This spot for AT&T plays like a bit of an homage to Christo and Jean-Claude, creators of urban and rural works of large-scale art in the great outdoors. The directing collective Traktor, BBDO New York, visual effects house MPC L.A. and edit shop Arcade teamed on a visual story in which blankets unfurl and cover such landmarks as the Hollywood sign and the Gateway arch in St. Louis, skyscrapers, the Vegas strip, even an expansive beach.
The visual tour de force artfully conveys the message that AT&T covers 97 percent of all America.
The plan was formulated to shoot some of the blanket fabric on large models, shot high speed that would later be composited onto the live action element–in the hope this would take the pressure off full photo-real cloth. These elements worked particularly well on the St. Louis Arch, the Hollywood sign and beach scenes. However, this process worked less so on other larger structures, thus necessitating 3D support.
At the end of each shoot day, BBDO and Traktor agreed on a live action plate that MPC moved forward with on the effects front. The creatives and directors used Photoshop to draw on the 2K scan image to show MPC where they would like to see orange fabric. This saved time going back and forth approving “coverage” areas and direction of roll movement.
The live action plate was also camera tracked in 3D and passed onto the motion control camera operator. This camera track was imported into the motion control rig and the exact same camera move was carried out over the enlarged fabric model on a studio day.
Paul Martinez of Arcade continued editing the full 30-second spot while MPC tested CGI cloth simulations and tended to essential rotoscoping/clean up.
By the time the edit was fully client approved, MPC had a good head start on several key VFX shots
MPC’s CGI team created a Maya cloth script that could simulate realistic vertical and horizontal rolls, with wind and surface resistance. While render time was slow, the script helped the 3D team control the parameters of the simulation.
It was then the compositing team’s job to integrate all the CG and model elements using Nuke & Flame.
The BBDO N.Y. team included chief creative officers David Lubars and Bobby Pearce, executive creative directors Greg Hahn and Ralph Watson, art directors Jean Robaire and Stephen McMennamy, and producers Carolyn Carbone and Amy Wertheimer.
Adam Gloo Joins Barbarian As Chief Creative Officer
Digital agency Barbarian has named Adam Gloo as its chief creative officer.
With over a decade of creative leadership experience, Gloo has shaped standout work at agencies including VML, 360i/Dentsu Creative, and most recently, SPCSHP (formerly Big Spaceship). During that time, he led teams that developed award-winning campaigns for brands such as Starbucks, Oreo, HBO, Absolut, Vanguard, and Google.
“Great creative work isn’t just about emotional connection--it must also provide real value to audiences. There’s too much noise in the market, and I’m not interested in adding to it,” said Gloo. “At Barbarian, my goal is to foster an environment where smart, unexpected ideas can thrive, and where technology and creativity combine to produce truly standout work. I’ve admired Barbarian since I started in this industry, and I am honored to now share the responsibility of leading it forward.”
Gloo brings a unique perspective to creative leadership, placing a high premium on both the power of curiosity, and the value of clear communication. He believes that curiosity is crucial to maintaining a technological and cultural edge, and that communication has the power to either drive a project forward, or grind it to a halt. Rather than implementing wholesale changes across the agency, he is focused on breaking down barriers to innovation and ensuring that technology serves as a catalyst for Barbarian’s creative work.
“Adam brings the kind of creative leadership that doesn’t just push out work--it pushes brands forward,” said Jeff Blackman, managing director at Barbarian. “He understands how to merge technology and creativity in a way that makes people care and inspires action. His vision will help us break through the... Read More