In the aftermath of a phenomenal year involving massive risks and extraordinary rewards, the principals of design-focused production studio Leviathan (www.lvthn.com) are very proud to share news on some exciting new developments and detail some of 2011’s greatest achievements. rnrnFollowing the success of their original spot for Whirlpool and advertising agency Arc Worldwide which debuted across America as part of the official Super Bowl XLV pre-game broadcast back in February, Leviathan’s executive producer Chad Hutson, executive creative director Jason White, chief scientist Matt Daly and their colleagues forged ahead to embrace many significant opportunities coming their way. rnrnrnrnAmong those, the team seized a chance to team-up with frequent collaborator Vello Virkhaus of V Squared Labs to create something entirely new for musical artist Amon Tobin. To accompany the launch of his new Ninja Tune album entitled “ISAM,” Tobin wanted to create a dazzling stage presentation. The solution involved many all-star collaborators, and when combined with Tobin’s musical performance, the results led to rave reviews in Billboard, Wired, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, The LA Times and Time Out New York, among scores of other major news outlets. Every show in the international tour sold out, the show was nominated in the 2011 Association of Independent Music (AIM) Awards, and it will appear in the prestigious 2012 Communication Arts Interactive Annual set for release in March. rnrnImportantly, the acclaim for “ISAM Live” earned Leviathan invitations from major advertising agencies across America. For example, the studio presented at this year’s Leo Burnett “Leovative” innovation event, where they earned very enthusiastic responses, including these comments from Leo Burnett production consultant Richard Blanco. “As part of the committee that coordinated the Leovative show, I was tasked to find the best in class vendors in the digital/interactive space,” he said. “I had to get Leviathan. Their work in the digital space, particularly projection mapping, was the perfect marriage of art and science that embodied everything Leovative was about… technology, techniques, delivered. Leviathan delivered two stunning pieces: A beautiful animation piece projected onto a custom, faceted sculpture, and an amazing xBox 360 Kinect interactive piece that wowed the crowd. Matt, Chad, Jason and company really impressed everybody at Leo Burnett and left us all inspired.”rnrnAt the annual Autodesk University in Las Vegas, Matt Daly also took part in a high-profile conference for more than 8,000 attendees which was devoted to Innovation.rnrn”We took a big chance investing so much into ISAM Live, but seeing how the project captured imaginations and has inspired innovative people in every field of business has been extremely gratifying,” began Jason White. “Outside of the broadcast world, we also worked on major projects for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and their Marquee Nightclub, as well as Drake’s 2011 OVO Festival, and we are all very enthusiastic about what’s to come in 2012.”rnrnLeviathan was also among the leading creative companies and agencies invited to contribute original work to Melbourne Australia’s pioneer digital festival Pause Fest, which ran in early November, showcasing the future of technology, art and ideas from all around the world. rnrnIn the advertising space, Leviathan recently collaborated with HELLO! director Paul Schneider and creatives from advertising agency Factory Design Labs and The North Face on an integrated, cross-promotional campaign launched in conjunction with Dick’s Sporting Goods, while also handling editorial and visual effects duties on a spot for the Illinois State Lottery produced by Energy BBDO in Chicago and directed by Dom Bridges of Bob Industries. rnrnFinally, they have just finished directing and producing a series of videos for emerging agencies and leading brands which they are not yet at liberty to disclose. rnrn”Everyone at Leviathan has a lot to celebrate this year,” said Chad Hutson. “Along with all the good things coming from our 2011 projects, we are also greatly looking forward to joining Chicago luminaries from the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute, Studio Gang Architects, Minimal and many others in supporting EXPO CHICAGO in 2012. All in all, it feels like we have made a quantum leap this year, and I know that this group is ready for a lot more excitement starting in January.”rnrnFor more information on Leviathan, please visit www.lvthn.com. rnrnAbout LeviathanrnLeviathan is a design-focused production studio specializing in the creation of large-scale visual experiences across all media. The emerging studio’s leaders are champions of breakthrough design and branding who draw from experiences earned within the world’s leading digital agencies, production companies, VFX and motion studios. Also leveraging the talents of extraordinary storytellers, software developers, producers and artists, Leviathan develops cutting edge content that maximizes the greatest capabilities of today’s media platforms, from broadcast to experiential installations. Since launching in 2010, the studio’s collaborations with agencies, brands and leading filmmakers have resulted in sensational projects across all markets and industries, and its strategic alliance with V Squared Labs (www.vsquaredlabs.com) further reinforces its leadership role in large-scale experiential event production. To learn more about Leviathan, please visit www.lvthn.com, or call executive producer Chad Hutson at 1.312.878.1500.
Liz Charky Directs a Playful and Reflective Video For Henry Hall’s “Tiny Door”
Directed by Liz Charky, the music video for Henry Hall’s ‘Tiny Door’ is a playful and profound exploration of the song’s intriguing perspective on love. Silly moments and serious heartbreak are skillfully weaved together in a series of cheeky, dreamy, profound, and sometimes psychedelic scenes. “I am a huge fan of love songs that have an unusual, hyper-specific perspective on love,” says Hall. “That’s what I wanted to do with ‘Tiny Door.’ It’s about loving someone unconditionally while recognizing that love is something that isn’t always straightforward — I think that’s 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 — that’s really portrayed well by Liz, and Ellin Aldana, our cinematographer.” Charky explains, “When 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 – 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. 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