"Roger consistently finds that magical balance between playfulness and formality, creating some of the most compelling and creative spots I've ever seen," says Brock Batten, Founder/Creative Director of Mobile Roadie. "When it came time to produce a video to market a new product launch, I knew exactly where to turn. They helped define our audience, craft our message, and transform a rough concept into stunning visual narrative that paid dividends."
The action unfolds with the push of a mobile icon, as a series of vignettes show everyday people using Mobile Roadie apps on their phones and tablets. 3D-animated representations of the apps expand and emanate into real-world environments. Along the way, colorful graphics of analytics, sales tracking, and customer pinpointing, among other key tools and features, are highlighted. Beautifully -- and intelligently -- the interwoven vignettes seamlessly visualize an ever-connected world of creativity, commerce and product engagement powered by Mobile Roadie.
Given that the robust functionality and global reach of the apps live on the small screens of mobile devices, Roger opted to visualize them on a larger scale by bringing them into live-action environments. Working closely with Batten, Roger developed a variety of solutions, from comedic to more tech-driven, before opting for a narrative-tech hybrid.
"We wanted to introduce Mobile Roadie to the world in a way that would make people want to learn more," states Lee. "By shooting real people and adding CG and VFX, we felt the story would be more approachable and express the true nature and scope of what these apps offer businesses and fans alike. The live-action characters brought a human sensibility that balanced with the technology elements showcased within the graphics and animation."
Since Mobile Roadie creates custom apps, Roger came up with fictional companies such as a clothing boutique, a painter and an art gallery, and then created original app imagery accordingly using design assets provided by Mobile Roadie.
Joining forces and co-directing the spot was long-time Roger friend Jon Hyde of Boxer Films. Hyde's beautiful, naturalistic lifestyle photography was a perfect fit for the "on-the-go" aesthetic Roger was trying to achieve, and collaborating with Boxer's rock solid production team allowed more resources to be allocated to the live-action portion of the shoot. The spot was shot over the course of three days at various Los Angeles locations. Each was chosen to believably stand in for worldly environments representing key markets such as NYC, LA, SF, and Tokyo.
Roger's production and animation toolbox included Maya, Cinema 4D, and PF Tracker for 3D camera tracking. The live-action was shot on a Canon 7D and DSLR, then composited and color-corrected in After Effects.
"We've known Mobile Roadie since it was built from the ground up, so it was great to tell their story," concludes Lee. "The collaboration was smooth, with a good back-and-forth in terms of adjusting the creative to address specific features and services they wanted to highlight."
Source: Roger