New York-based production house Cause & [Effect] delivers a colorful twist on innovative ideas in the “Curiosity” web series for Intel out of Discovery Science. Each episode of the newly revived Curiosity series will focus on a single enduring question in science, technology and society. Cause & [Effect] handled complete production and post production for the five-part web series: developing the overall design, shooting the interviews with the subjects and handling all of the animation and post production in-house. The series features John Hengeveld, who speaks on, “Can computers cure diseases?”; Jason Waxmon, who answers, “When I store my photos in the Cloud, where do they go?; Jeff Demain, who explores, “How does a touchscreen work?”; Genevieve Bell, who ponders, “What will personal computing look like in 2020?”; and Steve Grobman, who answers, “Is my online information safe?”nnnTo view the web series online CLICK HERE.nnEach of the webisodes weaves interview footage with whiteboard-inspired animations to enliven the forward-thinking concepts of Intel thought leaders. Notes Director of Post Production Jeff Wolfe, “We wanted to make ‘edu-tainment’ pieces that allowed viewers to take in hefty ideas without feeling too overwhelmed.” The design team worked carefully to create an animated environment that would be entirely unique for each concept discussed.nnDirector Jamie Hubbard spent a great deal of time pre-interviewing the five thought-leaders chosen by Intel for this series. To further facilitate the ease and comfort of the interview shoot, an Interratron was used, which functions simultaneously as a camera and a TelePrompTer-like projector, capturing an interview subject’s close-up responses during interviews. Notes Hubbard, “Interviewing such interesting and intelligent people was really exciting. Their research, holistic approach to technology and social patterns, and behavior, shapes the way people live their lives and I think these spots do a good job of expressing that to viewers.”nnOnce the interview footage and animations were complete, the post production team edited the webisodes to provide the ideal balance of light-hearted animation intercut with footage of the articulate orators. Notes Wolfe, “It was inspiring to see how genuinely passionate and enthusiastic these individuals were about what technology can do for the world. Their humanistic and heartfelt deliveries really informed the way we approached the animation and overall look of the project.”nnCreditsnTitle: Discovery Science – Curiosity Web SeriesnClient: IntelnAgency: Discovery SciencenSupervising Producer, Discovery Channel: Rakhee JethwanProduction: Cause & [Effect]nExecutive Producer: Jason ZemlickanCreative Director/Director: Jamie HubbardnProducer/Director of Post Production: Jeff WolfenArt Director: Justin AcreenEditors: Allen Cordell, Brock Bodell, Kavitha SurananAudio Post/Mix: Splash Studios, Peter LevinnOriginal Artwork: James JenningsnDesigner/Animator: Tim LinesnnAbout Cause & [Effect]nCause & [Effect] is a collection of highly talented storytellers, artists, thinkers, and above all-CREATORS. Writing, shooting, directing, editing, designing, compositing, animation—They see every project as an opportunity for collaboration—a chance to apply their creative team’s experience, ideas and personality, to making engaging and memorable work for their clients. www.causeffect.tv
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Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More