Press Release from Royale
Los Angeles, CA - (April 28, 2009) - Motion design & production house Royale was called upon by COMEDY CENTRAL to create some fun and glitz for the show open for the "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Larry The Cable Guy."
The tattoo art-inspired sequence is driven by country boy heraldry including symbolic translations of the American flag, hunting and wildlife. Behind a dazzling array of arena rock lighting, the sequence opens with a sexy close-up of a bass fish tattoo emblazoned on a woman's lower back bearing the Cable Guy's trademark catch-phrase "Git 'R Done." As the tattoo-adorned Larry flexes his muscles and vaunts Dixieland's finest, we're introduced to Roast Master Lisa Lampanelli and the diverse cast of celebrity roasters including Warren Sapp, Gary Busey, Jeff Foxworthy and Toby Keith.
Click here to view the show open .
"This is the second consecutive COMEDY CENTRAL Roast that we have collaborated on with Royale," says Rick Austin, Producer of the "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Larry The Cable Guy." "Royale understands the Roast brand and have proven they can adapt that sensibility to the diverse personalities we have had at the center of these shows. They had a terrific knack for being able to make it feel right for Larry's image and also right for the show."
"Working with Royale is always a rich and collaborative experience and their impeccably crafted work is consistently beyond our wildest expectations," adds Chris Scarlata, design director of COMEDY CENTRAL's on-air promotions. "Their collective talent is only surpassed by their ability to wholeheartedly listen to and truly collaborate with our creatives."
Excited about the potential for an edgier, animation-driven show open, Royale provided COMEDY CENTRAL with motion tests, offering visual roughs showcasing their capabilities.
"COMEDY CENTRAL asked us to present Larry in a unique way, under a more contemporary light," says Jayson Whitmore, Royale Creative Director. "Going through a world of tattoos, we could transcend genre while also staying true to his comedic style and fan base. COMEDY CENTRAL put a lot of trust in our concept. We've worked together before, but it really took a leap of faith for them to buy into our offbeat vision -- especially considering the project's three-week turnaround."
From design to animation, Royale Creative Director Brien Holman was the primary artist behind the show open. According to Holman, having the trust of both Rick Austin and COMEDY CENTRAL was key to developing such a different look for the Roast. "I have to hand it to them; they really nurtured our workflow, giving us free reign to finish up the spot, and show them our work in stages. The style of the show took a few rounds to nail down; the design perspectives where we started and where we ended are completely different. It was this seamless collaboration that allowed the main concept to take center stage. It really allowed us the opportunity to experiment with what a 'traditional' roast open should look like."
Working with high-quality RED footage was also a huge aspect in giving the team at Royale the flexibility to push through vast areas of tattoos. In addition to creating the show open and graphics packages, which included transitions, bumpers and lower-thirds, COMEDY CENTRAL opted to implement Royale's custom-crafted logo and tattoo elements into the show's stage graphics.
"It's exciting to see the all-encompassing nature of our work really go the distance," concludes Holman. "The entire stage was decked out in the graphics that we provided -- even the after-party adopted our tattoo inspired theme. By delivering a conceptual aesthetic to the stage graphics, we became an integral part of the entire production and its overall success."
Client: COMEDY CENTRAL
Project Title: "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Larry The Cable Guy" show package and show open
Airdate: March 15, 2009
Production & Design Company: Royale/Los Angeles, CA
Creative Directors: Brien Holman & Jayson Whitmore
Executive Producer: Jennifer Lucero
Producer: Anne Hong
Designers: Kyle Smith, Anthony Madlangbayan, Nicolas Chifflet
Animators: Kevin Tonkin, Anthony Madlangbayan, James Rydesky
About Royale:
Founded by creative directors Jayson Whitmore, Brien Holman and executive producer Jennifer Lucero, Royale recognizes that the landscape of advertising has changed drastically within the last few years, and that although the outlets may be changing, the power of the moving image continues to be the most effective way of communicating. Royale's greatest love is to help solve our client's advertising needs through the visceral language of motion design. The Royale treatment is an endless stream of creative solutions that surpass client expectation, while maintaining a comfortable, relaxed and highly creative environment. Recent projects for the 18-month-old company include a ambitious animated spot for McDonald's, a network re-brand for Discovery Channel, live show graphics for Madonna's current "Sticky & Sweet Tour," a campaign for Jet Blue, as well as an image spot and graphics package for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "Indecision 2008." Royale is currently in production on multiple shows for Discovery Channel and Comedy Central
