Motion504

Fueling Good

motion504_admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:53:29 +0000

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MOTION504 UNFOLDS THE IMPACT OF GIVING WITH ANIMATED SHORT FOR CITGO® VIA CARMICHAEL LYNCH

Minneapolis, MN • March 8, 2012

Minneapolis-based ad agency Carmichael Lynch recently tapped broadcast design and animation studio motion504 to help create an inspirational animated short for Fueling Good, a charitable giving program by CITGO®. Led by Creative Director Amy Schmitt, motion504 provided its visual storytelling talents to illustrate the impact of giving, with an empowering story about a filmmaker who makes a documentary about a homeless girl. The character-animated piece reveals the program’s core message: “How far can a gallon of gas go? A lot farther than you think.” “2012 Fueling Good Film” debuted March 8, 2012 on the Fueling Good website.

“Fueling Good is about CITGO® doing good with what they make,” remarks Darren Tibbits, associate creative director, Carmichael Lynch “Our animated film illustrates the idea that little by little, acts of kindness can amount to so much more.”

“2012 Fueling Good Film” centers on a momentous thread of events that are all dependent on one gallon of CITGO® gas donated to a documentary filmmaker. A businessman sees the film and is promptly inspired to donate coats to a shelter, one of which goes to an underprivileged father in need of a warm coat, seeking a job. He eventually finds work at a school where he meets a teacher and gets the education that enables him to teach his own child. The animated thread comes full-circle, revealing the homeless girl from the opening scene is the man’s daughter, who is now a college graduate starting her open business.

Having previously created a graphic, type-driven film for last year’s Fueling Good campaign, Tibbits explains how Carmichael Lynch aimed to evolve the narrative aesthetic for 2012: “We wanted the next iteration to be character-centric, with more depth, humanity and context. motion504’s short animations exhibited texture, depth and just the right amount of movement and emotion that we wanted for our story, so we brought them into the fold to help bring our narrative to life.”

“The idea was to let the script’s visual cues tell as much of the story as possible,” adds Schmitt, creative director, motion504. “It’s an inspirational piece, and with the circular nature of the thread we were visualizing, it was fun exploring the storytelling through design, animation and illustration. We brought in elements such as movement in space, stylized parallax and well-defined characters who interact in clean, clear ways to keep them relevant to the central character, the homeless daughter; and, overall, conceptual with the project’s message.”

Schmitt, who illustrated the entire film, began the project working closely with Carmichael Lynch to develop style frames and boards based on the provided script. She then enlisted character animator Tom Lubanovic to help develop the character depth that the script called for; and finally, for the crucial phase of animation and compositing, she collaborated with motion504 Founder Andy Reynolds. Together, the duo explored ways to captivate the audience with each scene, while making the transitions invisible, and move the story as seamless as possible.

“Andy was the real key to pulling the story together and making it flow,” remarks Schmitt. “The entire effort was all-around collaborative with a great character animator like Tom and creatives Darren and Phil at Carmichael, who both have a great sense of design and knew exactly what they’re looking for. Everyone was very open to how I envisioned the project, giving me plenty of room to explore the look, feel and color palette from the very beginning.”

Schmitt developed the desaturated color palette around CITGO’s colors, subtly tying in reds and oranges for key props and wardrobe to underscore the brand’s positive influence through their donation in the story. She brightened the palette with blues to elicit an emotional yet genuine feel-good tone and compliment the voiceover. She further developed the illustrative aesthetic with an emphasis on subtlety, choosing stylized representations of visual cues such as the heart on the woman’s shirt and the homeless girl’s pendant to connect the filmmaker’s emotional involvement making the documentary. motion504‘s toolbox included After Effects, Cinema 4D, Illustrator and Photoshop.

“It’s always great for us to do a project that’s truly in Amy’s wheelhouse,” concludes Reynolds. “She’s an exceptionally talented illustrator and fine artist, with a great design sense. Her emotive aesthetic and creative leadership really shined through to make this project a success.”

Client: CITGO
Airdate: March 8, 2012
Title: 2012 Fueling Good Film
Agency: Carmichael Lynch
Executive Creative Director: Dave Damman
Associate Creative Director: Ellie Anderson
Writer, ACD: Darren Tibbits
Art Director: Phil Jones
Director of Integrated Production: Joe Grundhoefer
Content Producer: Tara Mulholland
Director of Project Management: Ellie Lundborg

Animation/Design Studio: motion504
Creative Director: Amy Schmitt
Illustrations: Amy Schmitt
Animator: Andy Reynolds
Character Animation: Tom Lubanovic
Calligraphy: Emily J. Snyder, Queen Quills Calligraphy
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Music house: Elias Arts
Recording/Mix studio: BWN

3D University

motion504_admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:49:56 +0000

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MOTION504 MAPS HISTORY OF STEREOSCOPY WITH “3D UNIVERSITY” OPEN

Minneapolis, MN • February 29, 2012

AICP Minnesota recently called on broadcast design & animation studio motion504 to create the show open for 3D UNIVERSITY, a day-long seminar gathering world-class 3D professionals under one roof. Presented by AICP MN, Minnesota Film and TV, Minnesota Women in Film & TV, and the International 3D Society, the event featured keynote speakers Buzz Hays of the Sony 3D Technology Center and 3ality Digital Systems Founder/CEO Steve Schklair, among many others.

Conceived by motion504 Creative Director Scott Wenner, the show open aptly introduces the seminar speakers and sponsors, each visually presented through the evolution of 3D gadgetry spanning the early 20th century to present day. The photo-real animated show open screened in full stereoscopic 3D at Showplace Icon Theater to kick off the event.

The captivating sequence begins in the mid-century era of 3D imaging, observing a metal photo-viewer once used for military ground surveillance. Going further into the depths of bygone dimensions, the nostalgic journey reveals generations of 3D devices and techniques: an ornate leather-bound cartoscope; an iconic turn-of-the-century wood-crafted stereoscope; whimsical ancient peep show boxes; classic view-masters and, finally, a brilliant display of red-blue anaglyph glasses familiar to the modern era’s burgeoning 3D movie industry.

“I wanted the show open to express the idea that stereoscopy has been around for a long time and has evolved through various gadgets, rather than make a definitive history of 3D,” explains Wenner. “The animations explore the experience of 3D-viewing through classic 3D devices. The end-result is a visual experience that’s fitting for the 3D University audience.”

Wenner researched and referenced real cartoscopes, stereoscopes, view-masters and peepshow boxes, utilizing Cinema 4D for rendering and Photoshop for textures and painting. The photography, stereo-cards and other related imagery were pulled from actual stereoscopes and view-masters found through Wenner’s research. For the peep box scene, which theater audiences experience in 3D as if looking at the glass slides through the device’s viewing hole, Wenner made illustrations inspired by an old-time book of circus clip art. He then sampled, re-drew and cut up the images and incorporated them into the scene.

“I took some liberties here and there to make each piece work, but for the most part, all of the objects you see are actual incarnations of 3D viewing gadgets,” explains Wenner. For the design and illustration elements, I drew inspiration from each device’s era, as well as classic 3D terminology for the fictional branding of the devices.”

The concept for the show open was heavily inspired by Wenner’s personal passion for steam-punk, as well as building and collecting old gadgets.

“Given that the brief offered complete creative liberty, it was exciting for me to combine my fascination with antiques and hand-made technology with my craft as a 3D animator who specializes in making photo-real objects,” concludes Wenner.

Design & Animation Company: motion504
Creative Director: Scott Wenner
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Music & Sound Design: Uproar Music and Sound
Composer: Kent Militzer

Surround Mix and DCP Delivery: Splice
Surround Mixer: Kelly Pieklo
DCP Delivery: Mark Abney
Executive Producer: Steve Fait

Client: AICP Minnesota, on behalf of 3D University
Producer: Mike Tabor

Poems Come to Life

motion504_admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:04:38 +0000

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POEMS COME TO LIFE IN ARTFUL INTERPRETATIONS FROM MOTION504

Minneapolis, MN • January 20, 2012

Following its successful participation in Motionpoems last year, broadcast design and animation studio motion504 was, once again, invited to create original animated pieces for the 3rd annual event, which showcases visual explorations of previously published poetry. motion504 Creative Directors Scott Wenner and Amy Schmitt, as well as 3D Artist Adam Tow all contributed their creative storytelling interpretations to this year’s selection of poems. The films recently premiered at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and will also be released on the Motionpoems website throughout 2012.

Scott Wenner chose a black-and-white look for his interpretation of “French Movie” by David Lehman. First came extensive research on the type of camera used in the French New Wave era of the 1950s and ‘60s, which was created in 3D. Wenner then found interesting elements to highlight from the poem, deconstructing scenes into the smallest single element in a way that was still relevant and somewhat abstract. The result is a piece that uses a combination of 3D scene work and photographs.

“This poem was difficult to work with because it’s very descriptive and specific, and references the French way of doing movies,” remarks Wenner. “I wanted to do something more unexpected in terms of visuals and sounds to go along with the words. Using the more suspenseful elements from the scenes, such as a glass dropping, actually assisted the words rather than compete with them. We also pulled back on the voiceover and sound design so that it came across as more conversational, and not overdramatized. It was important that everything felt realistic and cohesive especially when moving from photos to 3D.”

Amy Schmitt’s film, based on the poem “When at a Certain Party in NYC” by Erin Belieu, utilizes a flat illustrated style with plenty of movement to add life to a 2D world. Transitioning through different scenes of New York, the piece follows the journey of the female protagonist through colorful illustrations, punctuated by the dry sarcastic tone of the male voiceover, provided by motion504 Founder Andy Reynolds.

“I’ve always had my eye on this poem and was drawn to the idea of a beat poet,” explains Schmitt. “I wanted the pace to be fast and to flow into a stream of consciousness. Andy’s read really lends some hardness to this film, contrasting the female character with the cynical undertone of the poem itself.”

After selecting “Thoreau and the Lightning” by David Wagoner, Adam Tow spent time doing research, sketches, storyboards and 3D previsualization for the concept. His challenge was finding a balance between a literal translation of the poem and maintaining a sense of mystery.

“Given the environmental nature of the poem, a lot of thought was given to how much vegetation and plants to incorporate, and how they should look,” says Tow. “I wanted to show a desolate place juxtaposed with the liveliness and memories of the farmer, combining past and present into one flowing story.”

Motionpoems.com is the brainchild of designer/animator Angella Kassube of HDMG and Minnesota poet Todd Boss. The project is designed to make poetry accessible to a media-savvy generation by bringing the magic of animation to poems by some of the best living poets in the world. More information is available at motionpoems.com.

French Movie
Poem: David Lehman
Animation: Scott Wenner
Voiceover: Bill Slichter
Sound Design: Kelly Pieklo
Tools: Photoshop, After Effects & Cinema 4D

When at a Certain Party in NYC
Poem: Erin Belieu
Animation, Design and Illustration: Amy Schmitt
Voiceover: Andrew Reynolds
Sound Design: Kelly Pieklo
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects & Cinema 4D

Thoreau and the Lightning
Poem: David Wagoner
Animation: Adam Tow
Music and Voiceover: Scott Yoshimura
Audio Engineer: Logan Christian
Tools: After Effects & Cinema 4D

Chiller – Remains

motion504_admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:52:38 +0000

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ZOMBIES GET THE MOTION504 TREATMENT IN NEW CHILLER PROMO FOR “REMAINS” THRILLER

Minneapolis, MN • December 7, 2011

Broadcast design & animation studio motion504 recently teamed with NBC-owned network, Chiller, to create a comic-book-influenced promo for the upcoming movie, “Remains,” based on the graphic novel of the same name by Steven Niles. The movie premieres on Chiller on December 16th.

Niles’ “Remains,” Chiller’s first original film, journeys to Reno, Nevada where a horrific blast has turned the locals into the ravenous undead. A group of remaining humans takes refuge in a vacant casino and fights a losing battle against the undead, who grow steadily stronger, smarter and more aggressive by the minute.

“We came to motion504 with a very rough edit and asked them to design a visual treatment for the trailer,” says Brian Everett, Chiller Design Director. “The goal was to connect to the story’s (graphic novel) origins, while at the same time capturing all the visceral action the film has to offer. On a rather tight timeline, they created an animation toolkit that’s slick, textural, and really helps elevate the footage. Being that ‘Remains’ is Chiller’s first original movie, it’s been great to collaborate with the team at motion504 and develop a piece of communication that’s both scary and stunning.”

To stay true to the movie interpretation, motion504 Creative Directors Scott Wenner and Amy Schmitt hand-sketched detailed frames from the film itself. As they were illustrating, motion504 President / Creative Director Andrew Reynolds began creating animatics and tests, building the sequence simultaneously to accommodate the short timeline. After refining the edit, the three then animated the scenes, giving life to the piece by adding movement and distortions to the environments and zombie characters.

“The client gave us a lot of flexibility and trust visually and animation-wise,” says Reynolds. “They knew that we understood what to do and how to establish the right tone for the narrative. Twelve seconds of animation is not a lot of time, especially with comic book cutouts, so it was important that we kept the feeling cinematic and dramatic, not frenetic.”

With a short turn-around time, motion504’s hands-on approach worked well, with Reynolds posing as a zombie for a number of the shots, and Schmitt and Wenner using their own hands for reference to create elements.

Dozens of pencil sketches were scanned and colored in Photoshop. Animation was executed in After Effects, using a wide variety of techniques to give life to each scene.

CREDITS
Client: Chiller
VP Creative Director, Chiller/Syfy – James Spence
Creative Director, Chiller/Syfy – Shea Pepper
Design Director, Chiller/Syfy – Brian Everett
Writer/Producer/Editor, Chiller/Syfy – Dan Frome
Project Manager, Chiller/Syfy – Bill Ikin

Broadcast Design & Animation Company: motion504/Minneapolis, MN
Creative Directors: Andrew Reynolds & Scott Wenner
Illustrator: Scott Wenner
Animators: Andrew Reynolds, Amy Schmitt & Scott Wenner
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Tools: Photoshop (initial coloring), After Effects (animation)

Deloitte

motion504_admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:47:19 +0000

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MOTION504 GIVES A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF DELOITTE IN STYLIZED BRAND VIDEO

Minneapolis, MN • October 27, 2011

Deloitte recently commissioned broadcast design & animation studio motion504 to create a primary branding video that serves as the main communications piece for the world’s largest professional services company. The piece, “Questions? Deloitte” will next be seen on YouTube as part of Deloitte’s upcoming ad campaign.

Collaborating on a script and initial frames provided by The Partners, motion504 created a high-end and polished animated piece that was reflective of the century-old company’s commitment to providing responsible, sustainable, and forward-thinking solutions for its clients.

“We were tasked with giving life to the transitions between the visual ideas and finding a way to tie all of the concepts together in a cohesive way,” explains Andy Reynolds, motion504 President. “Previously, the graphics for their internal videos had more of a corporate feel. We created completely new visual and animation styles, and developed brand guidelines for Deloitte to use in future promotional content.”

The challenge for motion504 was to take the white, flat and clean-looking Deloitte brand and create a high-end dimensional translation of their branding without making the piece feel like a moving version of their print work. Using V-Ray, a third-party renderer for Cinema 4D, allowed motion504 to achieve a look that was more reminiscent of a shot piece than one that was synthetic motion design.

“We were able to create this look using nice lighting and shadows,” concludes Reynolds. “We had to find that balance of giving Deloitte, a well-known and trusted company, more personality and emotion, but not making it too playful or cute. This piece was an introduction to the world of Deloitte.”

Client: Deloitte
Project Title: “Questions? Deloitte”
Creative Directors: Brian Resnick & Carlos Martinez Onaindia

VFX & Animation Company: motion504
Creative Director: Andy Reynolds
Animators: Amy Schmitt & Scott Wenner
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Toolset: Cinema 4D, After Effects

Audio Post Company: BWN Music
Composer: Jack Ventmiglia
Sound Design & Mix: Dan Kramer and Carl White
Executive Producer: Annie Sparrows

Travelers

ericmueller — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:38:20 +0000

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TRAVELERS INSURANCE DOG FINDS PEACE OF MIND WITH CG HELP FROM MOTION504

Minneapolis, MN • August 31, 2011

Chopper, the lovable-but-anxious dog who goes to great lengths to protect his prized bone, makes a comeback in a new campaign for Travelers Insurance with CG help from broadcast design & animation company motion504.

Created by ad agency Fallon, the four spots, “Cat Burglar,” “Puppy Love,” “Stolen Bone,” and “Soapbox Car,” follow a similar theme as Chopper frets about guarding his bone until peace-of-mind comes in the form of the Travelers red umbrella.

“After shooting four commercials for Travelers, and with little time to finish, I looked to motion504 to help with graphic solutions to my endframes; they were both creative and fast, which is what I needed,” says Myles Allpress, Fallon Art Director. “With very little briefing, the motion504 guys 3D modeled umbrellas from real-world pictures to create a natural, and very real, picture to graphic transition. It emulated a breeze, and it looked perfect every time, of which I am very grateful. It’s also great to have a shop that good in our own backyard.”

motion504 was responsible for creating the seamless transition from the live-action umbrella to the 3D umbrella, which segues into the end tag. This involved transforming from the 3D umbrella to a model that matched the stylized, graphic Travelers logo, achieved with subtle geometry morphing. The difference between detailed model and graphic logo was a subtle item, but important to the client to keep the imagery on point with their branding.

“The client was open to letting us determine what the transition would look like,” explains Amy Schmitt, motion504 Creative Director. “The biggest challenge was trying to match the realism of the live-action umbrella with our CG umbrella. There was extensive paintwork behind the umbrella, so we needed to coordinate closely with Mass Market, who handled the finishing work on the spots. They provided us with the background plates, and were such a pleasure to work with.”

“Once the umbrella was made, we positioned it and the camera to match the footage,” concludes Adam Tow, motion504 3D Artist. “After final tweaks to make the viewing angle work, the original shoot footage was projected into the model so that materials and colors matched between the two sources. There was additional rotoscoping and matte painting to smooth the handoff from real to 3D. The motion and sway of the umbrella came out feeling very natural. Everyone loves this campaign, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Client: Travelers Insurance

Spot Titles: Cat Burglar, Puppy Love, Stolen Bone, Soapbox Car
Airdates: July 2011 (Cat Burglar), August 2011 (Stolen Bone) & September 2011 (Puppy Love, Soapbox Car)

Ad Agency: Fallon/Minneapolis
Chief Creative Officer: Darren Spiller
Art Director: Myles Allpress
Copywriter: Simon Roseblade
Producer: Kate Talbott

Production Company: Rattling Stick/London & Epoch Films/LA
Director: Daniel Kleinman
Executive Producers: Johnnie Frankel & John Duffin

Editorial Company: Cut + Run/London
Editor: Eve Ashwell
Assistant Editor: Sean Stender
Senior Producer: Christie Price
Managing Director: Michelle Burke

VFX Company: Mass Market/LA
Senior Flame Artist: Miles Essmiller
VFX shoot supervisor Adrian Hurley
Senior VFX Producer: Jenn Dewey
Associate VFX Producer: Minh Ly

Design Company: motion504/Minneapolis
Creative Director: Amy Schmitt
3D Artist: Adam Tow
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Toolset: Cinema 4D (3D umbrella), and After Effects (compositing and graphics)

Postproduction Company: The Moving Picture Company/London
Colorist: Mark Gethin

Music: “Be OK” by Ingrid Michaelson (Cat Burglar), “Trouble” by Ray LaMontagne (Prized Possession) and “Gone” by John Hiatt (Stolen Bone)

Audio Post Company: Lime Studios
Mixer: Rohan Young

Powerful Mondays

motion504_admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:32:25 +0000

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MOTION504 TEAMS WITH SYFY ON EXPLOSIVE “POWERFUL MONDAYS” CAMPAIGN

Minneapolis, MN • July 19, 2011

Broadcast design & animation studio motion504 recently completed a comprehensive, on-air branding campaign for Syfy to promote its slate of Monday night programming, called “Powerful Mondays.”

“Powerful Mondays” marks the return of “Eureka” and “Warehouse 13,” plus the premiere of Syfy’s new original series, “Alphas.” It is the network’s biggest night of scripted original programming, and Syfy wanted to create a custom version of the Syfy brand to fit each of the shows and to do something fun for summer.

When looking at the attributes for each show, the team identified “Power” as a constant theme. In “Eureka,” it’s the Power of Innovation & Big Ideas. With “Warehouse 13,” it’s the Power of Mystery and a world of supernatural objects, and in “Alphas,” everyday individuals possess Powers that allow them to fight crime.

“Once we identified the positioning and theme of the night, we worked with motion504 to develop a visual system,” explains Brian Everett, Syfy Design Director. “They came up with a look that felt powerful, epic, and fun. It’s set in the Syfy white space, but through a series of animations, cast interactions, and custom elements, they’ve created a unique aesthetic for the night that feels fresh — quite literally like the Syfy brand is about to explode. motion504 came up with a look that was simple enough in its concept to be expanded across a range of on-air elements, but complex and stylish enough to push the Syfy brand look. I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

The comprehensive on-air package and toolkit includes an umbrella spot for “Powerful Mondays,” 14 :05 cast ID bumpers, lower-third cast banners, logo animations, cast interactions and custom elements (particles, lightings, etc.) that will permeate throughout the network’s branding.

motion504′s Scott Wenner, who served as director and creative director on the project, adds: “The Syfy brand environment is open white space, so we needed to somehow illustrate the idea of power without being too over-the-top or clichéd. For our concept of the exploding logos and text objects, we did extensive modeling and texturing, and used a lot of physics simulations, such as explosions and dynamics, courtesy of our Designer/Animator Adam Tow. The design challenge was putting the cast into the Syfy brand environment and compositing the live-action elements in a natural way.”

For the live-action shoot with the cast members of each show, Wenner and his team traveled to Vancouver to film the “Eureka” actors on-set and to Toronto for “Warehouse 13″ and “Alphas.” Working with the 2nd unit crews from each show, the actors were shot against greenscreen — each interacting with and doing a specific action that would trigger the explosion of the logo. The cast IDs each concluded with a beauty shot of the actor.

“One of the biggest challenges was working with different crews in different cities,” concludes Wenner. “The styles of shooting varied with each crew, but everyone stepped up to the challenge. It’s always a pleasure working with Brian [Everett]. He’s very knowledgeable about the animation and postproduction process, and knows how much work is involved. These large jobs have gone so smoothly because we have great communication and understanding.”

Project: Syfy “Powerful Mondays” Branding Campaign
Airdate: July 2011

Client: Syfy
Brian Everett, Design Director
Richard Rosairo, Project Manager
Liz Gaffney, Producer

Where shot: Vancouver, BC (Eureka) & Toronto, ON (Warehouse 13 & Alphas)

VFX Company: motion504
Scott Wenner, Director and Creative Director
Adam Tow, 3D Design & Animation
Andy Reynolds, Compositing
Amy Schmitt, Compositing
Eric Mueller, Executive Producer

Toolset: Sony F23 & RED Cameras, Cinema 4D, After Effects

Unfriend Coal

ericmueller — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:13:30 +0000

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MOTION504 TEAMS WITH SAVAGE ON NEW GREENPEACE CAMPAIGN, ASKING FACEBOOK TO “UNFRIEND COAL”

Minneapolis, MN • April 12, 2011

With the growing popularity of Facebook comes an ever-expanding need for energy. Greenpeace recently called on the talents of Director Daniel Bird and his international production company, Savage, to create a new 30-second spot asking Facebook to “Unfriend Coal.” An integral part of the creative team on this new campaign was motion504, who completed all of the visual effects and 3D/2D animation. The new spot is currently posted on Facebook and is airing nationwide this month in anticipation of Earth Day on April 22nd.

With only 30 seconds of screen time and two weeks before deadline, motion504 came to the rescue to clearly and effectively communicate the Greenpeace message to Facebook. Led by motion504 Creative Director Scott Wenner, the motion504 team collaborated closely on the international project, with Director Daniel Bird and Savage. Utilizing Skype and iChat, the creative team stayed in constant communication with Bird spearheading a shoot in Prague capturing the protest footage, while motion504 completed a visual effects shoot in the Twin Cities.

Says CD Scott Wenner of motion504: “Daniel was very open to hearing our ideas, after we received some initial storyboards from him. We were able to stay in touch with conference calls and iChat. The real challenge was the timeline, being able to execute our ideas within just a couple of short weeks. But working together, we were able to accomplish our goals. For me, this meant a lot personally: to make a contribution to a project for Greenpeace, which does such great work around the world.”

“We were looking for a creative design studio that would help us find the right look and deliver the message as well as possible,” notes Pavla Burgetova, Managing Director of Savage. “motion504 were just great to work with and went beyond our expectations.”

Adds Director Daniel Bird: “Greenpeace’s latest commercial was short on time and budget, so it was a huge commitment for Motion504 to step in and take on the project. Not only did they take it on, but they added tremendous value to the project. I wanted this to be a matter of collaboration rather than dictation, so the visuals were agreed upon between us rather than imposed. I’m delighted with the results, and the friendliness of the motion504 team, as well as its openness to ideas and generating fresh ones in a stressful timeline.”

Bird was particularly pleased by the sequence that leads from the Facebook web page, “crushing” it back through the infrastructure to a lump of coal, and the final animation, where a hand pats the Earth, producing friendly little wind turbines whilst the sun glows over the scene. The first example uses short, powerful strokes to tell a long, complicated story, and the second a literal “light touch” to give a big idea a human, achievable feel.

Credits:
Client: Greenpeace

Production Company: Savage
Managing Director: Pavla Burgetova
Director: Daniel Bird
Producer: Michaela Berková

Visual Effects/Animation Company: motion504
Creative Director: Scott Wenner
Animators: Amy Schmitt & Adam Tow
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Poems Inspire

motion504_admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 21:35:09 +0000

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POEMS INSPIRE MOTION504 TO SHINE

Minneapolis, MN • October 8, 2010

Minneapolis broadcast design and animation studio motion504 recently completed two animated pieces for the 2010 Motionpoems premiere, which takes place tonight at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. This is the second year that Motionpoems has invited filmmakers and animators to create visual explorations of previously published poetry.

The Motionpoems were helmed by motion504 Creative Directors Amy Schmitt and Scott Wenner. Both designers selected poems that inspired them to try some new techniques in storytelling.

Schmitt’s film, based on the poem “Sea Salt” by David Mason, uses stylized illustrations and overlapping paper textures to create a dream-like world. “I was inspired by print design and other traditional media, and I wanted to create a moving illustration of the poem that was not done in a literal way,” said Schmitt.

“Karl” by Dag Straumsvåg inspired Wenner to create a realistic 3D world that explores the themes of predator and prey of the poem. “I was drawn to the idea of a moth trying to escape from a spider as a metaphor for Karl. The poem has a dark undertone to it, and I tried to figure out how to show that feeling in the animation.”

“Motionpoems gives us a chance to try out some new techniques and experiment, which we don’t always get to do,” continued Wenner. They received encouragement from motion504 Founder and Creative Director, Andy Reynolds. “Any time that we can stretch ourselves and try new things it benefits all of us, and our clients, because we learn a little bit more every time we try something new” said Reynolds.

Schmitt used a combination of watercolors, paper textures, 3D modeling and calligraphy to create her animation. Wenner modeled his characters in Cinema 4D and used some photographic textures to get the feeling he wanted. Both artists composited everything using After Effects.

In addition to collaborating with Queen Quills calligrapher, Emily Snyder, Schmitt also relied upon Kelly Pieklo, from Splice, for Sound Design. “The texture of Emily’s work was just the element I was looking for to round out the complete look,” said Schmitt. “Kelly’s an old friend, and he instantly grasped the cyclical themes of the poem, and figured out how to translate that into a meaningful soundscape.”

“Sea Salt”

Design and animation by Amy Schmitt
Sound Design by Kelly Pieklo
Calligraphy by Emily Snyder
Reading by Vera Mariner

“Karl”

Design and Animation by Scott Wenner
Reading by Andy Reynolds

AICP – Sponsor Reel

motion504_admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:33:34 +0000

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AICP Sponsor Reel

Minneapolis, MN • October 1, 2009

Minneapolis broadcast design & animation studio motion504 recently completed the reception sponsor reel for the Minneapolis screening of the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Commercial, which takes place tonight at the Guthrie Theater. The inventive title sequence created by motion504 introduces each reception sponsor through a cinematic narrative that imagines the craft of “moving type” via mechanical gadgets that look as if they were built a century ago. Led by Creative Directors Scott Wenner and Amy Schmitt, motion504 helmed the entire project, start to finish: concepting and storyboarding; direction of the live-action shoot; 2D & 3D animation; lighting and compositing.

Set in a world with a turn-of-the-last-century aesthetic, the visually striking sequence opens at the storefront of the fictional Verne Bros. Kinetic Type Company. Inside, the elderly protagonist earnestly works away during the wee small hours at his closed shop. His undertakings are a mystery until, suddenly, peculiar kinetic gadgets appear and unexplainably come to life. His compelling conjurations abound in the dusty workshop, as each unique gadget unravels with science-defying wonder, creatively introducing the AICP reception sponsors, one by one.

Kirk Hokanson, President of the Minnesota Chapter of AICP & EP of Voodoo Films says: “motion504 has made a name for itself as one of the most unique motion graphics companies in the country. In seeking a company to do the AICP Show reception sponsor reel, I approached motion504 and they were very willing. I was thrilled to have them because of their expertise and artistry. We [AICP] allow 100% creativity for companies to showcase work, as they contribute a huge amount of work within a short time period.”

“The AICP Show brings together the best work in the industry and it is an honor to have our reel introduce the sponsors that help make the Minnesota screening happen,” says motion504 founder Andy Reynolds. “The project was an excellent opportunity to flex our capabilities and do something extra-special, start to finish, with limited creative restraints.”

According to motion504, the concept behind the sequence was thematic. After brainstorming numerous ideas, motion504 eventually arrived at one that would speak to its intended audience and showcase what motion504 actually offers to the industry as company: motion design, animation and visual effects. The end product strikes at the core of motion504’s creative forte, while illustrating how design and animation can communicate in the realm of broadcast and commercial advertising — through image-driven narrative.

Rather than building 3D models that transformed and unfolded, motion504 instead opted to create simple machines that look hand-made, yet function just beyond the realm of possibility, while retaining their outward purpose as kinetic type. The gadgets, along with production set and props, were designed with Victorian influences to evoke the work of an artisan.

“As a huge fan of films like Delicatessen and City of Lost Children, I love the aesthetic of combining elements from different time periods, mixing the old and the new,” says Wenner. “While the period is purposely unknown, this is how we envision the earliest motion graphic designer. The gadgets he creates are curiously self-powered, each with a distinguished look and kinetic function. We specifically designed them to engage and encourage the audience to use their own imagination to explain how the gadgets work.”

The studio arranged for a one-day live action shoot using the RED Camera. “Having a snorkel lens was crucial to get the close-ups that we needed to create the right feeling,” said motion504 Executive Producer Eric Mueller. “Our studio worked closely with the production team to ensure the gadgets would look like they belonged in the space. The end result is a visual tour-de-force. ”

BWN principal Carl White, who had the unique challenge of making the devices feel real, but still evoking a feeling of magic, handled sound design. “BWN did a fantastic job of figuring out how these gadgets would really sound if they existed,” said Mueller. “They are true sound artists.”

Wenner modeled the 16 3D gadgets in Cinema 4D, motion504’s primary 3D package for graphics. Each unique gadget features Victorian-influenced detail, flourishes and decoration, which Wenner hand-painted in ZBrush. Amy Schmitt, who worked closely alongside Scott from the project’s outset, including the live action shoot, handled a majority of the intensive tracking lighting and rendering required by the project.

According to Wenner, the biggest challenge motion504 faced had to do with the AICP’s only caveat: sponsor names may change at any time during production. This meant the 3D models must be built flexible, interchangeable or even newly created at moment’s notice, with a fast turnaround.

“The project certainly required us to be nimble, but the creative liberties we were given far outweigh the technical parameters,” concludes Wenner. “Creating the AICP Show reception sponsor reel is something we were very excited to do. With everyone involved we answered the call and created a piece of which we are incredibly proud.”

Client: AICP Minnesota, Kirk Hokanson, Executive Director
Product: AICP Show 2009 reception sponsor reel

Concept, Design & VFX: motion504
Creative Director/3D/Compositor: Scott Wenner
3D/Compositor: Amy Schmitt
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller

Director: Scott Wenner
DP: Bo Hakala
Art Director: Sarah Jean Kruchowski
Producer: Todd Cobery

Editor: Joe Martin, Splice Here

Sound Design: BWN
Sound Designer: Carl White