We are a small, creatively led animation studio based in Auckland, New Zealand. We specialise in designing and crafting unique, high quality motion graphics and animation solutions for our clients in advertising, broadcasting and film.
Posted: May 11th, 2010 |
Not the strangest request we’ve ever had, but close. “Hey, we need to shoot an ad with three hundred clockwork monkeys in downtown Auckland…” said producer Johnny Blick. “Clockwork monkeys, are you winding us up?” we said.
As it turned out, he wasn’t – and the monkeys ($11.95 from Amazon) were battery operated not clockwork. “Sure, no problem. How many of said monkeys have you got?’ we asked. “Umm, nine” says Johnny, with a straight face “that’s all they had in stock…”
We toyed with the idea of making 3D monkeys (toyed – get it?), but finally settled on shooting our small cast on location, filming multiple takes of each shot, and moving the monkeys around between takes. We also shot groups of toys on sheets of plywood covered in digital blue-screen cloth. For each shot, the various takes were combined into a single frame, then the blue-screen “extras” were keyed, and used to fill in the gaps.
The spot was directed by Automatic Films’s Mike Olershaw, and shot on Red. “Actually, they were very easy to work with” said Mike, “although I thought some of the performances were a little mechanical. On the plus side, they all did their own hair and wardrobe, and were happy to work for peanuts like everyone else.”
Watch the movie
Posted: October 7th, 2009 |
If you are one of the countless millions who lie awake at night all over the world, wondering just what Linds, Dan and Kiri are up to now, you can now follow the adventures of New Zealands hardest working little animation studio on Twitter.
Posted: April 14th, 2009 |
Vanitas – Unfinished Short Film
OK. Quick art history lesson. Vanitas paintings became popular in 14th and 15th century Europe as artistic expressions of the (Catholic) churches growing unease with the spread of trade and capitalism. The church took the position that the accumulation of wealth by profit was totally meaningless – mere vanity – sub specie acternitatus (in the face of death).
Claes Vanitas c.1630
Vanitas paintings, usually still life depicted the luxury goods which reflected the new consumer standards, and items illustrating the idle pastimes of the new merchant class. Exotic foods and luxury silverware, games and musical instruments. Mans (vain) attempts to understand and tame his dominion are represented by books of learning and scientific instruments. The beauty and sophistication of the paintings was always marred by the ominous presence of a skull to remind the viewer of the transience of all things, and the inevitability of well… the inevitable.
The iconography of these paintings was widely adopted, and understood by the viewer. The skull was obvious, but what of the burned book, or the broken string of beads? The carelessly overturned wine goblet, an hourglass or the lute with a broken string? Even a rotten apple on a fruit platter became a powerful warning of the dire consequences of straying from a life of pious obedience. The big guy will always get you in the end.
I’m not even a remotely religious person, but as a designer and graphic artist, I am keenly aware if the power of icons and there usefulness in communicating complex information. Vanitas, having started as a simple still-life modeling and lighting exercise grew into an exploration of the iconography and symbolism of these paintings. Some kind of elaborate mid life crisis? Perhaps. Or maybe I’m just worried about what might happen If I ever finish it…
View more production stills from Vanitas
Watch an exerpt from Vanitas
NOTE:The music for Vanitas is all taken from Mozart’s beautiful and terifying Reqiem Mass KV626. The piece in the exerpt is the Lacrimosa. Performed by the London Classical Players and the Shutz Choir of London and conducted by Roger Norrington. EMI: 7-54525-2
Posted: April 14th, 2009 |
A couple of years ago, we started to do some development work on an animated series featuring a character called Bastard Guide Dog. B.G.D. is a particularly evil little creation from the twisted mind our good friend, writer Sion Scott-Wilson.
He’s a psychotic, homicidal guide dog, who keeps trying to dispatch his unwitting blind owner in various creative and ingenious ways. Like most serial killers (BGD has already been through several owners in his short but murderous career), he is the victim of a troubled and abusive upbringing, having had his nose rubbed in another puppy’s poop in an unfortunate fecal misunderstanding that set him on the path to revenge and retribution.
Other than a few tantalising images, some scripts, and this short trailer, sightings of B.G.D have been few and far between recently. If you’re feeling flush yourself, or have a rich aunt who has always harbored ambitions to be the executive producer of a hit animation series, then we’d love to hear from you…
View the B.G.D. trailer
