Entertainment and design studio Imaginary Forces (IF) recently completed the animated end titles for the Fox Walden fantasy adventure, NIM'S ISLAND. The film stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin and Gerard Butler and premieres in theaters nationwide today.
Anything can happen on Nim's Island, a magical place ruled by a young girl's imagination. When her scientist father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra, the reclusive author of her fictional hero, Alex Rover -- the world's greatest adventurer.
"Imaginary Forces made the impossible possible," says Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, directors of NIM'S ISLAND. "With very little time, they made a title sequence that blew us all away. They are smart, talented, collaborative, responsible, funny and just plain good at what they do. We hope our children grow up to be just like Imaginary Forces."
The animated titles were spearheaded by IF Art Director Sean Koriakin and IF Producer Kathy Kelehan. Told from Nim's point of view, the titles encapsulate the whimsical nature of her world and love of stories.
"This comes straight out of Nim's imagination," explains Koriakin. "We used a paper cut-out style and rough animation to show innocence and playfulness. We wanted it to have a handmade arts-and-crafts feel. We even see Nim's animal friends on the island express their character through this simple animation style."
IF worked closely with Directors Mark Levin & Jennifer Flackett to incorporate complementary design elements and palettes from the film into the end titles. The challenge was creating the different CG characters and transitions within a short time frame, and making them appear constructed from paper, reminiscent of the traditional Russian cut-out styles.
"This was our first time working with Mark and Jennifer, and [Producer] Paula Mazur," concludes Kathy Kelehan. "Once they saw our initial style frames, they immediately understood our approach. We brainstormed with them on the scenarios and transitions, and they were very open to our ideas. It was a fantastic collaboration."
The IF team used Maya and After Effects as their main design tools. Flame was utilized for animation and compositing.
Project Title: NIM'S ISLAND -- Opening Titles and Main on End Title Sequence
Designed & Produced by: Imaginary Forces (IF)Art Director: Sean KoriakinProducer: Kathy KelehanDesigners: Sean Koriakin, Brett Krauss, Joost Korngold (Opening MT Card)Animators: Sean Koriakin, Tom Allain, Andrew Soria, Eric Keller, Andy Dill, Chris Kepka, Juan Monasterio, Chris Kepka, Joost Korngold (Opening MT Card)Editor: Keith RobertsInferno Artist: Andy Dill, Rod BashamCoordinator: Heather DennisHead of Production: Ben Apley
Distributor: FoxStudio/Production: Walden MediaVP, Post Production: Jonas ThalerDirectors: Mark Levin & Jennifer FlackettProducer: Paula MazurPost Production Supervisor: Michael TingerEditors: Stuart Levy, Steve Rotter
IMAGINARY FORCES (IF) is an entertainment and design studio based in Hollywood and New York. Its award-winning work spans the diverse industries of feature film production, entertainment marketing and promotion, corporate branding, architecture, advertising and interactive media. IF's recent work includes identity packages for Spike TV, USA Network, Lifetime, and MTV, as well as broadcast advertising for Nike, Sears, Toyota, Pontiac, Smirnoff and Lexus.
In entertainment and media marketing, IF created campaigns for such films as INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF CRYSTAL SKULL, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, TRANSFORMERS, and NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS. The company also designed and produced main title sequences for THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, NUMBER 23, CHARLOTTE'S WEB, SPIDER-MAN, SEVEN, MAD MEN, CHUCK, and BAND OF BROTHERS, and produced the highly successful BLADE trilogy.
Most recently, the company designed the media installations for the award-winning HBO retail store in Manhattan, outdoor multimedia experiences for Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau, and co-created the "New City" exhibit, part of the MoMA's "Design and the Elastic Mind" show and the first architecturally-considered virtual environment.
Information: www.imaginaryforces.com.
