By Ken Liebeskind
MINNEAPOLIS --Microsoft’s Genuine Fact Files, a worldwide campaign to combat software counterfeiting and increase awareness of software licensing issues, has been bolstered by a series of four-and-a-half-minute animated videos that illuminate the issues in an appealing way.
“Suspicious Cargo,” the seventh video in the series, incorporates Maya, After Effects and Flame to add visual effects to the animation that make it look almost like an in-cinema piece, especially during the first scene when the rippling water establishes the tone. “We wanted to get away from the comic book feel and be a little more movie style,” said Greg Shultz, designer/VFX director at Gasket Studios Limited/Minneapolis. “We used Maya and 3D elements to accentuate the illustrator’s art. Using his look, we projected the style of rippling water and dimensions that brought the ship to life. In Flame, we added lighting treatment, fog and cloud wisps. We wanted to stay in comic style, with a touch of real effects.”
Charlie Griak, who owns a design firm and production company under his name in Minneapolis, was the illustrator and director of the video. “They wanted it to feel like a graphic novel and a black and white comic book,” he said. “A combination of short film style and standard black and white comic book.”
The video does look like a black and white comic book, as the story of how a company deals with pirated software unfolds, with the characters shown in black and white illustrations with their dialogue in traditional cartoon bubbles. But Griak worked with Gasket to take the video beyond the basic comic book. “The illustrations were built in layers and they manipulated the layers individually to give them depth and movement,” Griak said. “They brought in the CGI water with a flat illustration and made it feel dimensional. It was the way to take a still image and make it engaging so you want to watch it.”
Keith Anderson, copywriter at DDB Seattle, said the video is the best in the series because of the Gasket effects and Griak’s direction. “They brought a lot to the table we weren’t expecting, the 3D modeling and lighting and camera techniques.”
The Business Software Alliance has reported that 35 percent of the world’s software is pirated and the Yankee Group noted that 55 percent of organizations report instances of counterfeit or pirated software.
As Microsoft prepared to launch Windows Vista and Office 2007, it launched the Genuine Facts Files campaign that educates businesses and consumers on the risks associated with non-genuine software. “Suspicious Cargo,” the latest Genuine Fact Files video, tells the story of how one business plagued by counterfeit software overcomes the problem with the help of Microsoft software applications.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More