Bicoastal commercial visual effects studio Animal recently provided a broad array of finishing services for Audi’s “Luxury Prison” campaign and Dodge’s ongoing rebrand for its Ram trucks, “Strength in Numbers.”
Press Release from Animal
Venice, California – March 9, 2011 – Bicoastal commercial visual effects studio Animal recently provided a broad array of finishing services for Audi’s “Luxury Prison” campaign and Dodge’s ongoing rebrand for its Ram trucks, “Strength in Numbers.” Proving their own versatility, value and performance, Animal conformed and color graded Audi’s longform online videos “Startled Smart” and “Kenny G: Riot Suppressor,” and created extensive motion graphics for the Ram commercials “Mightier,” “Grab an End” and “Collective Force.”
Created by Venables Bell & Partners for Audi USA, the “Luxury Prison” campaign redefines luxury by positioning the Audi A8 as progressive luxury against old emblems Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Directed by Matt & Oz of Caviar LA, “Startled Smart” satirizes at-risk privileged teens as they are schooled about the consequences of an opulent lifestyle by “inmates” in smoking jackets and ascots. Effectively cast against type, saxophonist Kenny G makes a subversive turn as “Riot Suppressor,” who not only subdues uprisings by the luxury prisoners with his smooth jazz, but also renders them comatose. A :60 teaser for “Riot Suppressor,” directed by Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man, aired during Super Bowl XLIV; both videos can be can be viewed at YouTube.com/AudiofAmerica.
Animal provided a full complement of finishing services and to meet the project’s tight turnaround, colorist Allan Stallard from the company’s East Coast office worked alongside lead Flame artist Ben Looram in Venice.
Animal also worked with agency Doner on the ongoing Ram rebranding campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl. Ram, now a sub-brand of Dodge for pickup trucks, is marketed as a powerful technological marvel to serious truck customers. Animal’s visual effects artist Ryan Gibson designed the motion graphics for “Mightier,” “Grab an End” and “Collective Force,” all directed by Klaus Obermeyer of Aero Film. Encouraged by Doner producer Kris Kulas and art director Dan Councilor to expand on their vision for the “Strength in Numbers” campaign, Gibson strove to integrate details that viewers would want to see again and discover something new each time.
Gibson researched performance data on torque, shifting coefficients and horsepower and created visual representations of that data in the form of equations, calculations and line graphs that are tracked to the moving truck’s grille, axle, side panels and headlights. He animated the graphics and used Syntheyes for 3D tracking on the filmed plate.
Leslie Sorrentino, Animal’s executive producer, said, “We have always been confident of our ability to deliver visual effects, color grading and finishing at the highest levels. However, we are realizing that the creative energy of Venice, and particularly Abbot Kinney Blvd., is something that galvanizes all of us. Our clients feel it and the entire studio resonates with that creative potential.”
Animal recently delivered “Love What You Do,” a massive worldwide campaign for BlackBerry Torch and has been awarded feature film visual effects production on the dramatic comedy “A Little Bit of Heaven.”
ABOUT ANIMALFounded in 2001 by director and visual effects artist Michael Killen, visual effects artist Jim Kreitzburg and executive producer Kathy Dziubek, Animal operates as a lean, multi-disciplinary bicoastal studio. Animal’s East and West Coast studios have partnered with national and international brands and advertising agencies to deliver world-class visual effects and transmedia for the broadcast, broadband and feature film worlds.
Animal’s Venice studio opened in June of this year to expand the company’s home base in Pittsburgh to the West Coast. Animal’s next-generation business model interweaves post production and production, providing creative and technical involvement at the conceptual stage, as well as on set supervision and custom-tailored services across the range of offerings from both studios, including motion graphics, visual effects and CGI, color grading, finishing and compositing.
Production Credits: Audi “Luxury Prison”Title: “Startled Smart” “Kenny G: Riot Suppressor”Client: AudiProduct: A8
Ad Agency: Venables, Bell & PartnersArt Director: Byron Del RosarioProducer: Nicolette SpencerCopywriter: Matt Keats
“Startled Smart”Production Company: Caviar LADirector: Matt & Oz
“Kenny G: Riot Suppressor”Production Company: Hungry ManDirector: Bryan Buckley
Editorial Company: FinalCut LAProducer: Jennifer MillerEditor: Matt Murphy “Startled Smart”Graham Turner “Kenny G: Riot Suppressor”
Visual Effects and Finishing: AnimalExecutive Producer: Leslie SorrentinoLead Flame Artist: Ben LooramColorist: Allan Stallard
Production Credits: Ram “Strength in Numbers”Title: “Mightier” “Grab an End” “Collective Force”
Ad Agency: DonerArt Director: Dan CouncilorProducer: Kris Kulas
Production Company: AeroExecutive Producer: Lance O’ConnorHead of Production: Rob HelphandDirector: Klaus ObermeyerDP: Klaus Obermeyer
Visual Effects: AnimalExecutive Producer: Leslie SorrentinoProducer: Sahir ChampionLead Flame Artist: Ben LooramMotion Graphics: Ryan GibsonFlame Artist: Mike Ek
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