Okay, I seriously need to get a life. The bozos leave for a long weekend and I steal into their offices and troll YouTube for interesting videos.
This 3D animation short by Nicolas Deveaux was the winner winner chicken dinner of the weekend.
Directed, designed, animated and illustrated by Deveaux, 7 Tonnes 2 is a 3D animation short film produced by Cube Creative, a production company in Paris specializing in animation, special effects, digital art and 3d animation.
It is impossible to watch this video without laughing. And admiring the talent that it took to create it. These crazies that work here at T2 + Back Alley love this animation stuff – maybe they’ll even give me an extra treat or two when I show ‘em what I found.
Target tapped Venice, California-based Motion Theory to do a spot for them integrating animation design into their marketing mix. The spot was designed to showcase the creativity, team spirit and personality of the Target brand in a manner completely different from traditional TV spots.
The “A Better Bullseye” campaign was directed by Motion Theory’s Chris Riehl. Their goal was to create a memorable cast of characters – and a spot that viewers wouldn’t tire of, even after seeing it multiple times. Today’s consumer is easily distracted – or bored – so smart brands and creative shops are using tactics like animation design and creating interactive design experiences in innovative ways.
I love the spot and think they accomplished just what they set out to do. And I also love the fact that major brands are continually looking outside the realm of the traditional and allowing motion graphics firms and 3D animators the chance to showcase their talents – and contribute to the overall brand message – albeit in a different way.
Is the 3D animation trend floundering? The stampede to make more 3D entertainment began after James Cameron’sAvatar brought in $2.7 billion. After Avatar, 3D animation was seen as a breakthrough in technology and a road to higher profits for the big screen.
Gizmodo had an interesting article recently, asking the question is 3D already dying?.
Since the high-water mark of Avatar, where 71% of the revenue came from 3D screenings, numbers for big-budget 3D movies have plummeted to less than 50%.
My take on 3D? If the technology of 3D animation adds to the story and adds to the experience of the movie, I’m all for it. But technology for the sake of technology will never work.
We are storytellers and the tools we use to spin our tales are important but never more important than the story.
Before using 3D animation, producers need to ask themselves if it adds to the movie-going experience. Otherwise, it’s a distraction.
The upcoming film TRON: Legacy will be the focus of a filmmaker panel discussion during the SIGGRAPH 2010 Computer Animation Festival in Los Angeles on Tuesday, 27 July at 3:45 p.m.
Panelists in the discussion include: TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jeffrey Silver, and visual effects supervisor Eric Barba and animation supervisor Steve Preeg from Digital Domain. The panelists will present a special reel from the movie and answer audience questions.
TRON: Legacy is the story of Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a man who is haunted by the disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). Kevin Flynn was once known as the world’s leading video game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade–a signal that could only come from his father–he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a journey across a cyber universe that was created by Kevin himself.
TRON: Legacy hits U.S. theaters on December 17, 2010.
SIGGRAPH 2010 kicks off Sunday in Los Angeles. SIGGRAPH is the annual expo dedicated to computer graphics and interactive technologies.
At this year’s event, there are an estimated 25,000 geeks and techies assembled under one roof to discover what’s next.
SIGGRAPH 2010 covers a wide spectrum of topics. From 3D animation to interactive visual effects and even experimental scientific visualization. A few highlights of SIGGRAPH 2010:
Computer Animation Festival
The Computer Animation Festival features a full spectrum of genres and styles, ranging from narrative character animation to scientific visualization, commercials for mainstream TV, and cinematic digital effects. In addition, the prestigious Electronic Theater and a series of screenings.
TRON: Legacy panel
The highly anticipated film TRON: Legacy a 3D high-tech adventure be the focus of a filmmaker panel discussion on Tuesday, 27 July 27 at 3:45 p.m. PST.
SIGGRAPH 2010 kicks off Sunday — check out the clip below for a preview.
T2 + Back Alley Films is a visual design and storytelling company. For more information, please visit our sites at t2.tv and backalleyfilms.com or call 800-471-6554.
