Imaginary Forces (IF) has brought Anthony Gibbs on board as creative director. With vast experience in design and VFX, Gibbs has created traditional, interactive, and experiential projects for such brands as Apple, AT&T, Epic Games, and Google.
Gibbs joins Imaginary Forces following a 14-year tenure at creative studio Framestore, where he held creative director and design director titles. Gibbs notably art directed “Valentino: Master of Couture”–Somerset House’s most-attended exhibition of all time. Working closely with a team of fashion and set designers, software developers, and motion designers, the experience melded physical sculptures and 3D projections.
Gibbs also directed several in-show sequences, titles, and live studio content for “Comic Relief,” the BBC’s annual live fundraising event featuring performances by comedians and pop stars. More recently, he helmed a campaign for HP® Z Workstations, which beautifully depicts the creative process unfolding, from a simple sketch to full-on 3D animation. Gibbs’ Framestore clients included Intel, Dyson, BBC, EA, Nintendo, Lumen, and Formula 1.
Gibbs is currently serving as an AICP Post judge in the Graphic Design & Animation category.
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More