Bicoastal commercial visual effects studio Animal recently delivered a massive worldwide campaign for BlackBerry’s newest smart phone, the Torch. “Love What You Do” was directed by Henrik Hansen and Laban Pheidias of RSA Films for Leo Burnett Chicago. The campaign introduces us to Diplo, a jet-setting DJ and music producer; Nadege, a French fashion and style writer; and Will Ramsay, a British art fair organizer, people whose enviable international lifestyles are empowered by the BlackBerry Torch and its array of new technical enhancements.
The three :30 spots and a :60 compilation will be seen around the world. Animal provided compositing, visual effects and finishing on more than 100 versions of the spots, each with 12 deliverables, during 17 days of intense production. Animal‘s visual effects supervisor Ben Looram oversaw a team of numerous artists, along with producer Joyce Pan.
Leslie Sorrentino, Animal‘s executive producer said, “We designed the Venice studio to be flexible and scalable, so Blackberry was a great proof of our concept. To turn around a project of this size so quickly, we brought on several freelancers and built out our suites. It was a very successful test of our new production pipeline and staff. Just like Diplo, Nadege and Will, we love what we do.”
Blackberry Torch “Love What You Do – Diplo, Nadege, Will” (credits below)
Other recent work includes compositing and end tag design for Adidas “Jersey Swap,” an online campaign for digital agency 180 LA. Under the tagline “You Choose, They Swap, You Watch,” viewers are treated to their choice of hot professional rugby players exchanging their team shirts in slow-mo.
Animal was also awarded feature film visual effects production on the dramatic comedy “Earthbound,” starring Kate Hudson, Kathy Bates and Whoopi Goldberg, which recently wrapped shooting in New Orleans for The Film Department.
Animal‘s Venice studio opened in June of this year to expand the company’s home base in Pittsburgh to the West Coast. Animal‘s next-generation business model interweaves post production and production, providing creative and technical involvement at the conceptual stage, as well as on set supervision and custom-tailored services across the range of offerings from both studios, including motion graphics, visual effects and CGI, color grading, finishing and compositing.
About ANIMAL
Founded in 2001 by director and visual effects artist Michael Killen, visual effects artist Jim Kreitzburg and executive producer Kathy Dziubek, Animal operates as a lean, multi-disciplinary bicoastal studio. Animal‘s East and West Coast studios have partnered with national and international brands and advertising agencies to deliver world-class visual effects and transmedia for the broadcast, broadband and feature film worlds.
For more information, please visit: www.animalwest.com
Blackberry Torch “Love What You Do – Diplo, Nadege, Will” Production Credits:
Agency:
Leo Burnett Chicago
CD: Stephen Leps
Writer: John Carstens
Producer: Nicky Furno
Production Company:
RSA Films
Executive Producers: Marjie Abrahams, Tom Dunlap, Tracie Norfleet
Directors: Henrik Hansen, Laban Pheidias
Editorial:
Final Cut – LA
Executive Producer: Saima Awan
Editor: JD Smyth
Producer: Jennifer Miller
VFX / Finishing:
Animal West
Executive Producer: Leslie Sorrentino
VFX Supervisor: Ben Looram
Producer: Joyce Pan
