Doug Hogan » Television

i design your eyes

Doug — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:26:32 +0000

Zoic Studios, one of my favorite VFX studios in the bizzzzzz, has recently launched a new blog called “I Design Your Eyes“! Where a couple days ago they profiled their work on ABC’s newest series “V”. And as always, the work Andrew Kramer and Co., have done on the show is absolutely amazing. Read more about it below! And support the show and the good people who work on it by tuning in when it airs Tuesday night on ABC! Check your local listings…I’ve always wanted to say that

LINK: Zoic Brings Visitors to Earth

Zoic is handling all of the visual effects for V, under the oversight of creative director and VFX supervisor Andrew Orloff (FlashForward, Fringe, CSI) and visual effects producer Karen Czukerberg (Eleventh Hour). Work on the pilot was split between Zoic’s Vancouver studio, which handled greenscreen and virtual sets, and the Los Angeles studio, where the motherships and other effects were created.

LINK: I Design Your Eyes

I Design Your Eyes is a web log and Internet community that provides a place for professional digital storytellers to interact with the fan community and with each other, and to share their mutual love of the art and science of visual effects and digital filmmaking.

IDYE is produced out of Zoic Studios, an award-winning digital studio producing innovative content for episodic television, feature films, commercial media and the video gaming industry. But this is not a Zoic marketing site – we already have one of those, and it works fine. Instead, IDYE is a centralized news, education and inspirational Internet community, both for the entertainment industry and for fans of film, television and video games. Our goal is not to promote Zoic itself, but the industry as a whole.

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tree of life

Doug — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:20:45 +0000

Check out this amazing animation done for the BBC called ‘Tree of Life’. It aired during the ‘Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life’ special in Feburary and it has a really awesome ‘Jurassic Park’ vibe to it. Mostly because the narrator sounds spot on to John Hammond.

But besides the awesome narration, the concept they came up with for taking you through each branch of the evolutionary tree was really nicely thought out. They kept the elements simple, with the lines branching over and over. But just like a great musical score they evolved those elements in unexpected and really interesting ways. I especially loved the transition from water to land. Very beautiful stuff.

Check out the video and link below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

LINK: Tree of Life

The Tree of Life video was shown as part of ‘Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life’, which was broadcast on BBC1 on Sunday 1 February 2009. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the programme was part of the BBC’s Darwin season. You can buy a DVD of the programme at the BBC Shop.

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halo odst goodness

Doug — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:47:00 +0000

So what did everyone do on their long weekend? Mine was spent cleaning up my office filing cabinet (long overdue), seeing “Extract” with Jess to cleanse the horribleness that was “Inglourius Bastards”, and finishing “Batman: Arkham Asylum”. Which was pretty much the best superhero video game I’ve ever played.

But now that’s it’s all over, and it’s back to work, we better start it off right. So check out this really well done “Halo: ODST” trailer that will leave you salivating for the long anticipated, and long delayed, Halo movie.

Isn’t that an awesome short? It seriously makes me wonder what is holding Microsoft up. I mean when you have Steven Spielberg throwing in his hat for Director and you still take a pass, what are you waiting for? It’s all there ready to go, and ready to make a butt load of money! It’s just pretty unlike Microsoft to pass up a big check like the Halo franchise would bring in.

Do you all think it will ever happen? Will we ever see Master Chief on the big screen? I say nay, but let me know your opinions in the comments below!

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thank you bear mccreary

Doug — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:50:05 +0000

Today I got in the mail an AWESOME prize for my entry into the “Battlestar Galactica Orchestra Web Design Contest“. Check it out!

A signed limited edition best of BSG season 1-4 soundtrack, that was only given to the cast and crew of the series! This is seriously one of the coolest pieces of mail I’ve ever gotten, and it’s even signed to me personally!

I’m geeking out man, if you can’t tell. But what I really wanted to say was simply thank you to Bear McCreary for such an awesome prize. Something so simple, but also something clearly so thoughtful means the world to this fan. This is going to have a very special place in my geeky collection…and iPod. You RULE!!!

LINK: Bear McCreary.com

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moray’s praxinoscopes

Doug — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:37:16 +0000

Check out this amazing music video using old school Praxinoscopes that production company Blinkink did for musician Moray McLaren. 2D Animation done by director David Wilson.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Using both praxinoscopes and the technique of matching up the frame rate of the spinning record to that of the camera, no computer super-imposing was used; what you see is what rolled off the camera. The transitions between each section of animation was created by simply cutting or wiping between the bits of footage.

Praxinoscopes were the forerunner of the more well known Zoetropes. Both of which are the proud parents of modern animation.

LINK: Blinkink

LINK: Moray McLaren

Moray McLaren is a Scottish singer-songwriter, born and raised in Edinburgh. When a disk of Moray’s rough recordings fell into the hands of producer Jonathan Shakhovskoy (U2, Patrick Wolf), he suggested they make an album together. The pair are currently in the studio recording. Moray’s debut album will be released on Lash Records this summer.

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mpc’s wrigleys 5

Doug — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:28:11 +0000

MPC just recently completed work on a new Wrigleys 5 Gum campaign, and posted a bunch of great behind the scenes material on how the spots were done on their site.

What I love most about the Zing and Solstice campaign is how MPC used tried and true bluescreen compositing techniques, mixed with some nice matte painting and particle work to really create a whole CG world that feels unique and consitant. They kept it technically realitively simple, and wrapped it in a really cool and perfectly executed concept. Something that’s surprisingly very hard to accomplish under typically tight commercial schedules.

Anyways, enough of my chatter. Head on over to their site to check it out! They’ve got not only the full commercials but also a bunch of breakdown videos for each spot.

LINK: Wrigleys, 5 Gum

Fredrik Bond has directed the new campaign for Wrigley’s 5 gum. The Ad Agency was Energy BBDO/Chicago, with production handled by Pam Pietrowski. MPC LA provided 3D animation and compositing for the spot.

MPC was involved from pre-production with input into the design process, Duncan McWilliam and Dan Sanders attended the shoot at Paramount Studios supervising elements of the blue screen stage and the adjacent practical elements shoot.

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stardust vfx

Doug — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:08:40 +0000

I came across these really beautiful car commercials today that the New York based VFX studio Stardust turned out for Shell. I really love the organic feel of these spots, and also the simplicity. But you really have to marvel at the technical skill that went into this too, because ink blot effects are surprisingly hard to achieve well.

Anyways, check them out below and then give their 2009 showreel a gander. Some really great work, from a really great studio.

Performance:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fuel Economy:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stardust’s 2009 Showreel:

Click here to view the embedded video.

____________________________________

LINK: Stardust.tv

Stardust experimented with 2D and 3D CG solutions, particles, CGI cloth, the goal of keeping the feeling real and organic led them to shoot real footage on location and combine it with footage of ink spreading across paper. Artists in Stardust’s NYC studio then tracked the selected live-action footage in 3D software, and rotoscoped out each element. From there, a master camera was created for blocking in After Effects, and each shot was composited with the ink elements acting both as texture and as mattes to reveal the footage.

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scifi misspelled

Doug — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:46:06 +0000

Today’s the day that marks the end of the SciFi channel as we know it, and begins their new identity as SyFy. I’ve got mixed feelings about this rebranding to be honest. But time is the only thing that will really tell if this new branding, signaling a new focus for the channel, will be either good or bad.

But even with the road ahead being hazy, I can say that their new spot called ‘House of Imagination’ definitely instills some confidence that things just might be alright. Check it out below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The whole concept and VFX work done by the Moving Picture Company (MPC) is really stunning. And easily steps up the game of SciFi channel promos that we’ve seen before in the past.

I still think their new logo is pretty blah though.

What do you guys think? Yay or nay for the new channel branding? Let me know in the comments below!

LINK: House of Imagination

Click around the interactive house for some behind the scenes look at the VFX work done for the spot.

LINK: SyFy Channel

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g-force vs catshitone

Doug — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:03:54 +0000

‘G-Force’ is just a couple weeks from being released, and the coverage over Producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s first foray into stereoscopic film-making is starting to pour in.

LINK: G-Force – The Men Behind The Guinea Pigs

A young boy told his father that he thought his classroom’s pet guinea pig had a secret life as a special agent. His father, visual effects master Hoyt Yeatman, became inspired by the concept and fleshed out a story. He told a friend about this creation. The friend, master producer Jerry Bruckheimer, saw the potential for a clever action film, and “G-Force” was born.

The film actually looks like it’s going to be pretty cute. In that ‘I would have loved it as a kid’ sort of way. But for us sudo-adults out there who want to see a film about CG furry animals sans Guinea Pigs, what are we supposed to do?

Well I have your answer. And that answer is…wait for it…‘Cat Shit One’.

Thank you Japan.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Q: Why is it called ‘Cat Shit One’? A: No idea.

Q: Why did they feel like they needed to add ‘The Animated Series’ into the title? A:…you got me.

Q: Who would win a fight, G-Force or the crack squad of Cat Shit One? A: Is there even any doubt?! That bunny just shot that camel terrorist in the head, and then blew up a caravan with a rocket launcher!

So many questions, but the one that I really want to know is when this will make it’s way over to our shores! I would watch it faithfully each and every week.

Happy Monday everyone!

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evian bébés rollers

Doug — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:15 +0000

It’s funny, just yesterday I was wondering what babies would look like if they could skate to ‘Rapper’s Delight’ in Central Park. And then this new spot from the French ad agency EURO RSCG for Evian just fell out of the sky! Crazy.

Now I pass it along to you for your Friday enjoyment!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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