Many of this year's memorable Super Bowl commercials were created with Autodesk Inc.'s visual effects, editing and finishing and 3D animation products. Autodesk's tools allowed post-production facilities to complete eye-catching work on tight deadlines for Budweiser, Coca-Cola, FedEx and many other advertisers.
"Super Bowl commercials set the benchmark for the entire advertising industry," said Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media & Ent. vp. "Autodesk solutions deliver unparalleled creative freedom and allow artists to get the job done on time. That's why, once again, leading post-production facilities relied on Autodesk solutions to deliver some of the best ads we'll see this year."
Brickyard VFX used the Autodesk Flame visual effects systems to complete several shots for a humorous Diamond Foods' commercial for its Emerald snack brand. Titled GOULET, the ad features actor and entertainer Robert Goulet terrorizing an office full of sleeping employees. Goulet makes a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-style getaway after encountering an employee who stayed awake by eating Emerald nuts.
Brickyard's work was centered around Goulet's escape, during which he is shown crawling on the ceiling. "Autodesk Flame afforded us all of the tools we needed to deliver really clean effects shots," explained Patrick Poulatian, co-founder and Flame artist at Brickyard VFX Pacific. "Goulet was actually filmed on a greenscreen stage, crawling across the floor. In Flame, Goulet's frame was extracted from the green screen, the hang of his clothing was altered to give the illusion that he was inverted, and he was seamlessly composited into the final spot."
Furthermore, Homenyc created two ads for the Super Bowl. Both were finished in high-definition (HD), enabling them to be re-purposed for movie theaters. Artists at the facility used Autodesk Smoke editing and finishing system to edit IZOD's In the Snow commercial, which was shot in Iceland. Homenyc also used Smoke to conform an ad for Van Heusen. Visual effects work for both ads was completed in Flame, and rotoscoping was done in Autodesk Combustion desktop compositing software.
"The Super Bowl ad season is the ultimate test for evaluating tool performance and artistic know how," said Ben Orisich, creative director at Homenyc. "Facilities need to be equipped in talent and technology to handle the intense pressure of commercial post. Flame and Smoke are very powerful high-end systems, used by some of the most talented and experienced creative professionals in the industry."
Other visual effects facilities that created Super Bowl commercials with Autodesk solutions include the following:
* Axyz-Design used Autodesk Inferno visual effects system to complete Budweiser's Clydesdale spot* BUF Compagnie used Flame to create Hewlett-Packard's Orange County Choppers* Charlex created E*Trade Financial's Stickshift with Smoke, Flame and Autodesk Maya 3D animation, modeling and rendering software* Filmworkers Club used Smoke for finishing work on Frito Lay's HISTORY and Washington Mutual's JUMP, as well as Anheuser-Busch's BUT HE HAS A BUD LIGHT, FIST BUMP, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS and Reception* Method Studios shaped Toyota's RAMP and SEE SAW with Flame and Maya* The Mill used Smoke, Flame and Combustion to create a variety of commercials, including Snickers' MECHANICS (Flame and Combustion), FedEx's MOON OFFICE (Smoke and Flame) and NOT WHAT IT SEEMS (Flame and Combustion), Sierra Mist's KARATE, HOSPITAL and COMBOVER (Smoke), Pizza Hut's POPARAZZI and HERD (Smoke), Budweiser's KING CRAB (Smoke and Flame) and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.'s ROLLIN' VIP (Smoke)* Nexus Production shaped Coca-Cola's Videogame with Autodesk 3ds Max animation, modeling and rendering software * Nice Shoes used Flame to create several ads, including Foot Locker and Adidas' AUTOGRAPH, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.'s ROLLIN' VIP, Flomax's FINISH and Snapple's WISE MAN* Pixel Farm completed Garmin's MAPOSAURUS ad in a :30, :60 and three-minute music video format with Smoke and Inferno* Psyop created Coca-Cola's HAPPINESS FACTORY with Flame and Maya* Quietman shaped Pizza Hut's POPARAZZI and HERD with Flame and Inferno* SWAY used Flame and 3ds Max for work on General Motors' ROBOT
Autodesk Inc. (www.autodesk.com) is the world leader in 2D and model-based design software solutions for the manufacturing, infrastructure, building and media and entertainment fields. Since its introduction of AutoCAD in 1982, Autodesk has helped customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies turn to Autodesk for the power to visualize, analyze and simulate real-world performance and foster innovation.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
