Pro athletes and Hollywood plastic surgeons may hang with celebrities – but with technology’s impact on every facet of modern-day living, it’s the unassuming techie that’s emerging as the new ‘rock star’ of the professional world – and Galaxy 61 was recently called to help celebrate them. 9 Surf Studios tapped the talents of the design-driven Brooklyn-based animation/VFX boutique to help EE Times mark its 40th anniversary with the creation of ‘Rise of the Geeks,’ a package consisting of a 3D rendering of a new commemorative logo – and a techno-inspired animated app, which the MIN Awards recognized with an ‘Honorable Mention’ in the ‘Best of the Web 2013 ‘ category, and was selected as a 2013 MAGGIE Finalist for ‘Best Development of a Mobil App for a Tablet/Trade & Consumer’nn
nnInitially tasked with creating the artwork for the media outlet’s print logo and the app for the “Rise of the Geeks‘ tribute issue, Tom White, designer/illustrator and owner of 9 Surf Studios, proposed evolving the 3D logo into a dynamic motion graphics intro for the app. The client signed off on the cost-effective element and White and Galaxy 61 owner, designer Doug Johnson, began devising an approach to take the ‘Rise of the Geeks‘ campaign to the next level.nn”Technology is largely the domain of ‘geeks’- a subculture that, until the burgeoning of emerging media, was dismisses as nerds,” says Johnson. “The challenge was to build upon the ‘Rise of the Geeks‘ logo concept and create animation for the app referencing a series of technology-inspired visuals that illustrated just how instrumental their contributions have been.”nnEE Times, (formerly called Electronic Engineering Times,) has been covering cutting-edge technology for four-decades. The were looking for a comprehensive marketing effort that not only showcased the magazine’s 40-year history, but also the dedicated, pioneering techies (such as Gordon Moore, Steve Job and other industry luminaries covered in the issue) responsible for transforming modern-day life.nnGalaxy 61 built upon the magazines logo, integrating a stylized ’40’ element and the tag line, ‘Rise of the Geeks,’ into it to pay homage to the visionaries who’ve defined the electronic era. Johnson and his team took the job from concepting, storyboarding, modeling, animation, lighting and visual effects (projector, lightning, LEDs, hologram,) to editorial, compositing and sound design – providing a seamless one-stop approach to the job.nn”Tom and I brainstormed the concept, and then he presented his sketches to the client,” says Johnson. “Once they were approved, he created a grayscale illustrator file of each logo, and from that we built a 3D version of the logo. We could have stopped here for the print version, but since this logo was going to be animated – and we wanted it to be consistent with the print versions – we built some of the animation rig into the print logo.”nnThe app’s 24-second animated segment begins with the EE Times logo, which then reveals a complex fusion of mechanical elements. The universal symbol for ‘ON’ sets the action in motion. As the ‘ON’ button tips over, the image rapidly evolves into a timeline of iconic electrical engineering components – including intricate circuit boards, electric motors, and a CD-Rom player.nnThe entire structure of the lockup is set in motion by the ‘ON’ button and two mechanical arms that extend from the sides of the logo. Everything else unfolds from that, and had to be designed and rigged to come together in a realistic and believable way.nn”From th
Tom White 9 Surf Studios 212.886.8778 Contact Tom via email
Contact:Doug Johnson Galaxy 61 718.965.0965 Contact Doug via email
Goldcrest Post Speeds Delivery of “Severance” Season Two
The New York Times recently wrote that the just-released Season Two of Severance will “blow your mind”—and we couldn’t agree more. Created by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller, the Apple TV+ drama is smart, spellbinding, distinctly original and packed with surprises. For those who aren’t already devoted fans, the show centers on Mark Scout (Adam Scott), leader of a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. Goldcrest Post provided post services for both seasons of the show, including picture editorial support, sound editorial, ADR and sound mixing. Editorial for Season One began in 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Goldcrest supplied both onsite production offices and edit suites, and remote editing systems for individual editors, with everything linked to a central server. "Mixing at Goldcrest with our team has been a great experience,” says Stiller. “Bob and Jacob are in sync with our creative process and so good at what they do that the experience is always one where it's about how we can enhance the creative vision, with a baseline of knowing everyone is totally committed to making something as good as it can be." Diana Dekajlo, the show’s co-producer, says that the arrangement worked so well, they chose to continue the hybrid approach for Season Two. “We’re a remote friendly show,” she explains. “Whether we’re at Goldcrest, our studio in the Bronx or at home, our workflow is seamless. I conduct remote daily meetings with my immediate staff, and weekly meetings with editorial and VFX, and we talk to each other as if we were just down the hall. It makes for great staff... Read More