Digital production and design studio Big Block has assembled a high-powered visual effects and production team, featuring noted VFX Supervisor and Flame Lead Chris Noellert, Executive Producer Pete King and Software Development Director Gary Vick. nn”The fantastic team we’ve assembled elevates our ability to compete for complex projects across the media spectrum,” said Kenny Solomon, Managing Director at Big Block. “To have this level of VFX, live action, and software development resources available under one hood gives our clients every creative, technical and practical advantage possible.”nnBig Block recently delivered the show open and launch promo for the new National Geographic Channel series “Indestructibles,” which utilizes scientific analysis and CGI reconstruction to tell stories of people who survive near-death experiences against impossible odds. Big Block was awarded production of the broadcast package on the strength of its conceptual and creative treatment, as well as its ability to provide live action and green screen photography, VFX, animation and main title design.nn
nn”Working with Big Block was a fantastic collaboration,” said Vincent Aricco, Executive Producer Creative, National Geographic Channel. “Their unique tools were able to speed up the process and save us time and money without compromising quality. They were super easy to communicate with and very dialed in to the project. It’s always great feeling like you’re teamed up with someone who cares about the creative as much as you do. We are thrilled with the final product.”n nThe promo for “Indestructibles”‘ July 10 premiere will air during the MLB All-Star Game.nnBig Block‘s new visual effects supervisor and lead Flame artist Chris Noellert has more than 16 years of experience and is a specialist in workflow and asset management. He joined Big Block from commercial visual effects studio Public where he worked on the Ford Explorer “Go. Do.” campaign directed by Chris Malloy for Team Detroit; Chevrolet “Accolades” directed by Victor Garcia for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; Nike “Throwdown” directed by Jake Scott for Wieden + Kennedy; and Lincoln “Smarter Than Technology” directed by Lance Acord for Team Detroit.nnPreviously at Sea Level, Noellert worked on commercial campaigns with directors Mark Romanek, Tarsem, Jonas Akerlund, Sam Bayer and Mike Mills. He has also consulted for technology manufacturer FilmLight, RIOT and Company 3 on working paradigms for color correction and optimal integration of finishing components. nnExecutive producer Pete King comes from Venice-based A52, where he worked on Lexus “Wall” directed by Daniel Kleinman for Team One Advertising; Gatorade “Anthem” directed by Gary Shore for TBWA\ Chiat\ Day and Lego “The Brick Thief” directed by Blue Source for Pereira & O’Dell. He has also collaborated with commercial directors Dante Ariola, Peter Thwaites, Christian Loubec, and Lance Acord.nnEarlier King was a freelance production manager on global transmedia campaigns for @radical.media, Crossroads and HKM. Originally from Atlanta, King cut his teeth working in production in the fast paced world of hip-hop music videos before transitioning into the commercial industry.nnGary Vick is a results oriented software developer with twenty years of professional experience. He is known for his expertise in the development of advanced programs for gaming simulations, core game engine coding, graphics pipelines and complete software applications. He has worked with Walt Disney Imagineering, PlayStation, XBOX, Nintendo, Mattel and the U.S. Department of Defense. Vick brings his extraordinary technical talent, as well as his management and project leadership skills, to Big Block‘s dedicated IT team in Santa Monica, which is backed by over 1200 programmers overseas. nnBig Block‘s networked software development group will execute the technology behind the ideas and vision of the studio’s creative design team with the objective of growing brands and delivering compelling visual communication and experiences.nnCredits nNational Geographic Channel; Andy Baker, VP/Creative Director; Vincent Aricco, Executive Producer/Creative; Stos Devaris, Art Director/Creative; Jeremy Tate/Art DirectornnDigital Production and Design Studio, Big Block; Mark Glaser, Creative Director; Kenny Solomon, Managing Director; Kay Rough, Producer; Kristen Zaik, Production Manager; Tom Connors, CG Supervisor; Ilya Astrakhan, CG Supervisor; Rob Glaser, CG Artist; Cesar Chavez, CG Artist; Mike Ek, Compositor; Jake Maymudes, Compositor; John Ployhar, CG ArtistnnMain Title Design, Big Block; Tuesday McGowan, Creative Director/Designer; Jason Rapp, Designer/Animator nnAbout BIG BLOCKnLaunched in 2011, Big Block is a digital production studio specializing in digital automotive content, VFX, design, beauty & retouching, finishing and live action for feature films, television, web, gaming and mobile platforms. A key component of Big Block‘s car-centric focus is its software development group, which will generate new techniques to enhance and extend Big Block‘s brand across the creative landscape. Big Block‘s recently completed proprietary driving simulation software parallels the physics of driving in real time 3D, a significant next-generation leap from hand-animated vehicle motion.nnBig Block is led by business developer Scott Benson and executive producer Kenny Solomon, whose collective experience with the production of branded content across multiple media platforms make them uniquely suited to meet the challenges of creative communication.nnBig Block is housed in the newly renovated Art Deco Ilona Building on Wilshire Blvd. in the heart of Santa Monica.nnFor more information, please call 310-954-9400 or visit: www.bigblockLA.comKenny Solomon Big Block Executive Producer 310-954-9400 Contact Kenny via email
Contact:Media: Mary Reardon 310-659-0965 Contact Mary via email
Liz Charky Directs a Playful and Reflective Video For Henry Hallโs “Tiny Door”
Directed by Liz Charky, the music video for Henry Hallโs โTiny Doorโ is a playful and profound exploration of the songโs intriguing perspective on love. Silly moments and serious heartbreak are skillfully weaved together in a series of cheeky, dreamy, profound, and sometimesย psychedelicย scenes. โI am a huge fan of love songs that have an unusual, hyper-specific perspective on love,โ says Hall. โThatโs what I wanted to do with โTiny Door.โ Itโs about loving someone unconditionally while recognizing that love is something that isnโt always straightforward โ I think thatโs something we all attempt to come to terms with in our lives. I thought it was a unique yet universal detail about love and therefore an intriguing subject matter for a song. Even though the song is a ballad at its core, it still has a lighthearted sense of humor to it โ thatโs really portrayed well by Liz, and Ellin Aldana, our cinematographer.โ Charky explains, โWhen I first listened to the song, I felt it was a love song full of longing with a kind of wishful melancholy. As I spoke with Henry about his intention behind the lyrics and sound, I was assured that I'd need to explore heartbreak in a nuanced way โ with a degree of levity and playfulness. For me, falling in and out of love runs the full course of human expression. Love and heartbreak can be so emotionally intense and sometimes lonely, other times quite goofy or liberating.ย In developing the concept, I focused on both the literal and figurative ways that falling in and out of love might look like. So, you see Henry and co-star Franny Arnautou falling, flying, dancing, raging, winking, smiling, and... Read More