Looking to offer clients a more complete creative experience creative director John Yu and Paul Goldman (founder/creative director of music house Ear Goo) have launched Element, a new design studio offering clients first class motion graphics, visual effects and 2D/3D animation.
Surprisingly, for its first creative assignment, Element designed an extensive package of 3D insert graphics seen during the ABC Sports broadcast of Super Bowl XL on February 5th. In addition to the Super Bowl, Element is working on similar insert graphic packages for several other ABC Sports presentations, including the NBA and PGA.
"I wanted to expand beyond audio and offer clients other kinds of creative, but I knew it was important to partner with someone and not just hire a designer," said Goldman. "I wanted a person that would have a stake in the company's success someone with an entrepreneurial spirit that could make this into its own thing. John is someone I've known for years and the timing turned out to be perfect because at the same time I was looking to expand he was thinking of opening his own place as well."
Known for leading the launch of Showcase (part of Showtime Network), Rave HD, (part of Cablevision's Voom HD), Fox News Channel, Comcast SportsNet, CNBC and YES Network, to name just a few, Yu comes to Element after working as an art/visual effects eirector at post house Version2, New York, NY (formerly known as Liquid Light). Prior to that Yu was art director at Sideshow Creative, New York, NY.
"I've been creating motion graphics for more than ten years and was preparing to launch my own company when I connected with Paul," said Yu. "I think this is a great marriage it's not music house trying to be a design house, or vice versa these are two independent companies that have their own clients but also creatively inspire and collaborate with each other to ultimately benefit our clients."
For Super Bowl XL Element created a package of 3D insert graphics that housed the game stats seen throughout the big game. The design features a sophisticated and masculine look while maintaining clean, organized structure to be able to communicate to the viewers. In addition to simply looking cool, Yu noted that it was equally important that the package be user friendly for ABC's producer and directors who would be incorporating the graphics into the telecast throughout the game.
"This was a challenging project because it needed to grab viewer's attention but not be too flashy," explained Yu, "and also have a certain amount of functionality so the graphics could easily be used by ABC's technical crew. Bringing both of those esthetics together was difficult but I think we accomplished it."
Element (www.iamelement.com) specializes in conceptual motion graphics, for advertising, television and multimedia. The company's current work includes insert graphics for ABC Sports presentation of Super Bowl XL, as well as the upcoming network redesign of CNBC and redesign of In-Demand, an HD television service from Time-Warner cable.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
