At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the not-for-profit film production company and foundation Cinereach Ltd. proudly took part in unveiling director Benh Zeitlin’s drama entitled “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” When the house lights went down and the feature presentation began, audiences were introduced to an iconic new ident for Cinereach, which was designed and brought to life cinematically by Thornberg & Forester (T&F) co-founder, principal and director Scott Matz and his colleagues at the award-winning design and production company.n nThe ident was developed in collaboration with Cinereach founder and executive director Philipp Engelhorn, creative director Michael Raisler, and communications and fellowships manager Reva Goldberg. nn”Working with Scott and his team was a very rewarding experience,” said Engelhorn. “They really listened for important cues and nuances in how we talked about what we wanted, and successfully translated our many conversations with them into striking imagery and graceful motion. We were very proud to see our new ident on the big screen for the first time at Sundance, and feel it conveys the Cinereach mark perfectly.”n nnnApplying skills polished over the past five years during which T&F has been busily supporting world-leading business, entertainment and marketing industry executives, Matz and company collectively jumped at the chance to create the short yet powerful brand ident. Their challenge was to visually express what is distinctive about the films Cinereach supports, while capturing the tone and emotional dynamic represented by the company’s unique ethos… and to do so in only 10 seconds.n nTo artfully achieve that sublime result, the visual approach begins from a solitary vantage point, where graphic, crystalline architectural elements align within the camera’s view to create the geometry of the Cinereach mark, signifying the foundation’s authentically unique perspective.n n”We are a solution driven company that believes in the power of the creative process and true client engagement,” Matz began. “We initially presented a number of distinctly different solutions, and as we progressed, Cinereach’s brand and ethos led us to design and create a cinematic ident that embodies Cinereach in a beautiful and simple way.”n nContinuing, Matz explained, “The ident became a short film in and of itself. There’s a wonderful marriage of concept and picture to sound that resulted from our collaboration with Echolab’s Gavin Little. Gavin worked closely with composer Tobias Norberg to find the perfect balance of impact and restraint. He then dashed the piece with a beautiful layer of sound design to wonderfully encase the experience in Dolby 5.1.”n nOnce their concept and approach were approved, T&F’s artists moved into rigorous R&D in the areas of 3D design and modeling, camera motion and speed tests. The team used Autodesk Maya and Cinema 4D, as well as HDR Light Studio Pro. Compositing and finishing was handled in After Effects and da Vinci. With final approvals from the Cinereach executives, the ident was finished just in time for its debut at Sundance.n n”The solution we landed on for Cinereach required a tremendous amount of attention to detail,” added Elizabeth Kiehner, T&F co-founder, principal and executive producer. “We are diligent and fastidious, almost obsessive, about craftsmanship and production values, and we feel this work clearly reflects these core values.”n nComplete project credits are available upon request. For more information on this project, please visit www.thornbergandforester.com.n nAbout Thornberg & ForesternAt Thornberg & Forester (T&F), we believe that Design is Law(TM). That means that the tenets of smart, stylish design influence everything we do, whether it’s producing live-action or creating visual effects, 2D and 3D animation for ad campaigns, broadcast identity and promotion work or digital media applications. In addition to our production and design capabilities, T&F is also a resource for concept, strategy and creative solutions. Whether working for ad agencies, corporations, media companies or artists, T&F takes a highly collaborative approach and always strives to achieve that perfect balance between effectiveness and elegance. For further information, please visit www.thornbergandforester.com.n nAbout Cinereach Ltd.nCinereach is a not-for-profit film production company and foundation that champions vital stories, artfully told. Created and led by young philanthropists, entrepreneurs and filmmakers, Cinereach supports fiction and nonfiction filmmakers from all over the world through its Grants & Awards, the Reach Film Fellowship and Productions areas; and through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and others. For the latest information on Cinereach programs and upcoming deadlines, visit www.Cinereach.org and join the Cinereach email list.
Roger Darnell DWA for Thornberg & Forester Phone: 1.828.264.8898 Contact Roger via email
Contact:Reva Goldberg Cinereach Phone: 1.212.727.3224 x111 Contact Reva via email
The Light and BIEN Form Creative & Strategic Alliance
Production company The Light and motion design studio BIEN have forged a strategic alliance that nurtures inclusivity and sustainability throughout the life cycle of every project.
The Light Founder/CEO Becky Morrison and BIEN Co-Founder Ricardo Roberts were first introduced by a mutual client who recognized their parallel ethos. Both Morrison and Roberts are advocates for industry change, and have built successful companies that demonstrate the benefits of human-centered and sustainable production in live action and motion design, respectively.
“I admire the thoughtfulness, specificity, and artistry with which BIEN produces animation and design and their attention to representing the full spectrum of humanity,” notes Morrison. “Their work behind the scenes to foster a diverse creative community is equally impressive. It feels like the perfect moment to partner with another mission-driven company who cares so deeply about creative excellence and social change.”
“I immediately hit it off with Becky and love that she has so many ideas that are tactical, scalable and make a powerful difference,” adds Roberts. “She challenges the status quo while producing beautiful, world-class content. With this partnership, we can better serve our clients and carry our mission forward together.”
The Light is a production company guided by the principle that an emotionally healthy environment is paramount for creativity and high performance. From its inception in 2014, The Light has centered under-represented talent, with equity and sustainability as key pillars to delivering creative projects for... Read More