For the exciting debut of Sharp's new AQUOS Quattron 3D TV, the ad agency creatives at mcgarrybowen and Dentsu Kansai turned to New Media and 3D Expert, Director Chris Stocksmith at Twist.
Press Release from Twist
New York & Minneapolis - For the exciting debut of Sharp's new AQUOS Quattron 3D TV, the ad agency creatives at mcgarrybowen and Dentsu Kansai turned to New Media and 3D Expert, Director Chris Stocksmith at Twist. Well versed in emerging technologies (having been a lead developer on the ground-breaking BMW Films project), Stocksmith was the perfect talent to take on the commercial project, which features legendary actor George Takei, as well as a cast of "Minions" from Universal Pictures popular animated comedy: "Despicable Me."
To view the new spot, click here: http://twistfilm.com/quicktimes/Sharp_The_Spill.mov
Not only did Twist's Stocksmith have the talent to direct the commercial's live-action Star, Takei (best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the acclaimed television and film series "Star Trek," and who has more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television guest-starring roles to his credit), but he had to balance the live-action performance of Takei with the "imaginary" cast of Minions from "Despicable Me." Notes the Director: "The biggest challenge was making sure there was a balance with George's performance and the comedy of the Minions," explains Stocksmith. "The Minions of course weren't on-set with us. We had an idea of what they would be doing, but we had to let the Minions carry the weight of the comic relief. George was the consummate professional, and was very generous with his talent and his time."
For Stocksmith, this was the first time working with a Hollywood luminary like Takei, and also the first time shooting in the heart of Hollywood at Gower Studios, where so many classic films and television shows have been shot. The Director gives credit to his talented crew, and the international collaboration between the two ad agencies driving the project: mcgarrybowen from New York in the U.S. and Dentsu Kansai from Osaka, Japan, as well as the marketing creatives from Universal and Illumination, who handled the tie-in with feature film "Despicable Me," and the film's lead characters, the Minions.
In addition to this national commercial for Sharp and Universal, Twist Director Chris Stocksmith has just wrapped production on a commercial campaign for Emblem Health and is in development on an original 3D television series. He also recently shot a music video for Brooklyn-based band, Locksley, and their popular song "Darling, It's True" to promote their new album, "Be In Love." Shot with the RED Camera on a Steadicam rig, the video is one continuous take featuring the band walking from the subway to their studio in New York's Lower East Side. Ensuring one solid take each time challenged the Director and his crew with quintessential New York elements: traffic, disgruntled pedestrians, and even Mother Nature when rain threatened the shoot.
Twist's current directorial roster features the diverse talents of Directors Chris Stocksmith, Rich Michell, Grady Cooper, Matt Pittroff, and Marc André Debruyne. Recent Twist projects include work for McDonald's, Union Bank, Burger King, Target, 3M, Goodyear, Namco, (Wii), Toro, Miracle Ear & Colorado Lottery.
About Director Chris Stocksmith:Director Chris Stocksmith's focus is on storytelling and creating content for online and new media, with the emerging area of 3D one of his specialties. Chris joined Twist after an eight-year stint with Fallon Interactive as a Multimedia Artist, where some of his award-winning work included Lead Developer on the ground-breaking BMW Films and Creative Group Lead on the "Bahamas Island Hop Tour." His skills as a filmmaker, coupled with his background in the interactive world, bring a unique perspective to the Twist team.
About Twist:Twist, a North American production company, was founded in 1997 by President/Executive Producer Jim Geib. The company has been able to remain competitive in a global marketplace from offices in New York & Minneapolis. From its inception, Twist has been dedicated to a team model, which supports a directorial roster of diverse talents and skill levels. The team structure allows new talent to develop while experienced directors stay fresh. This provided an ideal environment for the launch of Twist's Content division, created to address project development and production for the variety of emerging needs -- from entertainment to educational. Working closely with the Commercial department and the Twist cadre of directors, this leg of the company features work for Target, General Mills and Apple. One of the notable projects developed by this division is an unprecedented HD/3D film entitled "Mars 3D," in cooperation with NASA for the worldwide museum community. Twist also supports a New York-based staff sales model. The company's team model encourages well-informed client care from project inception to completion with an integrated approach. The Twist brand is recognized the world over for its high-quality production value and client service. For more information about Twist, please go to www.twistfilm.com
Credits:
ClientSharp Electronics CorporationSenior Marketing Director: Neal LattnerAdvertising Specialist: Shintaro Mori
Universal Partnerships & LicensingDirector, Corporate Alliances: Hazel Brown
Universal Studios Home EntertainmentVP, Family Brand Marketing: Paige LewisSVP Worldwide HD Marketing: Robert Read
Illumination ("Despicable Me" Tie In)Marketing Manager: Joy PoireSVP, Production & Marketing: Patty HicksPaul Beck (New York)Kyle Balda (Paris)
Ad Agencies: mcgarrybowen/New York & Dentsu Kansai, Osaka/JapanAssociate Creative Director/Art Director: Andrew ConklinAssociate Creative Director/Copywriter: Jennifer StocksmithSenior Producer: Stacy KayBroadcast Business Manager: Barbara SilversteinChief Account Executive, Dentsu Kansai Toshikazu AdachiAccount Managing Director: Keita IshikawaAccount Director: Russ ViaultAccount Executive: AJ Boury
Production Company: Twist/New York & MinneapolisDirector: Chris StocksmithPresident/Executive Producer: Jim GeibExecutive Producer: Amyliz PeraCoordinator: Brian MorrisStaff Reps: Kathryn Lotis, Rob NeillProducer: Maureen Tunney
Editorial Company: General Editorial/Santa MonicaEditor: Noah HerzogExecutive Producer: Robert Parker
VFX & Post Company: MacGuff/Santa Monica, CAInternational Executive Producer: Arnauld BoulardVFX/Animation Supervisor: Simon Holden
Audio Post Company: Lime/Santa Monica, CAMixer: Sam Casas
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