Doug Purver–who earned a slot in the 2009 SHOOT New Directors Showcase–directed, shot and served as lead VFX artist on this spec spot in which a pair of New Balance sneakers is seen running in slow motion along a gritty cobblestone street in New York City. The sneakers are self-propelled–there is no person wearing them. With each step on the cobblestone surface, each photo-real sneaker leaves behind greenery and flowers that seem to have grown naturally out of the street.
A parting super, accompanied by a New Balance logo, reads, “Reducing your carbon footprint, one step at a time.”
Purver collaborated with conceptual design/animation/VFX studio Suspect on the ambitious project. Suspect artisans included exec producers Rob Appelblatt and Tim Crean, technical directors Dave White and Andrew Cohen, sneaker animation artist Ricardo Vicens, shoe rigger Lee Wolland, CG artist Steve Burger, additional shader/texture artist Jimbo Rowel, and camera tracking artisan John Geehring.
Review: Director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked”
It's the ultimate celebrity redemption tour, two decades in the making. In the annals of pop culture, few characters have undergone an image makeover quite like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Oh, she may have been vengeful and scary in "The Wizard of Oz." But something changed — like, REALLY changed — on the way from the yellow brick road to the Great White Way. Since 2003, crowds have packed nightly into "Wicked" at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre to cheer as the green-skinned, misunderstood Elphaba rises up on her broomstick to belt "Defying Gravity," that enduring girl-power anthem.
How many people have seen "Wicked"? Rudimentary math suggests more than 15 million on Broadway alone. And now we have "Wicked" the movie, director Jon M. Chu's lavish, faithful, impeccably crafted (and nearly three-hour) ode to this origin story of Elphaba and her (eventual) bestie — Glinda, the very good and very blonde. Welcome to Hollywood, ladies.
Before we get to what this movie does well (Those big numbers! Those costumes!), just a couple thornier issues to ponder. Will this "Wicked," powered by a soulful Cynthia Erivo (owner of one of the best singing voices on the planet) and a sprightly, comedic, hair-tossing Ariana Grande, turn even musical theater haters into lovers?
Tricky question. Some people just don't buy into the musical thing, and they should be allowed to live freely amongst us. But if people breaking into song delights rather than flummoxes you, if elaborate dance numbers in village squares and fantastical nightclubs and emerald-hued cities make perfect sense to you, and especially if you already love "Wicked," well then, you will likely love this film. If it feels like they made the best "Wicked" movie money could buy — well, it's... Read More