For what is quite possibly the world’s longest demo reel, check out 23rdFloor. It kicks off with a lively montage, followed by several exemplary spots. There’s some really classy work in there, but honestly I’m only half-way through it. Wow.
(Thanks for the tip, Dirk.)
Got this from The Ebeling Group:
The Ebeling Group seeks SENIOR PRODUCER. Applicants should have extensive experience producing graphic design, 2D/3D animation, editorial and finishing for commercials, music videos and network packages. Knowledge of agency, marketing film, web applications, and other related fields desired. Selected individual will be a self-motivating team leader who’s looking to make a statement, loves to travel, is flexible and upbeat with a great sense of humor.
Send resumes to srproducer@theebelinggroup.com
Danny Yount, the designer and director for the “Six Feet Under” titles sent me a link to a better quality QT than the one I linked in my previous post.
Thanks, Danny.
(I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Danny, by the way. He’s got a trick or two more up his sleeve that I’ll be sharing on Tween.)
Trollbäck + Company: Court TV
Have any of you New Yorkers seen evidence (pun intended) of Trollbäck’s new campaign for Court TV? Apparently they’ve converted 600 city buses to "witness relocation" vehicles, 475 phone kiosks to "lookouts," and
600 taxis to "getaway cars," among other things.
Well, maybe "converted" is too strong a word. They basically put big ads on them. For amusing pics see this press page.
While you’re there, make sure to check out the Court TV on-air re-branding montage. Very slick.
Shilo: Emmy Nomination for "Huff" Titles
This is nice bit of news: Shilo has been nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Main Title Design for Showtime’s "Huff." If you haven’t seen the titles, make sure to check them out. They’re incredible.
They remind me a little of the titles for "Six Feet Under." Yes, the SFU opener is 99% live footage while the Shilo piece is housed within an evolving framework of graphics, but the spirit of both title sequences is very similar. Their brooding imagery coupled with quirky soundtracks perfectly captures both shows’ distinctive mixtures of light and dark, comedy and drama.
Enough of my banter: Congratulations, Shilo! And good luck!
Primal Screen: New Site, New Work
Check out Primal Screen’s new site. It has a nice, crisp 30s/40s feel to it, a little Chris Ware-ish at times. I dig it.
They have some really great work in their Work section (click the big button in the center of the nav bar at the bottom of the screen). I especially like the Animania launch spots under "Block Packaging."
(The only thing they might consider tweaking is making sure to automatically mute the main site’s audio when a pop-up is launched. Otherwise you get the site’s audio plus the audio for the selected demo reel.)
REZN8
It was recently brought to my attention that REZN8 isn’t listed in the Cream O’ the Crop. With their slick, 3D-driven, big-client work, they certainly deserve to be there. Give ‘em a long gander.
(Thanks, Jonathan.)
Odeon
Here’s another nice retro site from an interesting studio called Odeon out of Poland. Their post-production reel features some pretty righteous work.
And don’t miss the People area, where they have apparently gone through great trouble to put every one of their employees in period dress and photograph them beautifully. Wow.
(Nice tip, DeGaull. Thanks.)
Renascent: A Thousand Suns
And last but never, ever least, Renascent recently completed a beautiful prologue for "A Thousand Suns."
By incorporating provided imagery and taking a slightly different tack with his 3D elements, Joost departed from his signature style with this spot. The results are fantastic. Great job, man.
one of the world’s top companies creating computer animation, cel animation, stop-motion animation, and mixed media for commercials, television and film.
Rushes can do it all and they can do it really, really well.
Green Towel: Your Mama
Maybe some of you have noticed Green Towel hanging out in the Cream O’ the Crop. He’s been there for a while, just kicking back, laying low, waiting for the right time to strike.
Well, I got an email from Mr. Towel (a.k.a. Joel Lava) recently, and hot damn, my fellow readers, he hath struck with a vengeance.
Feast your eyes (and ears) on "Your Mama," a music video for irreverent rocker Kennedy. This is one of the most entertaining videos I’ve seen in while. It succeeds on so many levels: humor, eye candy, pacing and what might be generously called a "narrative arc."
Also make sure to check out the Green Towel 2005 reel and Thread, a collection of politically motivated works.
EDIT: Joel has recently been added to the roster of ninja badasses at Transistor Studios, who will be representing him as he continues to kick out the visual jams.
Quiet Man: Steroids Will Make You Crumble (Basically)
Quiet Man and BBDO created a vfx-heavy PSA warning against the dangers of steroids. "Statue" originally aired during the Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game on FOX. Check out the spot here.
(Call me crass, but I really wanted to see one particular part of the statue’s anatomy crumble and fall off. That’s the truth about steroids that’ll really get parents and kids paying attention.)
Four From the Trenches
Tween reader John Stanch came through with a quartet of hot links. First up, head over to EyeballNYC’s page showcasing their slick, hypnotic spots for Best Buy. Then mosey on over to Twothousandstrong’s site and behold their new reel and web presence. (Personally, I got lost on the site, but I eventually found some QTs, and those made me a happy boy.)
Go ahead and take five. Grab a glass of milk, maybe check your email. Then come back and hit 3 Ring Circus’ recently rejuvenated site. They’re featuring a very nice pinball piece they created for a DVD-based trivia game and an updated reel containing some sexy IDs.
Lastly, get yourself over to Fad’s lovely site and peruse their diverse collection of superb work. NOTE: If you’re running Flash Player 8 Beta, you won’t be able to see their portfolio.
Neuromixer
I’ve never played around with video mixers before, but James Cui looks like he’s hot on the trail of developing a pretty kick-ass app. His company, Neuromixer, is working on AVmixer Pro 1.0, an audio-video mixer designed to be controlled by a MIDI input device.
I downloaded the beta, but I haven’t had a chance to hook it up to my Radium 49 and play around yet. Give it a spin and see what you think.
Nylon Motion: The Iroc-Z Song
One part Schoolhouse Rock, one part sketchbook daydream, Nylon Motion’s latest traditionally animated music video for The High Speed Scene is a wonderfully entertaining ride. (And I actually dig the music, too.) Great job, Nylon.
Anders Schroder, formally of Engine currently of Transistor Studios has updated Dform1 with some great new work
the new stardust website rocks! very nice flash work on the “tilting / fly through camera system” by joshua davis.
No introductions. No excuses. Enjoy the chaos.
Exopolis Wins at Cannes Lions Advertising Festival 2005
I’ve never heard of the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival 2005 either, but who cares? I like Exopolis, and I like the clever site they built for Mini USA (for which they won the aforementioned award). I especially like the "Slap Some Sense into a Victim" viral game.
Why is abusing a virtual schmuck so satisfying?
Blue Source
Check out Blue Source. I enjoyed The Amp IDs. Fun sound design.
(Link from my friend Laura via Stefan Sagmeister.)
Helios Design Labs: Double Shot of My Baby’s Love
I’ve been a fan of Helios Design Labs for a while, and they’ve recently completed a couple cool projects: a sexy, 3D, action-packed spot for Dodge Charger (see Helios’ site for the spot) and a super-fun choose-your-own-adventure style finger puppet movie for Virgin Mobile.
What’s great about the Virgin Mobile project is that you get to keep making choices even after screwing up. I, for instance, chose to send Billy on a crime spree, which landed him in jail. Then I chose for him to get a zombie clown tattoo, which made a big impression on one of the inmates. Needless to say that inmate will be making an impression of his own on Billy after lights out.
Great work, Helios.
Freestyle Collective: Linkfest/Lovefest
Call me lazy. Call me a sellout. Just don’t call me at seven in the morning. I’ll be fast asleep.
Here are some links cut-and-pasted (I shit you not) from an email I received from Freestyle Collective’s excellent PR agent. I wouldn’t normally do this, but these spots are fairly good (not FSC’s strongest work, but it’s not bad either), so quit your moaning and enjoy the linkage.
(The "Longest Yard" is pretty funny.)
Veer: New Type
I don’t know if you guys are into typography or not, but I got an automated email from Veer about some of their new typefaces, and a few of them are pretty damn hot. My personal favs are Kari and Oxida.
Squeak E. Clean Productions
My buddy Adam let me know about Squeak E. Clean Productions, the site of Sam Spiegel, kick ass audio producer/musician/performer (and brother of Adam Spiegel, a.k.a. Spike Jonze). There are some really solid tracks on Sam’s site. Make sure to crank your headphones up.
Renascent: Three New Pieces
Renascent has three new works up in the Motion Design section: State of Design 2005 main titles, NFL Network logo animation and Suspicious Packaging logo animation.
(That Suspicious Packaging piece really sticks with me. I’ve been thinking about it all day.)
New Studio: Dialog
This is a very juicy bit of news: Steve Seeley and Robb Thompson have recently launched a new studio, Dialog. I’ve always loved Steve’s style, and it’s great to see his hand in the Dialog reel.
I really like the confidence in their work. There’s nothing uncertain; everything is harmonious and cohesive, always moving clearly to a satisfying destination.
Best of luck to you, Dialog! I’ll be keeping my eye on you.