SHORT CUTS
Digital effects designer/Inferno artist Cassie Scroggins of Minneapolis-based Hi-Wire worked on an open for DragonflyTV, a new PBS children’s program created by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT). Geared toward children ages 9-12, DragonflyTV is based on the kid’s magazine of the same name, and feature ordinary youngsters and their science investigations. Scroggins spearheaded a Hi-Wire team which completed a visual identity for the program, including a new logo, program open, interstitials and graphical interface. The show’s focus, "real kids doing real science," is highlighted in the :30 open with multiple layers of vibrant colors and graphics composited over footage of kids participating in science projects. The shades of blue, green and orange used in the open are representative of the show’s logo, which consists of abstract, geometric shapes that form a dragonfly. Additional Hi-Wire credits include editor Peter Meyer, colorist Oscar Oboza, Fire/digital effects designer Tony Mills, project manager Tammy Kimbler Weber, 3-D designer Rich Haesemeyer, Combustion artist Geoffrey Case, and Inferno assistant Melissa Easton.
New York-headquarteredPost Production Playground, the new parent company of The Broadway Screening Room, New York, completed an expansion which included the addition of a Philips telecine bay, dubbing facilities, an audio suite, and quality control services. The Playground, which has postproduction supervision, telecine video dailies services, and Avid editorial rental suites, is co-owned by Eitan Hakami and Katia Milani.
Computer Cafe, a creative digital studio with offices in Santa Monica and Santa Maria, Calif., provided 3-D animation services for the new Dimension Films release Impostor. The film, directed by Gary Fleder and starring Gary Sinise and Madeleine Stowe, is based on the Philip K. Dick story about a scientist who suddenly finds himself public enemy number one and suspected of being an alien. Computer Cafe’s principal contribution to the feature was the creation of an organic bomb featured in three scenes. Art director Ron Honn, animation supervisor Taron and digital effects supervisor David Ebner designed the device to resemble an internal organ. In the film, the "bomb" is forcibly removed from a host human’s chest cavity by means of a clamping drill. As the bomb is pulled free, the bones rip open the protective outer muscle, exposing its inner core. Without the host to give the bomb life, it fizzles, jerking and contorting until it "dies."
MUSIC NOTES
Clean Cuts Music, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, created music and sound for two new VH1 shows, Fresh: New Music and TV Moments. Credits for Clean Cuts include executive producers Jack Heyrman and Julie Mays, composer Wall Matthews, music engineer/mixer Joe Powers, mixer Paul Perret (Fresh: New Music), sound designer/mixer Victor Giordano (TV Moments), and mixer Andy Peterson (TV Moments).
Santa Monica-based Latte Mix was called upon to mix the promo campaign and first episode of Class Dismissed, MuchMusic USA’s new show. Latte Mix founder Ted Lobinger worked on the project, which featured singer Alanis Morrisette. Latte Mix will also mix the second episode of Class Dismissed, which features the Goo Goo Dolls, as well as the promo campaign.
