Archive for December, 2007

Thornberg & Forester designed and produced a new 3D animated spot for Radio Shack and Sirius Satellite Radio that cleverly shows how consumers can get all of their holiday shopping done in one place—and also pick up something nice for themselves. T&F creative director Scott Matz collaborated with a team from Boston agency Arnold Worldwide on the commercial, to showcase the variety of entertainment features available through Sirius and a discount offer for the service offered by Radio Shack. more

Los Angeles, CA (December 12, 2007)—VICON, developer of Academy Award® winning motion capture technology, provided state-of-the-art motion capture systems and support to Sony Pictures Imageworks on the production of the Paramount Pictures release, Beowulf.

The film is the most ambitious project to date employing VICON motion capture systems, and achieved many ‘firsts’ in filmmaking, including shooting with 200+ cameras, and capturing the movement of over 20 performers simultaneously. more

Apple Leopard OS X 10.5 Drivers Available Now via Free Download

Grass Valley, CA (December 12, 2007)—AJA Video, a leading manufacturer of professional video interface and conversion solutions, today announced availability of new software drivers supporting Apple’s Leopard OS X 10.5 for Io HD, KONA 3, KONA 3X, KONA LH/LHe, KONA LS/LSe and KONA 2. more

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has named Andrew M. Davis of Chapman University and Sean Stiegemeier of the American Film Institute (AFI) recipients of the Laszlo Kovacs Heritage Award for Outstanding Cinematography on a student project. The presentation will be made during the 22nd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards here on January 26, 2008, at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom. more

Innovative Design Boutique Brings Best of Nature Photography to Life with Compelling HD Presentation at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

WASHINGTON, DC: The millions of visitors that visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in the next year will have the opportunity to view something awe-inspiring: The Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards, 64 Print Show. The experience of the 2007 show is further enhanced by an engaging four-minute HD presentation produced by the innovative broadcast and multimedia design boutique, Spirit Creative (www.spiritcreative.tv). more

“I don’t think this sort of production and staging is done a lot,� muses Solomon Rosenzweig, president of DaVinci Fusion.

As guests cross the Bay Bridge and exit on to Treasure Island, which lies between San Francisco & Oakland, the old military base seems almost deserted. As they turn on California Ave and drive past the numerous old military hanger type buildings, they soon realize that they are not heading to someplace ordinary. Valet parkers in white coats rush out to greet them in front of the San Francisco Bay, with the Bay bridge looming like a giant toy in the background. They have arrived at a very special event at Treasure Island, Ca. more

Automatic Duck Pro Import AE Effortlessly Blends Complex Workflows on HGTV’s ‘Change the World’ Ad Campaign; Danny Princz Couldn’t Conceive of the Job without the Duck

SEATTLE, WA (December 11, 2007) – Renowned motion graphics and VFX artist Danny Princz has one simple request when approached with complex projects: make sure we have the Duck! In this case, the challenge was to create an evocative promotional piece for HGTV’s Change the World campaign, a new community revitalization and environmental cause effort launched by HGTV and focused on revitalizing communities across the country and helping consumers make smart choices for the environment within their homes and daily lives. more

The Brief:
Version 2’s Editorial and VFX-Motion Design divisions collaborated to create this sensuous and lyrical fall fashion spot for Kohl’s. The concept was to create the beauty and movement of nature with the breezy swaying fashions for fall at Kohl’s. Leaves drift by, lawn chairs sway in the breeze, a tire swing swings from an old oak tree. Other whimsical objects also begin to sway to the vintage tune “Sway�. There’s even a touch of old black and white dance footage thrown in for fun. The VFX division enhanced the shots to accentuate the movement, creating a charming choreographed piece. more

The Brief:
The effects team at Smoke and Mirrors New York creates a large scale dominoes game for the new Sirius Stiletto 2 MP3 player. Instead of the normal game pieces, we see music players throughout history toppling over one another in an elaborate set-up. The sequence of cascading cadence players moves from tapes to 8 tracks to CDs to a juke box and finally to a whole mess of iPod’s. The culmination comes when every inferior player seems to bow down as they fall at the base of Sirius’ Stiletto 2, which remains steadfast in its superiority. more

Rhinofx recently showcased its broad reach across long form CG animation, with a HD backdrop for Radio City Music Hall’s upcoming Christmas Spectacular, running from November 9th to December 30th. The animated creation will be displayed behind the legendary Rockettes, on the nation’s largest LED HD output, lighting up the stage on a screen that stretches 90 x 60 ft. more