Animation World Magazine, Issue 3.2, May 1998


Animation World News

Commercials

Spotlight. Acme Filmworks director Bill Plympton created two animated PSAs as part of a literacy campaign sponsored by 7-Eleven. The two 15-second spots will air as bumpers on the PBS series Wishbone. The agency was The Richards Group in Dallas, Texas, and the producer was Diana Lawless. . . . Another Acme director, Bill Kroyer created a bumper campaign for Cartoon Network. Titled Mouse Hole, Hospital, Taxi, Night City, Factory and Circus, the six ten-second network ids and five five-second bumpers blend 1950s-influenced graphic art direction combined with computer-enhanced choreography and digital compositing. Post-production was handled by Virtual Magic . . . . Acme Filmworks also produced a commercial for Tenet Health System, directed by Barrie Nelson. The 30-second spot utilizes 2-D, cel-style animation. Virtual Magic handled digital ink and paint and compositing. The agency was Big Imagination Group in Los Angeles. . . New York-based The Ink Tank created it's third and fourth 30-second commercials for Phoenix Insurance Investments, through Emmerling Post Advertising. Basketball and Varsity, directed by Tissa David, depict animated letters of the company's logo, Fiscal Fitness. Digital ink and paint was done on an Animo system by Tapehouse Ink and Paint in New York. . . .

Flea Circus' opener for Toons From Planet Orange.
© Nickelodeon.

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Lamb & Company created a virtual version of actor Alan Alda, to appear on the documentary series, Scientific American Frontiers. The character was created by scanning the actor's head at Viewpoint Datalabs. Animators at Lamb & Company then used Smirk facial animation technology to create 45 seconds of animation which was blended with live-action using Flame. . . . New Zealand-based Flea Circus, represented in the U.S. by Curious Pictures, created a seven and four second bumper for Nickelodeon's Toons From Planet Orange, a program showcasing animation from around the world. The director was John Robertson and computer animation was handled by Giant in Auckland. The bumper spots aired as promos on April 15 but the show will premiere on Nickelodeon this summer . . . . New York-based Curious Pictures also produced a series of commercials for the Ad Council and the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities, through the agency DDB Needham. The two 30-second and two 15-second spots combine live-action with 3-D computer animation by David Kelley and Liz De Luna . . . . Curious Pictures' director Steve Oakes created three 15-second spots for TCG Communications which combine live-action and animation. Balloon, Sand Castle and Butterfly use stop-motion and replacement animation as well as 2-D computer animation and morphing. The stop-motion animator was Ellen Goldstein. . . . Manhattan Transfer also created 2-D and 3-D visual effects for two 15-second commercials for the agency Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano and their client Barnes & Noble's Internet Bookstore. 3-D animator Keith Stichweh utilized Softimage to create an animated globe and text for the spots, titled Orbit and Asteroids.. . . .

Most Wanted. © Manhattan Transfer.

Boston-based Olive Jar Studios created stop motion animation and New York-based Manhattan Transfer created visual effects for a 30-second spot for Saatchi & Saatchi and their client Pepperidge Farm, promoting Flavor Blasted Goldfish. The stop-motion commercial, titled Most Wanted, was brought to life in clay by animation director Richard Zimmerman and animator Jeff Sias. . . . Los Angeles-based Click 3X created four computer animated commercials for Stone & Ward Advertising's client, Terminix. The 30-second spots were created in five weeks. Credits include director of animation Jamee Houk, director of CG Steve Martino and Flame artist Darin Fong. . . . London-based Sherbet created two ten-second spots for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The campaign, titled "Venom-Striking Beauties," was created by director Jonathan Hodgson, who filmed watercolor paintings on white paper, then used the film negative rather than the print, to achieve a dark, atmospheric look. . . . . Santa Fe, New Mexico-based Flamdoodle Animation created a 30-second spot for the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. Director Jeff LaFlamme used Animo, Photoshop and Painter software to create the animation. . . . Flamdoodle also created a five-second bumper for Eye Care of New Mexico, using Animo and Lightwave software, and a six-second bumper for Ohkay Casino, using Animo and Photoshop. . . .

Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.


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