Microsoft Advertising and Y&R New York have turned to Gravity, an international visual effects, design and brand communications company, to create and produce an original, long-form web content piece promoting various Microsoft tools. The piece, which runs over four-minutes in length, features on-line gaming personality Felicia Day. Zviah Eldar, Gravity’s CEO and Chief Creative Officer, made the announcement. nnnClick here to see this work online.nnThe Gravity-produced content piece, which launched on the Internet earlier this year, was commissioned by Microsoft Advertising to appeal to CMOs and media buying agencies, so that they will consider using the innovative advertising tools available from Microsoft. These tools, including the MSN portal, Windows Mobile, Skype and Xbox, can be utilized as media outlets by which to reach millions of Internet users. Felicia Day is the creator and star of "The Guild," an on-line web series about gamers. To date, “The Guild” has drawn over 150-million viewings during the five years of its existence.nnSaid Eldar, “”It is a very exciting time for us at Gravity as we are being asked more frequently to create branded content that will be shared in social media outlets by various target audiences. For Y&R, we wanted to create a ‘world’ for Microsoft Advertising that would emphasize its powerful combination of MSN, Skype, Windows Mobile and Xbox in an informative way, while also being fun, engaging and something that media planners, buyers and marketers would find worthy of sharing.”nnBob Samuel, Gravity’s CMO/EP, adds, "We were flattered and excited to get the call from Y&R to work at such an early phase in this project’s development. Our Digital Effects Supervisor, Yuval Levy, led two Gravity teams for this assignment: one in NY and one in Tel Aviv. He worked closely with the Y&R team and Director Nathy Aviram (also Y&R’s Head of Content Production) nnIn previz, design, live action design and all of the visual VFX work In the end, Gravity delivered 88 VFX shots (of the 89 total shots) for this 4 minute piece. It was a great challenge for us on a super-tight timelineโฆand I think we nailed it."nnWin Peniston, Gravity’s Chief Digital Officer, continues, “Our approach for this project was to make what was essentially a B-to-B piece of messaging feel a lot more like a consumer communication spot. And working with Microsoft, Y&R and Felicia Day to tell this story certainly helped achieve that, while also helping craft a visually arresting story that will drive the content’s proliferation across all of the relevant social channels.”nnGravity’s Digital Effects Supervisor Yuval Levy comments, “Our biggest challenge was transforming a very informative script, discussing a variety of high-technology tools and applications, within an interesting setting and unique world for the viewer. Working closely with the agency, we developed a digital ‘real life’ world for Microsoft, where we inserted Felicia Day having a variety of intriguing adventures. We utilized a great number of the visual cues that already exist within the various Microsoft products, embellished them, and brought them to life on a broader playing field. This included cues such as the blue color, clouds and rainbows from Skype, the butterflies from the MSN logo, the Xbox pyramid from Xbox, and other highly recognizable visual assets. Our goal was to take these hi-end technological tools and explain them in a low-tech, visual way — for example: a deliveryman brings Felicia a pizza within the Xbox world. We wanted to create a visually we also wanted to convey the message that unique Microsoft media outlets are incredibly simple and effective in the ‘real world.’ “nnIn the piece, we see Felicia Day driving a car with very obvious stock footage backdrops. “Driving” by the Taj Mahal, London city streets, Western battle scene, and a futuristic landscape, as she says, “Hello, I’m the brand Felicia Day. Microsoft Advertising asked me to talk about their innovative advertising solutions.” Felicia is next joined by an exuberant Microsoft employee, who welcomes her to the “Gallery of infinite, yet measurable, reach,” a fantasy depiction of the Microsoft campus. The women, ala “Alice in Wonderland,” then enter “the Mobile Home,” where they encounter a room filled with mobile phones. There, along with two (freakishly small) male workers, they learn about new interactive ad units, including “Dynamo,” that scale and play video on mobile phones. nnNext, the two women walk a stairway in the sky, while discussing the fact that Skype is a part of Microsoft, helping make Microsoft Advertising number one in reach in the U.S. While standing on a puffy cloud, Felicia the “Brand” talks with herself, Felicia the person, via Skype. Hopping into a roller coaster type mini car, the women travel quickly inside a huge X-Box unit, otherwise known as the “den of creativity.” There, Felicia learns that through X-Box, advertising on TV is now truly interactive. Felicia’s host explains that “Simple, scalable, connected, innovative solutions, all across multiple platforms,” are the mandate for Microsoft Advertising. As Felicia drives away, she says, “Now it’s up to you to find out what amazing stories Microsoft Advertising can tell about your brand.” nnCREDITSnnAgency: Y&R NYnKerry Keenan ECDnNathy Aviram Live Action Director/Head of Content ProductionnCarlo Barreto Art DirectornLiz Polkinghorne CopyWriternDevon Dentler Producer nnProduction: Gravity NY & Tel AvivnZviah Eldar CEO/Chief Creative OfficernYuval Levy Creative Director/Head of CGnBob Samuel CMO/Executive ProducernKaren Bianca Head of Production, NYnRuss Dube Senior Project ProducernEmily Davis Production Coordinator, NYnYoav Savaryego Head of 3D and Compositing, Tel AvivnIsrael Breslev Head of Art and Design, Tel AvivnMiri Borov Producer, Tel AvivnInbal Voitiz Head of Production, Tel AvivnnMusic & Sound: Beta Petrol NYnJason Baker EP nnAbout GRAVITYnGravity is an international visual effects, design and brand communications company with proven expertise in three integrated divisions: Features & Television, Commercials, and Digital. With 250 talented professionals across offices in New York, Los Angeles, Connecticut and Tel Aviv, the company is a widely renowned generator of high-end visual effects, creative content, motion graphics design, animation, branding, and digital strategy. nnGravity’s powerful combination of innovation and design are consistently aligned to help brands drive meaningful, dynamic connections with consumers – whether they experience them via television, cinema, websites, social media or mobile applications. The company’s digital marketing clients include Coca-Cola, International Playthings, Pantene, MGA Entertainment, Carlsberg, Israel Bonds, Recyclebank, Unilever, P&G and Braun.nnGravity’s New York office is located at 315 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, 10017. The phone is 212.986.1584. For more information, please visit www.GravityWorld.com.
Media Contact for Gravity: Dan Harary The Asbury PR Agency/Beverly Hills 310/859-1831 Contact Dan via email
Creatives from Nat Geo’s “Sally,” A24’s “If I Had Legs,” Bleeker Street’s “The Wedding Banquet” and More To Speak at The Inaugural โBehind the Camera Houseโ in Park City during Sundance 2025
The first-ever โBehind the Camera Houseโ will launch in Park City during this yearโs 2025 Sundance Film Festival, inviting industry professionals, creatives, and media to engage in a day of community building through meaningful conversations, insightful panel discussions, and unique networking opportunities on Monday, January 27, 2025. Produced by Impact24 PR, co-hosted by Goodside, and led by programmer Jocelyne Roman, the event will take place at 1167 Woodside Ave, Park City, UT 84060. This one-day activation will serve as a dedicated space for creatives to hang out and connect with other festival attendees and the filmmaking community, with special attention and spotlight towards behind-the-camera crafts including picture editing, composition, sound design, costume design, and production design. The event will also give attendees an inside look at the creative processes behind the films featured at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival with exclusive panels. Showcasing industry leaders, filmmakers, and creatives from across the globe, each panel promises to be a deep dive into the artistry and craftsmanship of contemporary cinema. The day begins at 10:00 a.m. MT with the Behind the Camera House Breakfast, co-hosted by panelists from the first panel of the day โ โShaping the Narrative with Post-Production Artists.โ The panel will showcase how creatives turn raw footage into compelling stories through artistry and innovation. Featured panelists include editors Brett W. Bachman, ACE (Rabbit... Read More