It was the best of times in 2021 for animation at Post Asylum/Element X. The Dallas based creative content studio created CG cities both small and large for two recent broadcast promos. AMC Networks in New York tapped PA/EX to create a miniature Christmas village for their IFC holiday promo. Westsider Media called on PA/EX to create some Texas-sized city scenes for the 2022 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
“The last two years have been a Dickens-like ‘best and worst of times’ ride for creative studios like us. But disruption and change bring opportunity.” said Graham Hagood, PA/EX Executive Producer. “Our growth on the animation side has been fantastic. With the mainstreaming of remote work, clients like AMC Networks/IFC in New York are even more willing to partner with a Texas shop like us if they see the creative, quality work they’re looking for.”
IFC Production Director Laurie Mutschler noted, “We were searching for a photo-real miniature world style of animation for our holiday village concept. We found some work by PA/EX we loved, but needed to confirm they also had the resources to turn it quickly.” From the initial kickoff meeting to final delivery, the entire production timeline was just a little over two weeks.
“It was clear from the first meeting with Chad and his team in Dallas, they understood both our visual and creative vision,” said IFC Creative Director Fred Mullin. The promo, entitled “Christmas with the Family”, features famous lines from iconic mafia family movies such as “The Godfather” and “Goodfellas”. “We love clients and projects like this that are looking for a creative collaboration,” commented Chad Briggs, PA/EX Executive Creative Director. “We had a blast creating this little holiday village, crafting every pose and expression on the faces of these miniatures to pay off the movie quotes.”
On the real-world city front, Post Asylum/Element X created downtown scenes with giant banners for Westsider Media. The promo for the 2022 Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo features real-world iconic Fort Worth landmarks such as the West 7th Street Bridge, Will Rogers Memorial Center and Dickies Arena. The rodeo, which began in 1896, is the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo in the U.S.
“With the stock show coming back from two unprecedented years off due to COVID, we wanted to go big and bold with our 2022 promo,” said Candace Cooper, Westsider Principal/Producer. “Based on my experience working with them in the past, I reached out to Post Asylum/Element X without hesitation. And they over-delivered, as usual.”
