Motionographer | Motion graphics, design, animation, filmmaking and visual effects

Previsualization Society Launches

Bran Dougherty-Johnson — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:19:16 +0000

The Previsualization Society is a new organization, formed in September 2009 that is “dedicated to advancing previsualization (“previs”) in feature film, games, commercials and architecture.” They’ve just announced a new website and a Call For Membership as part of their initiatives to expand their membership. Over 300 charter members include members in the fields of film, television, commercials, games, visualization and architecture. Colin Green, President; Brian J. Pohl, Secretary and Daniel Gregoire, Treasurer, have been named as 2010 Previsualization Society officers.

About the Previsualization Society
Formed in 2009, the Previsualization Society is a permanent non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and development of previsualization, or “previs,” for all who participate in or benefit from the previs process. Members of the Previsualization Society are engaged with the production or use of previs around the world within such fields as feature film, television, commercials, games, visualization and architecture. Through a community that is as collaborative and interdisciplinary as previs itself, the Previsualization Society promotes effective applications, standards and practices, education and practical knowledge exchange and takes a leadership role in developing and articulating the capabilities of an evolving medium that is playing an integral role in how content is made. For additional information, please visit www.previssociety.com.

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Blur Takes Us Back To Hell

Jon Saunders — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:54:31 +0000

This past Sunday, the standard superbowl advertisements focused on beer, babes and general safe tomfoolery, were briefly interrupted with a stirring glimpse of Hell. Videogame monarch EA tapped Wieden+Kennedy back last spring to create a massive ad campaign dubbed “Nine Months of Hell” in anticipation of the Dante’s Inferno’s launch, which was capped with Sunday’s superbowl ad. Blur was in charge of the production, proving that they are still one of the best when it comes to videogame cinematics. The choice to use the moody classic song “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers as a contrast to the violent imagery was very similar to Joseph Kosinski’s Gears of War trailer, but still effective.

To go along with the massive ad campaign will be a series of nine animated shorts ala Animatrix. Nine different directors will create shorts about each circle of hell that Dante descends through on his journey to save Beatrice (which I’m sure will be very close to Dante Alighieri original text).

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Bats by Mighty Nice and We Buy Your Kids

Bran Dougherty-Johnson — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:16:48 +0000

Nexus directors Mighty Nice recently collaborated with illustration duo We Buy Your Kids and animated a trippy music video for Paul Dempsey. The enigmatic tale of parallel universes is mysterious but seems familiar, like a dream remembered in pieces. We Buy Your Kids had previously worked on spots for SBS and ABC under the direction of Mighty Nice. When they were commissioned for the video, they turned around and returned the favor, stating:

“We started storyboarding it out as a journey through all of the art made for the releases – through our existing art and into more elaborate pieces made especially for the clip. That was the brief and we wanted to keep it to this simple idea so we avoided being too literal or establishing a strict storyline. Mighty Nice brought so much to the table and their ideas and expertise really make the clip what it is. Especially with the slow dreamy pace of it all – all those effects and additions are pivotal. We’re also crazy particular about our images being changed or edited – but we were particularly thrilled with what they did with the texture animations in the figures, adding lighting etc and of course the character animation.”

Credits
Director: We Buy Your Kids
Production Company: Mighty Nice
Label: EMI
Artist: Paul Dempsey
3D: Stefan Wernik, Alison Bond, Alex McLeod
Compositors: Pete Nizic, Toby Pedersen and Olivia Watson
Producer: Clare Downie

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