Motion Theory, Venice, Calif., applies generative art techniques to this TV spot for IBM via Ogilvy & Mather, New York. Directed by Motion Theory’s Mathew Cullen, the :30 spot is part of IBM’s “Smarter Planet” campaign and incorporates data-driven design derived from a newborn’s vital signs to convey that IBM’s technologies help analyze data to build smarter hospitals.
“We wanted to convey to people that we now have the computational power and advanced analytics to see data in new ways so we can make sense of it to help build a smarter planet,” said Tom Godici, executive creative director, Ogilvy, N.Y.. “We knew Motion Theory had a lot of experience with generative art, turning mathematical algorithms into dynamic natural patterns, and could work with us to find the most compelling ways possible of visualizing actual data.”
The cornerstone of the “Smarter Planet” campaign is a new visual language developed collectively by the director, designers and code artists at Motion Theory. The team built custom code that translates spreadsheets of raw numerical data derived, in the case of “Data Baby,” from a newborn’s respiratory, heart rate, blood pressure, EKG, oxygen saturation and temperature readings into motion paths that move and evolve design elements organically across image sequences.
In the spot, patterns gently float up in-frame, seemingly from the surface of a newborn baby resting in a neonatal ward. Ethereal CG life patterns, fractal-like shapes and other visual expressions flow upwards to form a stylized mobile that is captured as a reflection in the baby’s eye. These beautiful design elements warmly envelop the baby, delivering an authentic visual representation of the myriad pieces of data made available to doctors with the help of IBM technology. This is data, as the spot conveys, that helps doctors treat babies more effectively and build smarter hospitals.
Production on “Data Baby” spanned January through March 2010. R&D included bringing on board a medical consultant, developing custom code to process and visualize data, and implementing a workflow for importing camera motion paths and tracking, curves, and models of the baby to match the exact movements of four infants filmed live on set. Cullen directed and oversaw a three-day live-action shoot in LA, teaming up once again with Academy Award-winning DP Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth). Production, VFX, editorial and finishing was handled in-house at Motion Theory. In addition to C++ code developed for this campaign, the production toolkit included Autodesk Maya, Maxon Cinema 4D, Adobe After Effects and The Foundry’s Nuke.
“Our challenge for ‘Data Baby’ and IBM’s overall campaign is to strike a balance between artfulness and an accurate representation of technological data. It took extensive R&D and a unique production pipeline that included a specialized team of programmers helping to visualize mass authentic real world data sets,” said Cullen. “‘Data Baby’ is at its essence a spot that seeks to humanize data and reinforce the comforting presence of science and human interconnectedness. It’s the most challenging generative project we’ve ever done and the culmination of our almost 10 years working with scientific visualizations and programming art.”
Visual Effects Society Elects 2025 Board of Directors’ Executive Committee
The lineup of officers is set for the Visual Effects Society’s (VES) 2025 Board of Directors. The officers, who comprise the VES Board Executive Committee, were elected at the January 2025 Board meeting. The Officers include Kim Davidson, who was re-elected Board chair, and is the first Board member from outside the United States to hold this role since the Society’s inception.
“It is my privilege to serve as chair of our worldwide community of visual effects artists and innovators,” said Davidson. “Since I joined the Society 18 years ago, I have seen the VES grow from a California-based organization to a global society with 16 regional Sections and members in more than 50 countries. As the first chair elected from outside the U.S., I am representative of our thriving globalization, and I look forward to further championing our expansion worldwide. The leadership on our Board brings enormous commitment, expertise and enthusiasm to their volunteer service and I’m excited about what we can achieve, together.”
“Our Society is fortunate to have strong leadership represented on our Executive Committee,” said Nancy Ward, VES executive director. “I am honored to work alongside these exceptional, dedicated professionals, especially amidst this time of dynamic change. We appreciate their commitment to further advance the Society’s global initiatives and impact.”
The 2025 officers of the VES Board of Directors are:
--Chair: Kim Davidson
--1st Vice Chair: Susan O’Neal
--2nd Vice Chair: David Tanaka, VES
--Secretary: Rita Cahill
--Treasurer: Jeffrey A. Okun, VES
Kim Davidson, Chair
Davidson is the president and CEO of SideFX®, a company he co-founded in 1987. SideFX is... Read More