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Trollbäck Creates Show Open for AICP Next Awards

Trollbäck + Company creates a multimedia show open for 7th annual AICP Next Awards, which will air throughout the U.S. during the 2013 AICP Awards Tour.

New York, NY -- Strategic design agency Trollbäck + Company (T+Co) recently debuted a live multimedia show open for the 7th annual AICP Next Awards in New York City in June. T+Co conceived the film and visual assets to set the stage for the inaugural AICP Week and the AICP's bold new direction with the Next Awards growing from an afternoon session to its own night and a new venue: NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. The show open will screen in major cities throughout the U.S. during the 2013 AICP Awards Tour.

“Jakob Trollbäck and his team have always delivered interesting and fresh concepts and executions in the past for the AICP Show and the AICP Conference,” says Matt Miller, President and CEO of AICP. “For the AICP Next Awards, Trollbäck created an innovative, multi-screen platform in partnership with McCann Systems. The motion graphics and design work was wonderfully appropriate for navigating the audience through our forward-looking industry showcase. Everyone was blown away from the opening titles - which is what we asked for, and what Trollbäck delivered.” 

Led by Executive Creative Director Jakob Trollbäck and Creative Director Brian Bowman, T+Co worked closely with the AICP to develop a live-integrated show open that conceptually captured the spirit of AICP Next and the caliber of work it represents across all media-making disciplines. 

The show open uses five 40 x 40-inch LED cubes and a 25-foot screen to create an immersive experience and a dynamic stage for graphic treatments throughout the evening. The AICP Next logo was configured in the five LED cubes in a row. For the opening, quick-cutting shapes and words draw the viewer in with vortex-like motions in a black and white palette. For navigation, each cube activates digitally styled graphics on the big screen, including nametags, titles and award categories. 

Jakob Trollbäck, who initiated the cube concept says, "We wanted the show open to drive up the tempo and excite people. Conceptually, it propels the idea that new media is everywhere and as with this open, you’re almost assaulted by it. We wanted people to question what they just witnessed and experienced.”

Aesthetically, T+Co chose a black and white palette to complement the red AICP logo. Bold and graphic visuals, such as the digitized versions of the LED cubes, also visually supported both the brand identity and the overall concept. 

Trollbäck worked closely with Bowman, who created and animated the visuals, so that they would be reacting to sound. The duo tapped Sacred Noise for the sound design with composer/sound designer Michael Montes scoring the original track based on an early cut of the film, which was animated to a temp track. 

"We wanted to keep the graphics minimal and have the sound design lead," says Bowman. "Michael loved the idea that audio structured the entire experience and he was crucial to tying the whole concept together. The background loops we created had a musicality, too, while also creating the effect of cubes projecting on the screen." 

"The Next Awards celebrates non-traditional interactive work," concludes Bowman. "It’s progressive and forward-thinking. We felt an off-kilter design would be most appropriate. The AICP was open to our design interpretation and from day one they loved what we presented. It was an honor to work with them because they represent everything that's important to our industry, especially the bold ideas, creative and storytelling that is forging new media frontiers." 

Source: Trollbäck + Company

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.

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