All-CG spot produced by Filmworkers’ new VFX and animation unit Churchill Studio introduces “Banshee,” the world’s largest inverted roller coaster.
Filmworkers’ new creative unit Churchill Studio encourages viewers to face their worst fears (while enjoying the thrill of their lives) in a new spot for amusement park giant Cedar Fair and Chicago agency Cramer-Krasselt. Everything You Fear is an all-CG spot introducing Banshee, a new roller coaster debuting at Cedar Fair’s Kings Island park this summer.
In the spot, the giant ride appears to build itself and then takes park patrons on an adrenalin-pumping trip full of vertical loops, dives and zero-g rolls. The ride’s ghostly namesake appears out of nowhere and pursues the riders, while emitting a bone-chilling scream. The narration notes that Banshee has “everything you fear: your fear of heights…of falling…of flying…of demons.”
Led by Visual Effects Director Rob Churchill and Art Director Daniel Pernikoff, the team from Churchill Studio modeled the animation after prototype drawings and animatics of the new ride, recreating its architecture in precise, photo-real detail. The sense of menace is accentuated by setting the scene at dusk. “The sunset hour allowed us to play with a lot of cool highlights and shadows,” says Pernikoff. “It’s realistic, but surrealistic at the same time. Our 3D guys did an amazing job in adding the details that sell the effect.”
The surreal tone is further enhanced by the appearance of the Banshee. The ghoulish figure forms out of a vapor trail and swoops over the screaming riders before resolving into the ride’s logo. “We broke the logo into its components parts—its arms and hands and tattered clothing, and animated each part individually,” recalls Churchill. “Working with Daniel on this first project was amazing!”
Filmworkers provided editorial finishing for an additional 50 spots for Cedar Fair. The entire package will serve as the summer campaign for all of the parks in the group.
Filmworkers is located at 232 E. Ohio St. Penthouse, Chicago, IL 60611. For more information, call (312) 664-9333 or visit www.filmworkers.com.
Video Credits
Kelley Semmelroth, EVP/Chief Marketing Officer; Lupita Suda, Manager Advertising.
Pat Hanna, VP/Creative Director; Larry Liss, Assoc. Creative Director; David Petti; Assoc. Creative Director; Derek Green; Senior VP/Exec. Creative Director; Julie Sheridan, Senior VP/Group Account Director; Tiffany Williams, VP/Account Supervisor; Rich Mules, VP/Management Supervisor; Will Meyers, Producer; Liz Dacko, VP/Campaign Manager; Nancy Bernardin; Business Manager.
Angelo Valencia, Editor; Lauren Scheurer, Post Producer.
Derek de Board
Executive Producer
Filmworkers
312.664.9333
Contact David via email
Media:
Linda Rosner
Artisans PR
310.837.6008
Contact Linda via email
Simian Gets An Evolutionary Boost For Collaboration, Reveals “Teams”
Simian, the showreel-building, review & approval, and production asset management platform used globally by creative leaders, is kicking off this fall season with a substantial leap forward for collaboration and project management – with more updates on the way during the holidays!
The new feature, aptly dubbed “Teams”, makes it easier than ever for users to give project responsibilities to team members and clients alike. “You can never have too many options when it comes to permission levels,” says Jay Brooks, Simian’s Chief Technology Officer. “Teams provides a streamlined way to assign multiple users to a project at once.”
“Teams are very powerful, but creating one is effortless,” Brian Atton, Simian’s Chief Operating Officer explains. “Simply enter a Team name, add members, and then apply the newly made Team to any desired project. You can even invite temporary guests without changing settings for other projects or needing to create a new Team.”
“We love helping our clients by providing efficient tools to improve their workflow, and this has been a frequently requested feature as of late,” shares Kellie Atton, Head of Sales at Simian. “It feels great to get Teams out into the wild because I know it’s going to be tremendously helpful to everyone who uses it”.
Teams is now available exclusively to Simian’s enterprise clients. Simian plans to release more product upgrades and enhancements during Q4 2024 and 2025 for enterprise and non-enterprise users, continuing its ongoing evolution as the industry’s leading production asset management solution.
For more information on Simian upgrades and features, visit https://www.gosimian.com/
About Simian
Simian (