Careerbuilder.com: Case Study

Here is an example of a project having a breath of life all its own. Despite schedule setbacks, loss of locations, two actresses dropping out, I still feel this is one of the best spots we have produced. I am also proud that this is a fully live-action project, which is a challenge for me, being used to mostly animated films.





The chicken heads were made out of chicken wire and pieces of fabric and paper mache acquired at JoAnn fabrics. We made two full heads, and one half. They were hot and claustrophobic to wear, an effort for which our lead, Carissa Lynelle, should be knighted: she wore it for several hours at a time, two days in a row. The handheld camera added to the feeling of nervousness, and a few very concealed digital effects (selective masking, adding handheld movement to tripod shots, etc) rounded off the post production.

Nissan Cube: Case Study

This is an example of a spot whose subject was directly inspired by the product. The Nissan Cube has a distinctly unique design, so naturally it was extraterrestrial in origin. Going from there, we felt very strongly that we wanted to tell a fun little story, instead of just listing features. However, the "alien concept" always has the danger of seeming detached from reality, so we decided to spoof the familiar situation of a parent finally deciding to relinquish control of the car keys to an eager teenager.





Nearly the entire spot was shot against greenscreen. To save time, the alien dialogue was scripted to drive several animations automatically, such as the ethereal tendrils and the blinking "voicebox" at the center of the iris. The Sony PMW-EX1 was used to film the spot in full HD, and due to the splendid chip inside this camera, keying out the green was a quick process, even through the talent's hair.



Previz animatic for Nissan Cube project. Note the HUGE difference that a good soundtrack makes (other than, you know, all that green being gone).

Lexus: Ahead of the Curve: Case Study

We approached this assignment as an opportunity to create a very stylized ad. Though we had a Lexus at our disposal, we felt that we wanted to mimic a very slick, visual series of Lexus spots that don't even feature the automobile until the very end (the BBQ and Lights Symphony ads for Lexus Hybrids).





We shot scenes around Chicago and picked the shots that told the simple story of leaving the bustling downtown and heading toward the serenity of home. The camera angles were matched in 3D, and swaying blades of grass, pollen, and wildflowers were added to mark the tracks where tires have gone. Any other cars that might distract the eye were painted out; stock footage of birds and several people were added to ad a bit of life to the shots. Lastly, Mark Nadolski composed the music that underscored the simple, classy visual look of the commercial.



Freeway Demo

Axe Chase: Case Study

Coming soon. In the meantime, wash your hair.




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Axe Game Damage: Case Study

Spot 2 in our Axe series. Shot in an all-white room, with rented costumes. The IV drip was composited in post, as were the words "Hair Trauma Center" in the stock photo of the hospital. Also, in order to make the actors look more idealized and soap-opera-ish, they went under the knife in post: blemishes, wrinkles, moles, and pimples were, to the best of our abilities, removed.

Epic Field Goal : Sprint / Platnium Dunes / Michael Bay