(Minneapolis, Minnesota--May 16, 2008) Broadcast design & animation studio motion504 has been commissioned to create another CG in-store spot for client Target, this time to tout the retailer's "Bookmarked" program, which selects books for readers. "Club Picks" is the first of three spots to break in Target stores nationwide.
To view the "Club Picks" spot, please go to
http://www.motion504.com/hype/Target_Bookmarked/
The spot opens on a dreamy fantasy landscape where a red tree sparkles in the sun. A splendid red bird takes flight out of the tree soaring into the sky and flying towards the camera before transforming into a book. A pair of hands catches the book, titled "Club Picks," and flips through the pages, which introduces the recommended tome for your next book club gathering.
motion504 was given some direction for the mood of the spot through words provided by Target, such as playful, simple, engaging, illusion and hand-drawn. The client also wanted to play on the metaphor of a bird in a tree turning into a book. Taking these initial concepts, Designers/Creative Directors Scott Wenner and Amy Schmitt then presented several boards with different design elements and concepts. The team ultimately combined elements from each concept and created a hybrid storyboard.
"This project is a good example of a client coming to us with an idea and asking us to take it to the next level," says Eric Mueller, motion504 Executive Producer. "They came to us with a very strong visual concept of a bird turning into a book, and then asked us to flesh out that concept and bring it to life."
"The transition of the bird into the book is one of the most important elements," adds Wenner. "We had to capture the magic of this transformation. The bird is not realistic in design, but had realistic flight. Much attention was paid to elevate the environment so when the bird is flying at you, it feels exciting and thrilling, not scary or threatening."
To merge the two different worlds in the spot -- the fantasy world and the real world, which happens when the person catches the book - motion504 used a combo of CG animation and live-action. A hand-model was shot using the RED camera at 75 frames-per-second.
"The technical challenge was making the jump between the animated bird and the real book and hands," says Wenner. "One part of the solution was to shoot the hand-model lying on her back so we could get the right angle. She caught the book, which I dropped from above, and then opened and closed it several times. The RED footage provides a smoother, dreamier look and slow-motion feel. We used stills from the RED to map onto the digital book so it had the same color and organic quality to it. After we figured that out we could then focus on the creative challenge of finding the right moment to transform the bird into the book."
"Having the RED was fantastic," remarks Schmitt. "It proved to be the most effective way for us to work. We had the higher frame rate and more latitude in working with the colors and looks because we had raw unprocessed images and better resolution. In the fantasy world, for example, the colors are more vibrant and oversaturated in a Willa Wonka way. We really enjoyed our collaboration with Target. They were very involved, but open to our design and creative interpretation."
Client: Target
Spot Title: "Club Picks" - began airing in-stores May 15, 2008
Design & Animation Company: motion504
Creative Directors/Designers: Amy Schmitt & Scott Wenner
Executive Producer: Eric Mueller
About motion504:
motion504 is a broadcast design and animation studio, which specializes in the art of motion. Featuring the talents of senior-level creative directors, designers and animators, the company has done work for film, TV, advertising and music clients including Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Target, Best Buy and mega artist Beyoncé Knowles. motion504, with its open studio space, is built upon the idea of collaboration through communication, critique and contribution amongst its artists and clients. This collective philosophy lends itself to the company's talent contributing to each and every project, and drawing upon their creative skills and technical experience in design, animation, 3D modeling, illustration and visual effects.
motion504 is located at 212 3rd Ave. N., Suite 315
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612.338.3190.
www.motion504.com
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