Production company Motion Theory has signed noted art and engineering collective Syyn Labs for exclusive commercial and music video representation as a directorial team. Syyn Labs is a group of creative engineers from varied sectors who collectively marry the worlds of art and technology into exhibits that transcend multiple mediums and incorporate designs that encourage viewer engagement and social collaboration.
Syyn Labs joins a Motion Theory directors’ lineup that includes Mathew Cullen, Jesus de Francisco, Grady Hall, Mark Kudsi Christopher Leone and Chris Riehl.
“In signing Syyn Labs, we’ve gone outside of the traditional live-action pool of talent to build our roster,” said Javier Jimenez, executive producer/partner, Motion Theory. “Syyn Labs is an incredibly talented group of individuals who tell visual stories with inventiveness and originality that tap into popular culture.”
Syyn Labs was formed in 2008 by a group of artists, thinkers, technologists, engineers and scientists who build and twist together art and technology in original diverse ways. The group’s work became a viral sensation in 2010 when it co-directed (with both James Frost of ZOO Film, and OK Go) the “This Too Shall Pass” music video for OK Go, which has been viewed almost 20 million times online. The video’s unique assembly builds creative contraptions and interactive installations that encourage audiences to play together by lowering social barriers. The Syyn Labs members’ have designed and developed an elaborate portfolio of proprietary technology including ArtFall, an interactive whiteboard; Rubens’ Tubes, a sound-reactive fire sculpture; Sonic Stalagmites, painting with sound; and the Cloud Mirror, which uses augmented reality to bring an event’s badges to life. Their exhibits have been showcased in commercials for Comedy Central, Disney XD, and Google, and exhibited at LACMA and the Santa Monica Glow Festival.
Adam Sadowsky, Syyn Labs’ president, said that his collective felt simpatico with Motion Theory, noting that the production house “has built a community of creatives who come together to experiment, which is the very reason for why we started Syyn Labs in the first place.”
While Syyn Labs will be represented by Motion Theory as a directing team who conceives, directs and executes end-to-end, the collective will continue to collaborate with outside directors on commercial projects that want to tap into its creative skills.
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More