Press Release from ADi
Portland, Oregon -- April 22, 2009 -- ADi, a Portland-based computer animation company, has provided the unique animation for a commercial for GOLIGHTLY Films and Yamasa Soy Sauce using ideas and themes from the Japanese "Mothra" song, Mosura No Uta. The 30 second commercial, animated by ADi and written, produced, directed and filmed by GOLIGHTLY Films, will be broadcast locally on KGW TV, and in Japan on Fuji TV. The song, which gained popularity in the U.S. on YouTube, is based on a fictional monster who is both an ally and adversary of Godzilla. Yamasa USA is headquartered in Salem, Oregon.
ADi's designers brought to life a virtual world with a pop-up book appearance in a lily-pond setting. "We had a blast on this project," commented Kate Ertmann, President and Executive Producer at ADi. "We wanted to come up with a visual approach that would stand out and get noticed right away. We started by developing storyboards with the client and moving to the different elements of the animation. The initial concept from GOLIGHTLY Films and Yamasa was essentially playing off the Mothra Song theme, where Mothra's fairies invoke Mothra to come and help them. We also wanted to use bright, saturated colors and have a playful feel, consistent with Yamasa marketing. Exploring these concepts and creating the pop-up storybook world allowed us to give it 3D feel, but keep the costs lower than a fully realized 3D world." Visit www.Youtube.com to see more of the style of the Mothra song.
"We very much enjoyed working with ADi to develop this innovative and creative spot for Yamasa Soy Sauce," stated Director/DP Kenneth Luba of GOLIGHTLY Films. "Not only were they able to bring my vision to life and are extremely talented in animation design, but they also kept the commercial on track and on budget. Their experience in project development ensured the commercial was created in stages where any changes we needed were able to be done with as little financial impact as possible. Our client, Yamasa USA, was extremely pleased with the outcome."
The commercial was shot using a green screen, and the characters were then placed in a colorful virtual world. ADi's art director, Kalina Torino, drew and painted all the images and then the 3D technical staff applied the images to a virtual 3D set complete with rigging, clouds and a dragonfly hanging by strings. The various elements were animated and video layers added in sections on different plates. The three central singing characters were shot on one plate, the soy sauce bottles on another and the Yamasa man on yet another, all scaled and overlapped to appear as though they are in the same world. To view the commercial, please visit http://blog.flypixels.com/.
About ADiFounded in 1996, ADi excels in visual communication with a focus on 3D and visual effects for business to business marketing, consumer advertising, direct response television, education and entertainment. Clients range from Fortune 500 high-tech firms to independent film producers. ADi also has a division focused on the high-tech animation sector. High-tech animation can bring clarity to presentations that demonstrate future technology or explain an experience that is difficult to show using still pictures or drawings.
The Portland-based company is recognized for its skill in rendering digital prototypes for pre-production marketing efforts. ADi has received numerous industry awards for its animation work, including a recent W3 Award. For more information on ADi, visit www.flypixels.com.
