pure-carporn/lowphotos
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314323
http://www.upscaleswagger.com/2009/11/02/video-living-the-lights-bmw-m3-film/
http://news.automedia.bg/read/8165.html
http://www.autoblog.it/post/22940/bmw-m3-presentato-il-mini-film-living-in-the-lights
http://auto.fanpage.it/bmw-m3/
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/bmw-m3-gets-out-of-bandito-garage/
http://www.teamspeed.com/forums/m/31000-bmw-m3-film-pure-carporn.html
http://hvtm.posterous.com/bmw-m3-living-in-the-lights
http://focusgear.com/archives/10808
http://scuderiaasinogrigio.blogspot.com/2009/10/car-porn-deluxe-id-like-to-live-there.html
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2080467
http://www.sub5zero.com/car-videos/short-film-bandito-garage-produces-bmw-m3-car-porn-living-lights
http://bmwcarsnews.blogspot.com/2009/10/bmw-m3-film.html
http://premiumgoodstelevision.blogspot.com/2009/11/living-lights-bmw-m3-film.html
http://rwd-cars.de/blog/2009/11/bmw-m3-video-living-in-the-lights-web-juwel-10/

http://www.coolestsmartcars.com/video-bmw-m3-living-in-the-lights/

http://www.odahnet.com/cars/video-bmw-m3-living-in-the-lights/

http://www.dieselstation.com/news/bmw-m3-film-a2235.html

http://germancarscene.com/2009/10/24/bmw-m3-porn-basically/
http://motorpulse.com/story/view/short-film-bandito-garage-produces-amazing-bmw-m3-car-porn-living-in-the-lights
http://www.enginelounge.com/2009/10/24/bmw-m3-film/
http://ahundredmilesanhour.blogspot.com/2009/12/spreading-word.html
http://www.drivingimages.com/

Technical:
http://timon-de-baof.livejournal.com/9585.html
http://modern.lv/2009/11/04/19763.html
http://airok.blogspot.com/2009/11/bmw.html
http://hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2009/10/30/what-happens-when-you-mix-a-bmw-m3-a-beautiful-woman-and-hdslr-cameras/
http://ninja7.co.kr/79
http://www.novonews.lv/index.php?mode=news&id=82969
http://blog.planet5d.com/2009/11/so-what-do-you-do-to-show-off-your-bmw-make-a-canon-eos-5d-mark-ii-video/

http://adage.com/adages/post?article_id=140948
http://theteenstube.com/music/bmw-m3
http://create-sparks.blogspot.com/2009/11/bmw-m3-film.html
http://www.socialmedian.com/story/8196294/bmw-m3-film
http://muckrack.com/link/718248
http://www.rakulive.com/index.php?action=detail&video=Hyke-HyyjDQ&search=bandito%20brothers
http://www.studiodaily.com/main/video/10352.html
http://www.sourceecreative.com/news.php?ID=3951
http://www.upyourstyle.com/content/hot-video-%E2%80%9Cliving-lights%E2%80%9D-bmw-m3-film

http://www.illegaladvertising.com/index.php?vermouth=viewvideo&id=1668

http://icelandicmusic.blogspot.com/2009/11/bmw-bandito-bros-movie.html

http://brand-e.biz/tuning-up-auto-branded-entertainment_4726.html

http://www.productplacement.biz/200911183278/News/Product-Placement/the-bandito-garage-to-produce-top-class-automotive-product-placements.html

http://www.girlskissingtube.com/video-fmt22/ADNb0F0YjNI/BMW-M3-Film.html

http://www.bareknucklevideos.com/M3/

*views as of July 21, 2010

Full-service media company Bandito Brothers has been making its presence known in the advertising industry, from the latest Directors to Watch issue of Creativity, to the official launch of its commercial division, new work for Mountain Dew, and the signing of Gentlemen to its roster…

Creativity – Directors to Watch – November 2008
Ads of the World – Mountain Dew – January 2009
Adforum - Mountain Dew – January 2009
Advertolog - Mountain Dew – January 2009
SourceEcreative – Mountain Dew – January 2009
Inspiration Room – Mountain Dew – January 2009
‘boards - Bandito Brothers Launch – February 2009
shots -Gentlemen – February 2009
‘boards – Gentlemen – February 2009
Creativity - Gentlemen – February 2009
SHOOT – Gentlemen – February 2009

Fluid Adds Final Ingredients to I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spots

Editorial Staff — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:15:10 +0000

Fluid put the finishing touches on four new broadcast spots for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter — “Dish,” “Mussels,” “Whipped and Creamy,” and “French Toast.” The recipe for the new campaign, created via McCann Erickson/NY, called for Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, a bevy of hunky male objects, and editorial and VFX by the New York-based editing house.

Fluid Executive Producer Laura Relovsky oversaw the project, which let Cattrall ham it up as her usual, steamy — or should we say “creamy?” — self. Editor Robin Burchill and VFX guru Wes Waldron completed the spots under the roof of Fluid’s sprawling Soho loft.

Credits

Client: I Can’t Believe It’s not Butter
Spots Title: Dish, Mussels, Whipped and Creamy, French Toast
First Air Date: 3/7

Agency/Location: McCann Erickson/NY
Creative Director: Craig Markus
Art Director: Jagdish Prabhu
Copywriter: Karen Abbate
Agency Producer: Jessica Friedman
Music Producer: Mike Boris

Production Company/Location: Moxie Pictures
Director: Pam Thomas
DP: Eric Treml
Producer: Elena Halvorson

Editorial Company: Fluid
Editor: Robin Burchill
Editorial EP: Laura Relovsky

Post/Effects/Retouching Company: Fluid
VFX Artist: Wes Waldron
EP: Laura Relovsky

Music Company: Squeaky Clean

LITTLE RED ROBOT: “A Girl Story” Update – FWA

lisa — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:32:35 +0000

The FWA (Favourite Website Awards) has published a thorough list of sites it honors, with A Girl Story (Site of the Day, July 29, 2010) listed as a winning example in the following category:

Small, yet simple, ideas with big impact (viral)

Click here to view the full list of Work We Award

LITTLE RED ROBOT helmed the site’s donation-based animated series, and is represented for directing assignments by Beef Films.
In November of 2009, Seth Shukovsky, Creative Director at LITTLE RED ROBOT, was approached with a very special request: Scott Goodson, CCO of New York ad agency STRAWBERRYFROG, was doing a project on behalf of the Mahindra Foundation, and wanted to know if LRR would be interested in collaborating. Shukovsky didn’t waste one second contemplating his response.

“When the founder and ECD of a global agency calls you, and asks you if you want to co-creative direct one of his campaigns…you say yes, and do it!” Shukovsky recalls.

“I’ve always had a great admiration for the fresh inspired work done by STRAWBERRYFROG,” he adds. “It’s great to have another solid offering in their rich legacy of highly visual and culturally moving work.”

The project resulting from their collaboration is a donation-based, animated film series called “A Girl Story,” told through the eyes of Tarla, a young girl who simply wants to go to school and receive an education. Tarla’s story progresses as viewers provide donations, unlocking a new chapter each time a certain amount of donations are met. The funds are sent directly to the Nanhi Kali program, which provides education to underprivileged girls in India.

“The first part of the project was writing, and concepting, concepting, concepting,” Shukovsky says. Art direction was also of great importance, he says, “knowing we wanted to use animation, fleshing out the visual journey while creating the story and concept.” Eve Weinberg, Art Director at LRR, was instrumental in this process. “It’s Eve’s singular talent that really pushed this campaign to look so amazing,” Shukovsky says of Weinberg, who helped flesh out the story and oversaw details of the production, including hand illustrating every asset used in the campaign.

“We decided to go with this emotional, color rich illustration and 2D animation technique,” Shukovsky explains. “We felt it captured the spirit of the story and allowed us a simple but effective mechanism to deliver it. We had teams of 2D animators working on this, and without them, (music and sound company) Barking Owl, and our programmers, none of this would have been possible. I think this is another great example of how LITTLE RED ROBOT is truly a collaborator to our agency partners. We come up with innovative ideas and see them through to completion.”

A Girl Story was a project that needed to be both artistic and moving, a challenge LLR was more than ready to face.

“LRR provided excellent and extremely talented options that made the process painless,” says STRAWBERRYFROG’s Goodson. “We only work with the best, and we prefer those that are challenging the status quo, as well as standing for creative excellence. Seth and his team at LLR represent this fully. They have an incredible collection of cinematic illustrators and storytellers who can bring ideas to life with fluidity and color. The creative process was totally collaborative, open mined and both SFrog and LRR were aiming to create something that was never done before.”

Though still ongoing, A Girl Story has already received a great deal of positive attention, including winning Site of the Day honors on The Favourite Website Awards (FWA). Praise for the project has also centered around its distinctive style and approach. “People talk a lot about this innovation and the idea,” Goodson says. “They also talk about the innocence in execution, and they love the feel and look of the work.” Now 100% unlocked, the effort has raised over $5,000 dollars to help the girls of Nanhi Kali.

Josh Greenspan, Creative Director at STRAWBERRY FROG” Working with Little Red Robot was a truly collaborative and rewarding process. We came up with creative solutions together, shared ideas openly and pushed forward as one to create an extraordinary piece of communication.”

Corinna Falusi, Creative Director at STRAWBERRYFROG, says that the project’s success is due in part to “the unique illustrations style and animation technique as it sets the tone for the whole campaign. LRR and their partners created the graphic hand made 2D Style illustrations—a layered look that gives a sophisticated, yet playful feel, while reflecting India’s culture.”

Margaux Ravis, Executive Producer at StrawberryFrog, concurs.”While the company has a diversity of styles available, what I really liked was that they tapped into the heart of Tarla with their illustrations and in doing so, gave her story even more heart. The number one comment I hear about the work itself is that people love its purity and simplicity, but also find it poetic and eloquent,” she notes. “The donation-based platform reminds people that it doesn’t take much to help girls like Tarla – and that every bit helps.”

“I would say this is a truly innovate interactive film experience.” Shukovsky says. “It’s simple, but stunningly effective. It still gives me chills when I see the story animate from Youtube player to Youtube player.”

About A Girl Story:

A Girl Story is a unique donation-based film series that brings to life the experience of many underprivileged girls in India. This particular story is told through the eyes of Tarla, a young girl who simply wants to go to school and receive an education. Whether she succeeds, however, is completely up to you. Tarla’s story will progress only by audience donations unlocking new chapters within the YouTube film series, just as each girl at Project Nanhi Kali depends on donors to progress, stay in school, and complete her education. Please see nanhikali.org for more information.

Credits

Title: A GIRL STORY
Advertiser/Client: K.C. MAHINDRA EDUCATION TRUST
Product/Service: PROJECT NANHI KALI

Advertising Agency: STRAWBERRYFROG New York, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Scott Goodson
Creative Director: Corinna Falusi/Josh Greenspan/Seth Shukovsky
Writers: Josh Greenspan, Seth Shukovsky, Eve Weinberg
Executive Producer: Margaux Ravis
Agency Producer: Susan Liao/Kris Seto
Account Manager: Britta Schell

Production Company: LITTLE RED ROBOT San Francisco, USA
Director: Little Red Robot
Art Director: Eve Weinberg
Illustrator: Eve Weinberg
Animation: Felipe Vellasco/Leandro Beltra/Michael Wilson/Pavin Wongvises/Rinee Shaw/ Ben Adam/Fabio Marche/Brian Hayes/Journey Moses
Producer: Joseph Segrove
Editor: Seth Shukovsky
Web Development: Sean Moroney, Seth Shukovsky
Music + Sound: Barking Owl (Michael Anastasi/Kelly Fuller)

eight vfx Has GMC Rolling Across Canada

RA — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:42:29 +0000

There are interactive ad campaigns, and there are iPad-friendly ads – and then there are VFX-driven spots that reflect the changing way we experience life. Created via MacLaren McCann Toronto, GMC “Touchscreen” was produced by eight vfx and directed by Jean-Marc Demmer & Fred Hopp.

The commercial simulates a touch-screen interaction, as with a finger moving the imagery along as it reviews the new models.

Client: GMC
Title: “Touchscreen”

Client: General Motors of Canada Ltd

Agency: MacLaren McCann Toronto
Creative Director: Sean Davison
Group Creative Director: Gary Lennox and Scott Couture
Art Director: Craig Brandon
Copywriter: Andre Bell
Producer: Grace Lee

Production/Post: eight vfx
Director: Jean-Marc Demmer & Fred Hopp
EP(s): Baptiste Andrieux, Shira Boardman
Producer: Marsi Frey
CG artists: Valentino Sinao, Thomas Briggs, Marlon Perez, Shuichi Nakahara, Chien-I Kao, Mathias Jourdes
CG cars prep and animation: Mikros Image
Senior Compositors: Philipp Ineno, Nicolas Cadorette-Vigneau
2D artists: Joe Chiao, Tony Pettiti

Arsenal FX Hires Designer-Directors Nathan Boldman and Lauren Mayer-Beug

RA — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:40:36 +0000

SANTA MONICA, CA, October 15, 2010 – Arsenal FX, the special effects boutique founded and owned by VFX artist Mark Leiss, has added designer-directors Nathan Boldman and Lauren Mayer-Beug, whose work includes projects for HP, Red Bull, the 2010 Winter Olympics, Fox Sports, and the opening of “24″ . The pair recently completed projects for Taxicab Confessions, Money Grabbers, and MasterCard, along with numerous music videos. Prior to joining Arsenal FX, Boldman and Mayer-Beug were partnered in motion graphics house De Motu.

“This is such an important step for us,” said Executive Producer Ashley Hydrick. “We’ve been getting boards for design projects, specifically bigger projects requiring high-end design, and it’s so important to have the right people on staff to pursue and execute the work.” Hydrick has known Boldman and Mayer-Beug for several years, and they have collaborated previously on work for Fox Sports. “We have wanted Nathan and Lauren here for a while, and the time was finally right for all of us to do this,” she said.

“Arsenal FX has grown by leaps and bounds, and at the same time, having our own company Lauren and I have learned a lot, and grown as artists,” said Boldman, who noted that “running our own business came with certain distractions and we’re glad to focus on creativity.”

“We were looking for a strong sense of community,” added Mayer-Beug. “Arsenal FX has that, and obviously maintains a high standard of excellence. It’s exactly the kind of team we want to be a part of and to support.”

Boldman studied as a traditional artist/painter, earning a BFA in Illustration and Animation from Art Center Pasadena. He brings an eye for perfection and a keen sense of art direction to each project. Over the past decade, Boldman has worked with many high-end VFX houses including: Eight VFX, Public, Sway Studio, Spot Welders, and many more. He served as the Art Director for Sway for many years before joining forces with Mayer-Beug in 2008. Boldman has earned numerous awards as an Art Director, including: VES, Elevate Film Festival, and AICP honors.

Mayer-Beug earned a BFA in Video and Animation at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she continued independent studies in painting, sculpture and film documentaries. She has used her skills as a director, editor, designer and compositor for many successful and award-winning commercial and film projects. This work has earned her VES, Elevate Film Festival, and other honors. Mayer-Beug has worked at Digital Domain, Zoic, Sway Studio, Sea Level, and Spot Welders.

As a team, Boldman and Mayer-Beug have done work spanning several media formats, including television, cinema, installations, and projections. They constantly seek out new and better ways to creatively tell a story while delivering a strong message. They have brought their dedication, talents, and technical expertise to projects for HP, Red Bull, Garmin, Western Union, MasterCard, Toyota, Specialized, NBC, LG, Comcast, Fox Sports, Fiji Water, Ford, Xbox, GMC, BMW, and Time Warner Cable, among others. In addition to directing their own projects, the duo has collaborated with high-end directors include Joseph Kahn, Joe Kosinsky, Chris Milk, Dave Meyers, and Rubin Fleischer.

Boldman and Mayer-Beug join an Arsenal FX team comprised of Leiss, Hydrick, VFX Producer Yole Barrera, Producer Pravina Sippy, Sr. VFX Artist Terry Silberman, Flame Artist/Compositor/Graphic Artist Joseph Grosso, 3D Modeling & Animation Artist David Hyatt, and Flame Assist Jameson DeSantis.

Currently, Arsenal FX is at work on VFX projects for US Cellular, VISA, the NFL, and “California Romanza,” a short directed by Eva Mendes for Glamour Magazine.

Beef Films Signs LITTLE RED ROBOT for Exclusive Spot Representation

RA — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:55:51 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, October 7, 2010 – Beef Films has signed LITTLE RED ROBOT to its directorial roster for exclusive representation on the East Coast and in the Midwest. LRR continues to be repped by Sandra Riley on the West Coast.

Led by director Seth Shukovsky, the LITTLE RED ROBOT collective brings top creative talent together with brands to realize campaigns spanning TV, Cinema, Web and Installations. As “pop culture engineers,” LRR cultivates teams of art directors, writers, fashion stylists, art directors, CG artists, and interactive developers to engage the public and deliver “oohs and aahs” on a regular basis. Recent work includes the acclaimed “A Girl Story” (Mahindra Foundation/STRAWBERRYFROG), as well as campaigns for SONY via EURO RSCG, Ubisoft, and an experimental project featuring the Lincoln MKS.

“LITTLE RED ROBOT is the perfect complement to our roster,” said Executive Producer Ashley Adams, who presides over Beef Films and its partner company, Chop House Edit, alongside EP/Artist Stephen Hens. “Having a directing outfit specializing in VFX and design allows us to capitalize on opportunities in that arena. We admire Seth’s ingenuity and have been huge fans of LITTLE RED ROBOT for some time now.”

“Oh my, how my little baby has grown!” exclaimed Shukovsky, with his trademark enthusiasm. “Beef Films is the perfect partner to extend LITTLE RED ROBOT’s presence into the East and Midwest markets. Beef has a great reputation, in part because they know what they are doing and work hard it. The timing is great, as we’ve begun executing projects on a larger scale.”

LITTLE RED ROBOT rounds out a Beef Films roster comprised of directors Larry Charles, Pascal Franchot, Adam Martin, Michael Pescasio, Joe Schaak, Nick Spooner, and Danny T.

Jennifer Hertslet of Hertslet Reps represents Beef Films on the East Coast. Cathi Connor handles Midwest representation with Texas/Oklahoma handled by Robin Pickett and Associates. Adams oversees West Coast sales for the company.

Bandito Brothers Partners with Sean Cushing, Stephen Lawes, in Cantina Creative

RA — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:54 +0000

CULVER CITY, CA, August 20, 2010 – Full service media company Bandito Brothers has partnered with Producer Sean Cushing and Director/VFX Supervisor Stephen Lawes to launch Cantina Creative LLC, a design and VFX studio located in Culver City, California.

Prior to forming Cantina, Cushing and Lawes (pictured, l-r) served as Executive Producer and Creative Director, respectively, at Pixel Liberation Front (PLF). The pair have worked on such projects as Avatar, Iron Man 2, Terminator Salvation, and Matrix Revolutions. Cantina augments Bandito Brothers’ expertise in HD post, as showcased on recent projects for BMW, Mountain Dew, NASCAR and Toyota.

“Cantina is about creativity and problem solving,” said Cushing. “We leverage our VFX and design expertise to achieve compelling and successful results for our clients.” Lawes credits Bandito with fostering a culture of innovation, and said the partnership provides a uniquely collaborative environment, in which “creative visions can be realized from concept through completion.”

Bandito Brothers recently completed the construction of its new headquarters, where Cantina will be housed. “There’s a tremendous synergy in place now,” said Bandito CEO Mike “Mouse” McCoy. “Having talent of this caliber and a company like Cantina on the compound rounds out our capabilities and adds another dimension to Bandito.”

Sean Cushing

Cushing served as an Executive Producer of VFX firm PLF from 2003-2010, and is credited on over twenty blockbuster features including Avatar, Iron Man, Terminator Salvation, Matrix Revolutions, and Superman Returns. His intense workload included overseeing the creative vision of projects, working closely with VFX artists and collaborating with directors such as James Cameron, Jon Favreau, and Martin Campbell. In 2007, Cushing was recognized as a producer and innovator distinguished in the realm of digital storytelling; ranked number 36 within the Hollywood Reporter and Producer’s Guild of America’s “Digital 50,” he was listed among Hollywood digital giants such as Steve Jobs, Robert Zemeckis and Peter Jackson. In addition, Cushing has worked on numerous television commercials and music videos.

Stephen Lawes

Lawes is an animation and VFX veteran who has worked on a wide array of high profile commercial and feature film projects. For the last two years, as Creative Director at PLF, he supervised a team of artists on Academy Award-winning and top-grossing films. Lawes’ work on these films encompassed HUD design and animation as well as seamless VFX shots and set extension composites. Prior to founding Cantina Creative, Lawes worked in a variety of senior creative roles on such notable films as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Superman Returns, The Departed, Speed Racer, and Shutter Island. As a commercial director at Duck Soup Productions in Santa Monica, Lawes utilized his animation skills for commercial clients like Hasbro, Disney, and Coca-Cola. Lawes has also designed main titles for both feature films and television shows, including The Sixth Sense, Chicken Run, Judging Amy and Bones.

Little Red Robot: Lincoln MKS Experiment in Advertising

RA — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:55:58 +0000

Little Red Robot recently completed a completely computer-generated spec spot for Lincoln’s 2010 MKS. The :30, titled “2010 MKS,” was created as part of Little Red Robot’s internship program. For Little Red Robot, the Lincoln MKS was a natural subject. In 2009, the company was selected by Y+R Team Detroit to create a live-action spot as part of their “Project Rising Stars” campaign tied into the CBS broadcast of the 51st Grammy© Awards. “We really fell in love with this car, when we shot it last year as part of The Project Rising Stars Campaign,” says Seth Shukovsky, Creative Director of Little Red Robot. “The brand DNA that Team Detroit had created for Lincoln is so contemporary, hip and edgy, it was really in line with what Little Red Robot is all about.”

For the Grammy’s campaign, Little Red Robot created a custom car camera mount for the Canon mkII 5d from industrial suction cups and grip gear, after the now-ubiquitous camera had just been released. While LRR did an amazing production for their Spot for Project Rising Stars, “We wanted to revisit the MKS but completely in CG,” says Shukovsky (pictured), “and do a piece that ties together the best of CGI, VFX with Motion Graphics. We wanted to see how close a young artist could come to level Digital Domain and other shops responsible for Lincoln’s TV advertising had achieved both aesthetically and technically, without the benefit of the bells and whistles of a large shop and utilizing 1 intern over 3 weeks. I’m very proud of this, given the fact that we created this spot with just an intern, not our regular professional staff, and it almost stands up to Digital Domain quality. For the bigger shops like DD, the threat of being rivaled by smaller shops with similar capabilities is real. Agencies are going to smaller, elite teams to use the same tools, to do what was once possible only under the auspices of huge studios with expensive equipment.”

Little Red Robot is an active member of the creative community, and schools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area send their graduating classes to the shop to vie for spots in LRR’s highly coveted internship program. “Usually we have them pitch and learn the ropes from our Senior artists and lend a hand on our active projects,” Shukovsky says, “but when Daniel’s internship started up, the project we were currently engaged in was really demanding and we had a full staff just cranking on it, with no real time to evoke our customary internship routines.”

The MKS 2010 spot was created by “Daniel” Diandian Mao, LRR’s Spring intern from The Academy of Art University. LRR asked him to study the Lincoln ads that Y+R Team Detroit had done and create a :30 that drew off on some of same principals, lighting, camera moves, car details and art direction. Within a few weeks, and with a little bit of supervision and assistance from LRR CG Supervisor Buddy Giguere, Daniel had created the 100% CGI spot; even the hand switching gears was done completely in 3D. The main technical support Daniel received from LRR’s CG Supervisor was in developing a customized animation rig for the car that would allow the tires and the body of the car move naturally according to real world conditions, so when the car banks, all the movement that would ensue in a real-world scenario car would reproduce in the CGI model.

LRR’s “2010 MKS” piece features a French Electro cover of Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur” created by David Della Santa of Volume Music + Sound. “Once we had the spot rendered, I immediately contacted David, who’s done standout work on LRR campaigns for Suzuki, Ubisoft, and others,” says Shukovsky. “I knew that Volume would pull off something amazing. Man, They KILLED IT! The track and sfx (expertly mixed by MSquared) is an ideal marriage to the high octane graphics we cranked out. It’s a perfect fit for the Lincoln vibe. ”

“It’s easy to get pigeon-holed in this business,” he says. “We’re very proud of the live-action directing and the motion graphics and 3D projects we’ve done. Everyone that’s worked with us knows we’re constantly looking to come up with new innovative techniques and convey the full range of our capabilities in bringing an idea to life. ’2010 MKS’ was an opportunity to just scratch the surface in demonstrating that yes, we can do an all CGI automotive spot in house. We have all the artistry, tools, producers, and specialists right here, and we’re seeking challenges on a daily basis.”

Credits:

Spot Title: “2010 MKS” (spec)

Production Company: Little Red Robot
Director: Little Red Robot
Producer: Joseph Segrove
CG Artists: ‘Daniel’ Diandian Mao, Buddy Giguere
Editor/Online: Seth Shukovsky

Music/Sound Design: Volume Music + Sound, San Francisco
Song: “The Chauffeur,” by Duran Duran
Track created by: David Della Santa
Sound Designer: Jeff Dodson
Vocalist: Kelly Atkins (from the band 20MinuteLoop)
Mix: Mark Pitchford, M Squared San Francisco