Radar Studios has expanded its directing and VFX capabilities through new hires and collaborative ventures. On the former front, Radar has signed directors Pix Talarico and Adam Pierce.
Talarico is an Argentine photographer and director who has been nominated for numerous Latin Grammy Awards and has won MTV Music Awards for his videos and earned London International Awards recognition for his commercial work. Best known in the U.S. and across Latin America for music videos for Julio Iglesias and Julieta Venegas, Talarico’s filmography includes Juanes’ “Fotografia” (featuring Nelly Furtado), which has generated more than 7.5 million views on YouTube. Talarico’s clients include Sony Music, Warner Music, EMI Odeon, BMG, MTV, Unilever, Epson, Nestle, Motorola, McDonald’s, Shell, Coca-Cola, Dannon, and Kraft Foods. Combining live action with visual effects, as in his sexy tango video for Bajofondo’s Pa ‘Bailar or his Kung-Fu Panda 2 tie-in spot for McDonald’s, Talarico creates layered, kinetic work that draws audiences into urban environments and celebrates the athleticism and grace of the human body without losing sight of human emotion and connection.
Meanwhile Pierce’s animation fare is notable for its immediacy in capturing attention, playfulness and humor, as in the spot where he transformed UPS delivery notices into a dinosaur for their MyChoice service. He has worked in the film and television industry for over 15 years and directed spots for Nickelodeon, Nike, Subway, MoveOn.org, Howard Johnson, and the Ad Council.
VFX
Visual effects and directing team Vico Sharabani and Alex Frisch, signed by Radar late last year, didn’t come alone. They brought their new venture, COPA (Co-op of Artists) along with them. COPA is a global collective of VFX artists who have been invited by Sharabani and Frisch to pool talent and resources in making work. Radar Studios will serve as the Chicago hub for COPA, allowing clients to have seamless, real time access to VFX artists from around the globe.
Radar and COPA just completed their first project together, jointly handling VFX and postproduction for a P&G spot for Secret starring Jenny Poulos from Bravo’s Flipping Out. VFX supervisor Frisch worked with director Dave Meyers from @radical.media to design the complex CG environment for the spot. Radar’s Greg Somerlot traveled to LA.. for the shoot and edited on set due to the quick turnaround. Radar’s design/animation team led by Steven Gray created the demo and tag and the Radar VFX ensemble worked in collaboration with the COPA team.
Steve McQueen Shows Wartime London Through A Child’s Eyes In “Blitz”
It was a single photograph that started Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen on the journey to make "Blitz." As a Londoner, the German bombing raids on the city during World War II are never all that far from his mind. Reminders of it are everywhere. But the spark of inspiration came from an image of a small boy on a train platform with a large suitcase. Stories inspired by the evacuation are not rare, but this child was Black. Who was he, McQueen wondered, and what was his story? The film, in theaters Friday and streaming on Apple TV+ on Nov. 22, tells the tale of George, a 9-year-old biracial child in East London whose life with his mother, Rita ( Saoirse Ronan ), and grandfather is upended by the war. Like many children at the time, he's put on a train to the countryside for his safety. But he hops off and starts a long, dangerous journey back to his mom, encountering all sorts of people and situations that paint a revelatory and emotional picture of that moment. SEARCHING FOR GEORGE AND FINDING A STAR When McQueen finished the screenplay, he thought to himself: "Not bad." Then he started to worry: Does George exist? Is there a person out there who can play this role? Through an open casting call they found Elliott Heffernan, a 9-year-old living just outside of London whose only experience was a school play. He was the genie in "Aladdin." "There was a stillness about him, a real silent movie star quality," McQueen said. "You wanted to know what he was thinking, and you leant in. That's a movie star quality: A presence in his absence." Elliott is now 11. When he was cast, he'd not yet heard about the evacuation and imagined that a film set would be made up of "about 100 people." But he soon found his footing, cycling in and out of... Read More