For a powerful in-theater JBL promo, Psyop and Doner collaborated with Skywalker Sound to create a whirlwind of photorealistic CG and stunningly crisp audio.
Racing camera angles sweep the viewer backward across a salt flat desert as a massive tornado erupts onto screen. The twister uproots a home theatre, whips the JBL speakers into the air and ultimately sucks the camera directly into the eye of the storm.
“Earlier this summer, Psyop was approached by Laurie Irwin, executive producer at Doner, who described a project they were developing for JBL,” recalled Anh Vu, Psyop creative director. “Doner executive creative director Murray White, had a concept for JBL’s second cinematic branding spot that would fully envelop the viewer. He wanted people to witness the birth of a natural phenomenon and vividly experience the destructive sounds of mother nature.”
“We were aware that we needed to communicate a real narrative even though we were going for a photoreal look,” said Eben Mears, Psyop creative director. “The spot had to be artful and carefully finessed chaos.”
An effects-intensive project, “Ear of the Tornado” tallies around 70 million particles from start to finish. The choreography and animation of the flying and crashing objects were all designed with particular attention to the rhythm for the sound design. Psyop collaborated with Skywalker Sound to guarantee the 5.1 mix of the audio was as impactful and engrossing as possible.
Michelle Satter To Be Honored At Sundance Film Festival Gala
The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced details for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s gala fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute, which will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah. The event will be an evening in celebration of Michelle Satter, founding sr. director of artist programs at Sundance Institute, for her longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where visionary artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process, for the past four decades. The annual Vanguard Awards will be presented during the evening to Sean Wang, writer and director of Dìdi, and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane, who premiered their films at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists from all over the world. The 2025 event is made possible with the generous support of Google TV. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025 for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling.
“For over four decades Michelle has been devoted to truly championing independent storytellers,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO of Sundance Institute. “She has encouraged artists to own their voice, learn their craft, become fierce leaders, and develop their resilience in our changing ecosystem. Her life-long commitment to supporting artists, especially in underrepresented... Read More