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Eco-Friendly Oil? DUCK Will Make You Believe

Directing collective Kompost, working via DUCK Studios, created a visually explosive spot for Green Earth Technologies' G-OIL, the "official motor oil of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the International Motor Spots Association (IMSA)."

G-OIL

Press Release from DUCK

Directing collective Kompost, working via DUCK Studios, created a visually explosive spot for Green Earth Technologies' G-OIL, the "official motor oil of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the International Motor Spots Association (IMSA)." Working via Alliance, a division of Grey Group, director Oliver Conrad and EP Gian Klainguti led a VFX team that manufactured a remarkable fast-paced world simulating the impact and durability of the world's first and only American Petroleum Institute approved biodegradable high-performance motor oil made from renewable bio-based sources.

Anthem begins with a trickle of oil that morphs into an engine which ultimately turns into the FLM-09 racing car, manufactured by G-OIL Oreca-Courage for the newly formed Green Earth Team Gunnar, the first team at ALMS to run on environmentally friendly oil. As it accelerates through a white-washed world, a verdant forest launches from the earth behind it, symbolizing the synthesis between the vehicle and the landscape. Emphasizing the oil's versatility, the car transforms into an even faster racer that zooms along a smooth road relentlessly unfolding onscreen.

Kompost drew from a broad toolbox to create this vibrant world, using Maya, Real Flow, mental ray, After Effects and Mudbox. In an attempt to use materials that reflect the biodegradable qualities of the product, they used water-color textures to show green ink spreading life to paper as soon as the oil hits its surface.

"Oil gets a bad rap, but sustainable oil actually has a positive geological effect on the environment, and we wanted to portray that in a powerful and evocative way," noted Conrad. "We created a visual language to express the results of the 'green' movement. We actually found inspiration for the spot no more than 100 meters outdoors in the White Mountains surrounding us, where our sledding excursions allowed us to mimic the experience of speedy, eco-friendly transportation."

"This was a tough spot for a lot of reasons - not only was the presentation technically challenging, but we had to deliver a counterintuitive message in a powerful and believable way," stated DUCK EP Mark Medernach. "Oliver and Gian really stepped up and delivered on all the important points, creating an incredibly detailed and fascinating world in a very short spot."

Credits:Client: Green Earth TechnologiesSpots Title: G-OIL AnthemAir Date: April 2010

Agency: GreyChief Creative Officer: Tor MyhrenExecutive CD: Don McKinneyVP Associate CD(s): Justin Levine, Jon SayeghAgency Producer: Matthew FlahertyAccount: Amy Tunick, Courtney Jacobs, Greg RubensteinBusiness Manager: Beverly Beach

Prod Co: DUCK/KompostDirector: Oliver ConradEP(s): Gian Klainguti, Mark MedernachLead VFX: Kenneth PolonskiVFX Artist: Christopher SoyerAnimator(s): Boris Ignjatovi, Kenneth Polonski, Oliver ConradProduction Manager: Terry Watanabe

Music/Sound Design: Innervision DesignComposer/Sound Designer: Magnus AndersonPrincipal Talent: Tom Wopat

Sound Design: Vision PostSound Designer: Ryan Hobler

About DUCK:Los Angeles-based DUCK is a continually evolving creative studio producing commercials, music videos, short films and web content. DUCK offers a wide range of services, including live action and integration, character design, film title design, 2D and 3D animation, digital compositing, digital/traditional ink & paint. In recent years, the studio has expanded, adding an original content division that works with writers and animators on unique ideas for film and TV.

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