GE Crane

Framestore CFC
"Being on location with the cranes, and studying their characters and the nuances of their movements, was an enormous aid in translating this information to the animation team. Our goal was to have a seamless transition between live-action and CG cranes, and also to inject a bit of humor." -- Kevin Rooney Lead and Senior Animator.

"It is quite unusual to have such a long focused shot on a creature. We were presented with a huge animation and rendering challenge. We successfully met the lighting and texturing of the jet and GE engine so successfully that it was able to convince the GE engine experts." -- Andy Walker, CG Lead.

"Weather problems in Thailand meant some plates had very striking lighting, while some were flat. We added stills of sunlit rocks and clouds to certain scenes to bring them to life, creating a low light, end of day feel that we also applied to the green screen cranes. It tied all the disparate elements together nicely. The 3D lighting guys were able to match this look so you don't know where the real cranes end and the CGI ones begin." -- Murray Butler, Lead Flame Artist.

Credits for GE Crane
VFX: Framestore CFC
Lead and Senior Animator: Kevin Rooney
CG Lead: Andy Walker
Lead Flame Artist: Murray Butler
Head of Production: Laney Gradus
Agency: BBDO NY
Agency Creatives: Ted Shaine, Tom Darbyshire
Agency Producer: Grant Gill
Creative: Don Schneider
Directors: Arni and Kinski

United Airlines Butterfly

Acme Filmworks
Award-winning animation studio Acme Filmworks re-teams with United Airlines for their latest campaign to promote the airline's 180° flat-bed business-class seating arrangement. Butterfly was directed by Aleksandra Korejwo who uniquely animates using colored salts manipulated with the use of a condor feather and then shot directly under a camera. The visually warm commercial is set to a violin version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." Acme's previous campaign work with United Airlines was directed by award winning directors Michael Dudok de Wit, Joanna Quinn, and Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis. Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis' United Airlines The Interview was nominated for an Emmy award in 2004.

Client: United Airlines Butterfly
Agency: Barrie D'Rozario Murphy
Exec. Creative Directors: Stuart D'Rozario, Bob Barrie
Art Director: Brian Lambert
Agency Producers: Holly Stone, Jack Steinmann
Production Company: Acme Filmworks
Director/Animator: Aleksandra Korejwo
Executive Producer: Ron Diamond
Producer: David Schmier
Music Arrangement: Trivers & Myers
Mix: Ken Chastain, Pixel Farm

Rick DeMott is the managing editor of Animation World Network. In his free time, he runs the movie review site, Rick's Flicks Picks. He has written for TV series, such as Discovery Kids' Growing Up Creepie and Cartoon Network's Pet Alien, the animation history book Animation Art, and the humor, absurdist and surrealist website Unloosen. Previously, he held various production and management positions in the entertainment industry.