Ad agency Innocean Worldwide recently commissioned motion design & production studio Royale to create the Azera Journey, an interactive microsite showcasing Hyundai’s flagship model for the US market. nnFeaturing CG-animated demos, fun facts and other interactive experiences, the microsite tells the beautiful story behind the Azera’s artisan craftsmanship and cutting-edge features. Royale Creative Directors Brien Holman and Jayson Whitmore led the soup-to-nuts production, from web design & development to photo-real renderings of the Azera zooming through dynamic 3D environments. nn”This was an ambitious and challenging project, and the client had never done anything like this before,” says Jessica Ambrose, CG Producer at Innocean. “We wanted to do the microsite in HTML 5 with an illustrated look to everything, and Royale had the best ideas for bringing the 3D car to life in five different, CG-stylized environments. With more than 1,500 frames, it was a render-intensive job on a tight timeline, but they were always fabulous, making sure we had clear communication and as smooth a process as possible. Everyone worked really well together.”nn”This was an inspiring project for us because the site’s core message leverages the fundamental concepts and ideas behind our own approach to visual storytelling,” says Holman. “So many art forms influence our process, whether it’s design, painting or music. It’s great to see Hyundai embrace these connections as a way to effectively communicate its brand-messaging to its consumers.”nnnTo view live site, please visit: www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/2012/azera/experience/full/nnFor a behind-the-scenes look, please click here.nnnFor render tests of the CG car, go here.nnThe Azera Journey embarks in a stylishly illustrated city on a charming muted color palette. The intuitive scrolling interface invites users to navigate the sleekly rendered Azera through painterly 3D worlds. En route to each feature display, site navigation in itself becomes a brilliant showcase of the car, unfolding myriad photo-real views and angles, inside and out.nn”The scrolling functionality was a unique part of this project,” explains Whitmore. “With a simple swipe or scroll, visitors can easily explore the site and quickly access more info about the Azera’s features.”nnA corresponding menu of specs and fun facts, such as “How much coffee did the engineers drink during testing?” supplement each film. The interface also features interactive widgets to illustrate key details that were tested and scrutinized to make the Azera top of its class: a redline engine tester, a hearing examination demonstrating the car’s quietness, and a real-time counter showcasing the headlight durability in the harsh conditions of Death Valley, among others. nnCreditsnProject: Hyundai Azera MicrositennAgency: Innocean Irvine, CA nCG Producer: Jessica Ambrose nArt Director: David MesfinnnProduction & Design Company: Royale Los AngelesnDirector: RoyalenCreative Directors: Brien Holman & Jayson WhitmorenArt Director: Jonathan KimnExecutive Producer: Jen LuceronSenior Producer: Sean SullivannDesigners: Tae Kim, Jonathan Kim, Juliet Park & Kyle SmithnStoryboards: Brian Koonsnn3D Company: Royale Los Angelesn3D Lead/CG Supervisor: Andy Lyon nLighting TD: Erick SchielenLighter/Lead Modelers: Matt Rosenfeld and Vlad PinedanLighters: Brian Broussard, Aziz Dosmetov and Handel EugenenCompositors: Ryan Kirkwood, Mack Hasham, Matt Lavoy, Matt Merkovich, Nick Forshee, David Do and Renzo ReyesnnWeb Development: Loyal DesignnnAbout RoyalenPartners Brien Holman, Jayson Whitmore, and Jen Lucero launched Royale in 2007 with an uncompromising mission: be passionate about what you do, find inspiration anywhere, and create a fun, relaxed environment where clients and talent can thrive creatively. nnSpanning all aspects of concept creation to execution, Royale integrates award-winning production, design and animation to weave rich stories across all screens, channels and media landscapes. www.weareroyale.comn
Michele Lu Kumar Priya PR 310.922.0464 Contact Michele via email
Goldcrest Post Speeds Delivery of “Severance” Season Two
The New York Times recently wrote that the just-released Season Two of Severance will “blow your mind”—and we couldn’t agree more. Created by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller, the Apple TV+ drama is smart, spellbinding, distinctly original and packed with surprises. For those who aren’t already devoted fans, the show centers on Mark Scout (Adam Scott), leader of a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. Goldcrest Post provided post services for both seasons of the show, including picture editorial support, sound editorial, ADR and sound mixing. Editorial for Season One began in 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Goldcrest supplied both onsite production offices and edit suites, and remote editing systems for individual editors, with everything linked to a central server. "Mixing at Goldcrest with our team has been a great experience,” says Stiller. “Bob and Jacob are in sync with our creative process and so good at what they do that the experience is always one where it's about how we can enhance the creative vision, with a baseline of knowing everyone is totally committed to making something as good as it can be." Diana Dekajlo, the show’s co-producer, says that the arrangement worked so well, they chose to continue the hybrid approach for Season Two. “We’re a remote friendly show,” she explains. “Whether we’re at Goldcrest, our studio in the Bronx or at home, our workflow is seamless. I conduct remote daily meetings with my immediate staff, and weekly meetings with editorial and VFX, and we talk to each other as if we were just down the hall. It makes for great staff... Read More