What makes an airline seat sexy? How do you bring an experience in the sky to the Internet? Clean, crisp, compelling, CG animation courtesy of <a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP (<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.), a design-based production company that’s blurring the boundaries between sleek, high-production-value broadcast TV spots and imagery for the Web.
“It used to be that the Web was the poor stepchild of branding, even for big brands,” said <a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP Principal and Creative Director Stacy Nimmo. “That’s no longer true. The bar has been raised both in what’s possible and what people have come to expect in a Web experience. We use our skills set as longtime broadcast designers to connect a client’s overarching brand with the average person’s high expectations of quality. The results can be spectacular.”
Founded in 2000 in New York (and originally housed in an old munitions factory from which it draws its name) <a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP is dedicated to creating branding with motion graphics, live action, 3D and character animation for broadcast, agency and corporate clients. <a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP works frequently in partnership with major brands’ agencies of record (AORs), adding their meticulous, detail-rich approach to help bring home the essence of a brand or product, drawing audiences in through appealing, dimensional visuals.
“We not only bring deep experience in hands-on aspects of video and animation, but we’re also good at helping clients navigate the overall process to help them choose from various styles of execution to end up with a product that is creatively satisfying but also truly meets their strategic needs.” Says GUNSHOP’s Executive Producer, Therese Vreeland.
American Airlines wanted to remind customers about the perks available in First Class, especially the “pod,” the multifunctional personal space that’s part airline seat, part bed, part work desk, dining table and more.
Capturing it online, in a way that would engage customers and encourage them to explore its numerous features, would require attractive, convincing visuals. Enter GUNSHOP, hired by McCann WorldGroup – Salt Lake City working with Dallas-based agency TM Advertising, American’s AOR.
The approach was to take the pod out of the airplane environment and place it in a virtual loft apartment – another model of flexible living – and highlight the features of the pod on its own. The effect is like taking a test drive of designer furniture in its creator’s own atelier. Elements of GUNSHOP’s work included creating 3-D surfaces, lighting, camera moves, and Flash adaptation. Nimmo and team did much research into the pod’s CAD drawings, materials, movements and more. Notable are detailed representations of textures, fabrics, even the cinematic steam coming off the in-flight meal. Subtle lighting variations help set a sultry mood and the full-screen, broadcast-quality animation takes the best elements of a 30-second TV spot and presents it online.
“<a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP did a great job of taking direction and giving incredible added value to the project,” said Eric Feitel, creative director at TM Advertising. “In a world with so many different shops that provide 3-D services, there are very few like <a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP who bring so much insight and experience to the table and give us both the guidance and ultimately the product that we need.”
Creative Director: Stacy Nimmo
3D /Design: Michael Olea, Jacobo Barreiro
Producer: Rimma Dreyband
Agency: McCann WorldGroup/ Salt Lake City
Technical Project Manage: Delphine Campes
Creative Agency: TM Advertising/Dallas
Creative Director: Eric Feitel
<a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP is a design-based production company dedicated to creating branding with motion graphics, live action, 3D and character animation for broadcast, agency and corporate clients. Desktop technology drawn to creative focus through years of experience allows our small shop to work with big clients including: Adidas, American Airlines, AOL, CMT, Comcast, Footlocker, Gap, HBO, ICSF, Jet Blue, Microsoft, MTV, Nabisco, Nike, Pitney Bowes, PBS, Pioneer, Saturn, Sci-Fi Channel, Smith Barney, Sprint, Toyota, USA Network, Verizon, VH1, Wienerschnitzel and Women’s Funding Network. <a href="http://<a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv.“>GUNSHOP can be found online at <a href="http://www.gunshop.tv.“>(www.gunshop.tv..
