Antics Technologies recently helped TENFOUR Media deliver three :20 commercials for the forthcoming Virgin Radio TV campaign, The Music We All Love. The three pieces were shot in HD and edited on VelocityHD at ahc Post. Given the need to see more than a 2D version of the storyboard, and the tight schedule, TENFOUR Media approached Antics to use its Pre-Viz tool to work out some of the more complex aspects of the shoot.
Sarah Reed, creative producer, TENFOUR Media, explained, The Pre-Viz spots produced by Anticswere tremendously helpful. From a starting point of a five-frame storyboard, they were quickly translated into what could be described as mini-animatics that graphically demonstrated which ideas would and wouldn't work. We were then able to adjust and develop our ideas from a much more realistic basis.
Each commercial shows someone who appears, at first glance, to be playing in a stylized pop video. When another person passes across the frame, the scene changes. The Rock Legend is revealed to be an ordinary individual in an everyday environment, who has been transported by Virgin Radio. A cleaner sings using the handle of her mop as microphone, a postman plays guitar with a poster tube in his bag and a drummer beats out the rhythm with sticks that are actually wooden salad servers.
Reed continued, We were impressed with both the speed that Antics Pre-Viz was able to work at, and the cost. Theres no doubt the commercials were significantly better for their input.
Steve Breeze, creative services manager, Antics Technologies, added, By utilizing this technology, the production team were able to further visualize the creative and on location logistics of this project. Thus the problem solving was done in cheap time not when cameras and crew were rolling.
Antics Pre-Viz is touted as the first software application to enable members of a production team, such as directors or producers, to create and manage the previsualisation of projects in an animated, realtime 3D environment. An intuitive tool set and logical workflow allow rapid set assembly and layout, easy camera set-up and configuration as well as the creation of intelligent characters, shots and whole scenes, which are stored as animated storyboards, and can be cut together and out-put as AVI movies.
Now shipping, Antics Pre-Viz is available for $995/£570/675.
Meanwhile, Antics Technologies will preview version 2.0 of Antics Pre-Viz at IBC, Sept. 9-13 in Amsterdam. Antics will also be demonstrating a number of new program pre-production tools that it has been developing in conjunction with the BBC.
Visitors will be able to see a completely new, integrated timeline based workflow model. A point and click, drag and drop user model ensures that the software is useable by media creative professionals who may not have used an animation or digital content creation application before.
Simple set construction tools, coupled with configurable real world cameras, vision mixer gallery and a studio floor plan generator with interactive, orthographic views have been developed following extensive input from program production and training professionals at the BBC.
Antics (www.antics3d.com) is a U.K. company with headquarters in Cambridge, England. It is a pioneer in the field of realtime intelligent 3D animation technology, which it uses to develop products that bring characters and worlds to life quickly and easily.
TENFOUR Media (www.tenfourmedia.co.uk) is a niche production house delivering highly finish, high value commercials and video.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
