Motionographer.com, Dec. 5, 2009: Elastic/a52: Honda “Boxes”
Directed by Andy Hall, “Boxes” builds on the lively minimalism of “Instruments,” with transitional moments powered by the expansion and contraction of nested squares that look like Albers paintings on acid—neon-lit and full of kinetic possibility...

SugarMob.com, Dec. 5, 2009: Elastic/a52: Honda “Boxes”
Posted on Motionographer...

WeMakeChanges.com, Dec. 5, 2009: Elastic/a52: Honda “Boxes”
Elastic/a52 releases another colorful component of the Honda Accord Crosstour campaign for agency RPA...

BestAdsonTV.com, Dec. 3, 2009: Crosstour: Boxes
Production Company: Elastic; Director: Andy Hall....

BoardsMag.com, Dec. 3, 2009: Honda “Boxes”
The art of fitting without fitting in...

Universal Positive, Dec. 3, 2009: Expanding Artistry from LA Design Studio Elastic
...From the recent Honda Accord Crosstour “Instruments” and “Boxes” spots for ad agency RPA, to the Verizon “iDon’t,” “Surfer” and “Homing Device” Droid spots for mcgarrybowen, the adidas “It’s On Me For We” spots for 180/LA, the Lexus HS Pods spots for Team One, and more cool work for FUEL TV, Nike and others, sharing the company’s artistry over the past year has been an amazing adventure for yours truly...

Philmadelphia.com, Dec. 1, 2009: Instruments by Andy Hall
Director Andy Hall and his team at Elastic and a52 to come up with this great spot for Honda called “Instruments.”...

PixelArts, Issue #16, November, 2009: Travelers "Drifters" Spot from Fallon Reunites Frank Budgen, Angus Wall and a52's Patrick Murphy
Established in 1997 as a home for the very latest high-end photo-real visual effects technologies and the industry's most innovative and talented artists, visual effects boutique a52 creates award-winning imagery for the world's most visually ambitious commercial and television projects...

Animation Blog, Nov. 26, 2009: Andy Hall (Elastic) Honda Accord Crosstour "Instruments" (2009)
There are not enough hours in the day for me to feature all the things I’m asked to do or wish to do. I do feature ads that appeal. Such is this darling for the Honda Accord Crosstour made by RPA advertising agency...

Adland.tv, Nov. 25, 2009: Honda Crosstour - Boxes - (2009) :30 (USA)
Project Name: Honda Crosstour “Boxes”; Running Time: :30; Release Date: 11.29.09...

Adland.tv, Nov. 24, 2009: Honda Accord Crosstour - "Instruments" - (2009) :30 (USA)
Santa Monica-based full-service design studio Elastic, and to share their latest artistry. For the creatives at RPA, Elastic director Andy Hall and his colleagues just created the first of several graphically driven spots for the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour. This first spot is entitled "Instruments." What follows is a lot of words from RPA, my cliff notes; this animation looks really cool...

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Nov. 24, 2009: Member news from around the world
So now that Verizon, the US cell phone company, has finally taken the wraps off its Droid mobile phone, it’s time to show consumers just what it looks like and what it can do. That’s the goal behind a new TV spot from New York agency mcgarrybowen titled “Big D.” ...The spot was cut by Editor Adam Schwartz at Beast, New York, and uses a nice dose of VFX from a52.

Creativity-Online.com, Nov. 23, 2009: Axe Destiny
An Axe man steps in the way of romantic fate in this new spot for Axe out of Ponce, Buenos Aires...

Creativity-Online.com, Nov. 23, 2009: Droid/Verizon Wireless: Homing Device
Production Company:Elastic; Director:Patrick Murphy; Post: A52; Edit:Rock Paper Scissors; Editor:David Brodie...

Creativity-Online.com, Nov. 23, 2009: Droid/Verizon Wireless: Surfer
Production Company:Elastic; Director:Patrick Murphy; Post: A52; Edit:Rock Paper Scissors; Editor:David Brodie...

DesignerHK.com, Nov. 23, 2009: Honda Crosstour: Instruments
Advertising Agency: RPA, Santa Monica, CA, USA; Creative Director: Pat Mendelson; Art Director: Chuck Blackwell; Copywriter: Seth Prandini; Chief Creative Officer: David Smith; Agency Executive Producer: Gary Paticoff; Production/Design Company: Elastic; Director: Andy Hall...

JoeyTomatoes.com, Nov. 23, 2009: Elastic's Andy Hall for RPA: Honda Accord Crosstour "Instruments"
For the creatives at RPA, Elastic director Andy Hall and his colleagues just created the first of several graphically driven spots for the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour. This first spot is entitled "Instruments."....

theHub, Nov. 23, 2009: Elastic for Honda Music Jazz Design
Elastic was inspired by Birth of the Cool, “Instruments”, and this is the first spot in a campaign by RPA to launch the all new Honda Accord Crosstour. “Instruments” relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, a modern alternative to the SUV/CUV category. Noteworthy music, a remix of “Fever,” helps the spot reveal how lifestyles and experiences, as well as the stuff needed to facilitate these pursuits, fit completely into the Crosstour...

Conceptguy.co.uk, Nov. 22, 2009: Elastic for Honda
Though larger polygons could imply retro technology , the lighting effects and movement in these spots are at a level of sophistication that could only be accomplished with today’s computer technology...

DesignScene.net, Nov. 22, 2009: Elastic for Honda
..."Instruments" relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, a modern alternative to the SUV/CUV category...

Raymond's Fantasy, Nov. 22, 2009: Elastic for Honda
...VFX/Finishing Company: a52...

CGRecord.net, Nov. 21, 2009: Elastic's Andy Hall for RPA: Honda Accord Crosstour "Instruments"
"Instruments" relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, a modern alternative to the SUV/CUV category.

Computer Graphics World, Nov. 21, 2009: Elastic Creates Graphically Driven Spot for Honda Accord Crosstour
...This was accomplished by Andy Hall, Elastic and their team going the opposite direction of where computer animation is headed these days: instead of using super small polygons, these spots use large, pronounced polygons to create vibrant, memorable graphics...

GreatAds, Nov. 21, 2009: New Honda Accord Crosstour "Instruments" Ad
The new Honda Accord Crosstour commercial. "Instruments" relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, a modern alternative to the SUV/CUV category. Noteworthy music, a remix of "Fever," helps the spot reveal how lifestyles and experiences, as well as the stuff needed to facilitate these pursuits, fit completely into the Crosstour...

shots, Nov. 20, 2009: Cut & Paste: You give me fever
Honda get a stylish animation of their very own courtesy of Elastic director Andy Hall. He's not elastic. The company is. That would just be weird.

AdsoftheWorld.com, Nov. 20, 2009: Honda Crosstour: Instruments
The first spot from the Honda Accord Crosstour campaign, "Instruments," relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, a modern alternative to the SUV/CUV category. Noteworthy music, a remix of "Fever," helps the spot reveal how lifestyles and experiences, as well as the stuff needed to facilitate these pursuits, fit completely into the all-new Accord Crosstour...

Lineboil.com, Nov. 20, 2009: Elastic and a52 Aboard Honda Accord Spot | Lineboil
Santa Monica-based Elastic brought this jazzy spot for Honda to life, helping promote their new Accord Crosstour. Neighboring studio a52 was aboard the project, titled Instruments, adding VFX and Max Ulichney served as the CG lead...

LikeSyrup, Nov. 20, 2009: Honda Accord Crosstour “Instruments” | Elastic/A52
Nicely stylized spot by Elastic / A52.

Digital Arts Magazine, Nov. 19, 2009: Elastic creates edgy graphic jazz for Honda
Santa Monica-based studio Elastic has completed a moody spot for Honda, titled Instruments, in which a fully animated, sharp-edged jazz band takes to the stage....

ExistingVisual.com, Nov. 19, 2009: Honda Crosstour: Instruments
Honda Crosstour: Instruments The first spot from the Honda Accord Crosstour campaign, "Instruments," relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour...

Motionographer.com, Nov. 19, 2009: Elastic/A52: Honda Accord "Instruments"
Design and VFX team Elastic/A52 rock out for Honda Accord in this highly colorful CG jazz spot, as they show off how much hidden space the new Accord Crosstour really offers....

Ventilate.ca, Nov. 19, 2009: Elastic.tv : Honda ~ Instruments
Santa Monica based design studio Elastic’s, latest artistry; director Andy Hall and his colleagues just created the first of several spots for the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour...

PubCreativo.com, Nov. 19, 2009: Honda Crosstour: Instruments
The first spot from the Honda Accord Crosstour campaign, “Instruments,” relies on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, a modern alternative to the SUV/CUV category...

AdvertLover.com, Nov. 19, 2009: Honda Crosstour: Instruments
Production/Design Company: Elastic; Director: Andy Hall; DP: Toby Irwin; Live Action Producer: David Wolfson; Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall...

Cafundó Estúdio Criativo, Nov. 19, 2009: A52: Honda Accord “Instruments”
Animação estilizada em lowpoly produzida pela Elastic. Vale a pena conferir.

SugarMob.com, Nov. 19, 2009: Elastic / A52: Honda Accord “Instruments”
Posted on Motionographer...

Kiss my black ads, Nov. 19, 2009: Honda Accord Crosstour: "Instruments"
Cred: Production:Elastic a52; Directed by Andy Hall...

Ypsilon2, Nov. 19, 2009: Honda Accord Crosstour | Instruments
Fantástico o novo spot criado pela RPA para promover o novo Honda Accord Crosstour.

Adrants.com, Nov. 18, 2009: Smooth Jazz Lures Buyers to Honda Accord Crosstour
...We like its laid back minimalism which makes the point the car has a lot of room to carry whatever you need it to carry without getting all over wordy about cubic feet and crap like that. To create the animation in the commercial, RPA worked with Santa Monica-based design studio Elastic.

Pensamientos-Abernales.com, Nov. 18, 2009: Honda Accord Crosstour “Instruments” – Elastic
Honda Accord Crosstour “Instruments”; www.elastic.tv.

JoeyTomatoes.com, Nov. 16, 2009: Elastic │ Verizon Droid │ I Don't │ Surfer
A very busy Santa Monica-based full-service design studio Elastic, and to share their latest artistry...

Creativity-Online.com, Nov. 15, 2009: Droid/Verizon Wireless: iDon't
Design Studio: Elastic; VFX Studio: a52...

Adland.tv, Nov. 13, 2009: Verizon Droid - "iDon't" - (2009) :30 (USA)
The very busy Santa Monica-based full-service design studio Elastic (www.elastic.tv) popped by to hand us a copy of the now famous "iDon't" Droid is not-iPhone ad...

Adland.tv, Nov. 13, 2009: Verizon Droid - "Surfer" - (2009) :30 (USA)
Hot on the heels of iDon't comes surfer...

DesignScene.net, Nov. 12, 2009: Verizon Droid "Surfer" by Elastic
Verizon Droid does a lot of things including a 100 million dollar media push masterminded by McGarry Bowen. For the product spots Elastic continued evolving the look they designed for the Droid Teaser which has over 1.5 million hits on YouTube....

CGrecord.net, Nov. 12, 2009: Verizon Droid "iDon't" and "Surfer" from Elastic
Design Company: Elastic; Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall; Visual Effects Company: a52; Sound Design: Elastic & Sound Lounge...

GraphicsMafia.com, Nov. 5, 2009: Elastic for Adidas “It's on me”
Nice work for Adidas by Elastic...

Adland.tv, Nov. 3, 2009: X-Box Forza Motorsport 3 - An Open Door - (2009) :60 (USA)
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Angus Wall; Assistant Editor: Anton Capaldo-Smith; Post Producer: Kimberly Colen; Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver; VFX: A52; Lead VFX/Flame Artist: Andy McKenna...

AdsoftheWorld.com, Nov. 3, 2009: Xbox Forza Motorsport 3: An Open Door
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Angus Wall; Assistant Editor: Anton Capaldo-Smith; Post Producer: Kimberly Colen; Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver; VFX: A52; Lead VFX/Flame Artist: Andy McKenna...

Listicles.com, Oct. 30, 2009: 10 Terribly Pretty New Commercials
We like that new technology is bringing the rest of the world up to European advertising standards, which go with the “If it’s pretty it doesn’t need to make sense” principle. Increasingly, commercials for products big and small, from every corner of the planet, are doing simple concepts with slick visual style, like Adidas “It’s On Me for We” by Patrick Murphy and studio Elastic...

Adland.tv, Oct. 25, 2009: Adidas - It's On Me for We- (2009) :46 (USA)
Agency: 180 Los Angeles; Advertiser: adidas; Brand Name: adidas; Production company: Elastic; Director: Patrick Murphy; Editing Company: Rock Paper Scissors...

Creativity-Online.com, Oct. 23, 2009: Adidas: It's On D. Rose
A new adidas brotherhood campaign from 180, L.A....

Creativity-Online.com, Oct. 23, 2009: Adidas: It's On Me for We
It's on them.

Adforum.com, Oct. 21, 2009: Attitude Top 5: Adidas – “It’s On Me for We” – 180 LA
Ready for the NBA season… Superstars converge as Adidas ramps up for another year of hoops....

Fubiz.net, Oct. 19, 2009: Adidas : It's on Me for We
Une superbe publicité pour l’équipementier Adidas Basketball qui lance la saison 2010 de NBA, avec les joueurs Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Kevin Garnett ou encore Josh Smith. Le spot a été dirigé par Patrick Murphy sur une production du studio Elastic. A découvrir dans la suite...

JoeyTomatoes.com, Oct. 19, 2009: TRAVELERS "DRIFTERS" SPOT FROM FALLON REUNITES FRANK BUDGEN, ANGUS WALL AND a52'S PATRICK MURPHY
Santa Monica visual effects boutique a52 is very proud to detail its contributions to a new broadcast spot from Minneapolis-based advertising agency Fallon for Travelers Insurance and director Frank Budgen...

SHOOTonline.com, Oct. 19, 2009: Adidas Basketball Campaign Celebrates Brotherhood and The Strengths of its Individuals
adidas Basketball is launching a new global campaign for the 2009-10 NBA season titled "It's On Me for My Brotherhood." The campaign concept and films, created by 180 Los Angeles, launches October 15 and celebrates the individuals of a Brotherhood and the contributions they make. It's On Me for My Brotherhood shines the spotlight on two rising NBA stars, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose, and how adidas Basketball footwear and apparel improves their performance therefore strengthening their Brotherhood...

Media, Oct. 16, 2009: adidas | It's On Me For We | Global
NBA kicks off its 64th season in two weeks' time and adidas is extending the long-running Brotherhood project with a new phase titled "It’s on me for my brotherhood"...

Motionographer.com, Oct. 16, 2009: Elastic for Adidas Hoops
Dir. Patrick Murphy & Elastic remind us that the NBA season is just around the corner with this new spot for Adidas...

nkcrida, Oct. 16, 2009: Drifters
'Gorgeous Enterprises'... 'vfx boutique a52'....

SugarMob.com, Oct. 16, 2009: Elastic for Adidas Hoops
Posted on Motionographer...

StudioDaily.com, Oct. 16, 2009: Travelers Insurance Spot Visually Defines "Umbrella Coverage"
What better way to represent financial security than a graceful swarm of umbrellas passing overhead? VFX house a52 made this concept a reality with their work on the Travelers Insurance spot "Drifters." Using a combination of real and virtual umbrellas, they multiplied the distinctive Travelers red logo by a thousand...

BestAdsonTV.com, Oct. 15, 2009: adidas: It's on Me For We
adidas Basketball launches this film via 180 Los Angeles as part of its new global campaign for the 2009-10 NBA season titled It’s On Me for My Brotherhood...

Boardsmag.com, Oct. 15, 2009: adidas “It’s On Me For We”
All for one and one for all...

Dexigner.com, Oct. 15, 2009: Travelers Drifters Spot from Fallon Reunites Frank Budgen, Angus Wall and a52's Patrick Murphy
Entitled "Drifters," the new :60 spot reunited Budgen with Rock Paper Scissors editor Angus Wall and a52 visual effects supervisor Pat Murphy, with whom he has collaborated on several occasions, including the Monster.com "Slots" ad honored in the 2008 AICP Show, which also won Gold at the 2008 New York Festivals Awards...

FunnyCommercialsWorld.com, Oct. 15, 2009: Adidas campaign: It’s on me for my Brotherhood (It’s on me for We)
Adidas has launched a new advertising campaign “It’s on me for my Brotherhood” with a video “It’s on me for we” which you can watch below. The campaing is featuring rising NBA stars, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose, to celebrate the individuals of a Brotherhood and the contributions they make to their team...

shots.net, Oct. 15, 2009: Contender: adidas : It's On Me For We
Director: Patrick Murphy; Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall; Director of Photography: Jeff Cronenweth; Post Production: A52; Editor: Jon Hopp...

StashMedia.tv, Oct. 15, 2009: “It's On” with Elastic and a52 for Adidas
Smooth new Adidas b-ball spot directed by Patrick Murphy through Elastic with VFX by a52 deserves more than one viewing – the edit and compositing synthesize into a surgical b-ball dance. Makes watching dunks...

AdvertFan.com, Oct. 14, 2009: adidas “It's On Me For We” Newest Commercial
Its on Me for my Brotherhood is the newest Adidas commercial, featuring Dwight Howard of Orlando and Galen Rose of the Chicago Bulls. The NBA stars ask us to step up with them and run for your Brotherhood thanks to Adidas of course...

Campaign Magazine, Oct. 14, 2009: Adidas 'it's on me for my brotherhood' by 180 Los Angeles
Production company: Elastic; Director: Patrick Murphy; Editor: Jon Hopp...

SHOOTonline.com, Oct. 14, 2009: Travelers "Drifters" Spot from Fallon Reunites Frank Budgen, Angus Wall and a52's Patrick Murphy
Santa Monica visual effects boutique a52 is very proud to detail its contributions to a new broadcast spot from Minneapolis-based advertising agency Fallon for Travelers Insurance and director Frank Budgen, which also features the talents of acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras...

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Oct. 14, 2009: Member news from around the world: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors and VFX supervisor Pat Murphy of a52 have collaborated again with director Frank Budgen of Gorgeous Enterprises for "Drifters," a new TV spot from Fallon Worldwide in Minneapolis for Travelers Insurance. The story of “Drifters” unfolds in the skies above America, as we see thousands of small red umbrellas elegantly floating above. As we hear the song "Worries," from the folk artist Langhorne Slim, we watch as the hypnotic flotilla moves from the ocean, over the countryside and, finally, into the skyscraper-filled canyons of a city where they gently drift down to protect a home, a car and a business. Agency credits on the spot go to Scott O'Leary, Ryan Peck, Vic Palumbo and Kate Talbot. For Gorgeous, Cassie Hulen was EP and Ellen Kuras was Director of Photography, along with Budgen himself. The spot was produced by Alicia Richards. For Rock Paper Scissors, Executive Producers were Linda Carlson and Carol Lynn Weaver. Kim Colen produced, and Grant Surmi was editorial assistant. For a52, Patrick Murphy was VFX Supervisor and Angus Wall was Colorist. Flame Artists were Patrick Murphy, Stefan Gaillot, Mike Bliss and Andy Hall, and CGI Supervisor was Kirk Shintani. VFX Producer was Jenny Bright, and Executive Producer was Jennifer Sofio Hall. The mix was performed at Eleven Sound by Jeff Fuller.

Ypsilon2.com, Oct. 14, 2009: Adidas | It's On Me For My Brotherhood
PA criação é da 180 LA, com parceria digital da RIOT. A produção dos vídeos ficou por conta da Elastic, com direção de Patrick Murphy....

BestAdsonTV.com, Oct. 13, 2009: Travelers: Drifters
Langhorne Slim provides the music and Frank Budgen provides the pictures in this Travelers spot from Fallon, Minneapolis....

BoardsMag.com, Oct. 13, 2009: Travelers Insurance “Drifters”
The forecast calls for an ironic bout of precipitation.....

StashMedia.tv, Oct. 13, 2009: Budgen, Wall and a52 for Travelers
This mellow A-list party paid for by Travelers insurance finds Frank Budgen in the directors chair, Angus Wall in the cutting room, Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) behind the camera and a52’s Pat Murphy supervising the VFX. Budgen’s plan to capture all the umbrellas in camera lead to the construction of ambitious mobile rigs to suspend a dozen or more umbrellas at each location over the five-day shoot...

CGrecord.net, Oct. 12, 2009: Travelers "Drifters" from Fallon reunites director Frank Budgen, editor Angus Wall and a52's Patrick Murphy
..."Beginning with the shoot and continuing throughout the entire process, Scott, Kate and I were fortunate to have such a talented and committed group of people working on the spot," said Fallon's creative director/copywriter Ryan Peck...

Coloribus.com, Oct. 12, 2009: TV commercial: Travelers Insurance: Drifters (Floating Umbrella)
Travelers new spot, featuring music by Langhorne Slim, shows red umbrellas drifting through the countryside and cityscapes before coming together to protect the things that people care about most...

TheInspirationRoom.com, Oct. 11, 2009: Travelers Insurance Drifters
Travelers Insurance have launched “Drifters”, a television commercial featuring the music of folk singer Langhorne Slim (Sean Scolnick). The company’s iconic red umbrellas drift through the countryside and cityscapes before coming together to protect the things that people care about most...

AdsoftheWorld.com, Oct. 10, 2009: Travelers Insurance Drifters
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Angus Wall; Executive Producer: Linda Carlson, Carol Lynn Weaver; Producer: Kim Colen; Editorial Assistant: Grant Surmi; Visual Effects Company: a52; VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy; Colorist: Angus Wall; Flame Artists: Patrick Murphy, Stefan Gaillot, Mike Bliss, Andy Hall; CGI Supervisor: Kirk Shintani; CGI Artists: Andy Hall, Paulo de Almada, Joe Chiechi, Adam Newman, Ian Ruhfass, Terry Shigemitsu; VFX Producer: Jenny Bright; Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall.

FunnyCommercialsWorld.com, Oct. 10, 2009: Travelers Insurance New Floating Umbrella Commercial (Drifters)
...After Rupert Sanders’ Emmy nominated “Delivery”, Daniel Kleinman’s dog bone commercial “Prized Possession” and “No Worries” and “Cheesecake” adverts comes “Drifters” directed by Frank Budgen...

Great Advertising, Clever Ads, Oct. 10, 2009: Travelers Insurance - Drifters (New Floating Umbrella Commercial)
....As we hear "Worries" from the incomparable folk star Langhorne Slim, we watch as the hypnotic flotilla moves from the ocean, over the countryside and, finally, into the skyscraper-filled canyons of a city where they gently drift down to protect a home, a car and a business...

Adland.tv, Oct. 9, 2009: Travelers - "Drifters" - (2009) :60 (USA)
Gorgeous' Frank Budgen directed this for Fallon, Minneapolis reuniting with editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors (www.rockpaperscissors.com), and VFX supervisor Pat Murphy of a52 (www.a52.com). They created a story that unfolds in the skies above America...

Advertolog.com, Oct. 9, 2009: Travelers Insurance: Drifters (Floating Umbrella)
The advert titled Drifters (Floating Umbrella) was done by FALLON MINNEAPOLIS advertising agency in USA. It was released in the October 2009...

ExistingVisual.com, Oct. 9, 2009: Travelers Insurance: Drifters
Travelers Insurance: Drifters; Advertising Agency: Fallon, USA; Creative Directors: Scott O'Leary, Ryan Peck; Art Director: Scott O'Leary; Copywriter: Ryan Peck; Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo; Executive Producer: Kate Talbott...

ScaryIdeas.com, Oct. 9, 2009: Travelers : Drifters [Video]
On behalf of advertising agency Fallon, editorial company Rock Paper Scissors and VFX boutique a52, it's my sincere pleasure to share this new spot for Travelers with you. Entitled "Drifters," it debuts today in high-profile broadcast....

POST Magazine, September 2009:  USING CAMERAS IN POST
At Santa Monica's VFX house a52 (www.a52.com), lead compositor and Flame artist Andy McKenna has been "looking for the opportunity to use still cameras in post." He has already tapped the motor drive mode of digital SLR cameras to capture background plates for a number of spots. "You can either tether the camera to the laptop and fire off a timelapse sequence or utilize the motor drive and fire as fast as the motor drive can go," he explains. "That can work really well — the quality is just remarkable." But, he recently had the chance to "bench test" Canon's EOS 5D Mark II DSLR for AT&T's hilarious "SetYourHandsFree.com" campaign...

Pensamientos-Avernales.com, Aug. 9, 2009:  a52 – Visual Effects
LLástima no haber podido enlazar el vídeo “Axe / Stares“, uno de mis preferidos de esta empresa dedica a la creatividad publicitaria desde 1997. Aunque realmente son todos geniales, perderías el tiempo de no verlos.

TheInspirationRoom.com, Aug. 4, 2009:  Old Spice Swagger Video Contest
...The Swagger contest was developed at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, by executive creative directors Mark Fitzloff and Susan Hoffman, creative directors Jason Bagley and Eric Baldwin, copywriter Jason Bagley, art director Eric Baldwin, agency executive producer Ben Grylewicz, agency producers Sarah Shapiro and Lara Gallagher. Filming was shot by Rosey via @radical.media, Los Angeles, with executive producer Donna Portaro, line producer Alexandra Lisee and director of photography Martin Tedin. Editor was Jon Hopp at Rock Paper Scissors with executive producer Linda Carlson and producer Vicki Tripp. VFX were produced at A52 by Flame artist Andy McKenna with producer Peter King....

Creativity-Online.com, July 30, 2009:  Old Spice: Arm v Arm
Leaving other arms in the dust. ...Editor: Jon Hopp; Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors; VFX Company: A52; Flame Artist:Andy McKenna....

Creativity-Online.com, July 30, 2009:  Old Spice: Arm Wrestler
Just imagine what it can do to odor. ...Editor: Jon Hopp; Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors; VFX Company: A52; Flame Artist:Andy McKenna....

Creativity-Online.com, July 30, 2009:  Old Spice: Karate
How about a helping hand? ...Editor: Jon Hopp; Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors; VFX Company: A52; Flame Artist:Andy McKenna....

Creativity-Online.com, July 30, 2009:  Old Spice: Chainsaw
Nothing trumps the log eagle. ...Editor: Jon Hopp; Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors; VFX Company: A52; Flame Artist:Andy McKenna....

My Predictions, July 30, 2009:  Ads of the week. Cadbury - truTV - FedEx - Evian - Virgin - Woolworths - Truth - Old Spice
Old Spice “Chainsaw,” “Arm vs. Arm,” “Karate” & “Arm Wrestler”... Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Jon Hopp; Executive Producer: Linda Carlson; Producer: Vicki Tripp; VFX Company: a52; Flame Artist: Andy McKenna; VFX Producer: Pete King....

Universal Positive, July 29, 2009:  A ray of hope from Levi’s and Walt Whitman, courtesy of Wieden+Kennedy
...I learned about this campaign due to it being the commercial editorial debut of Elliot Graham of Rock Paper Scissors, who was nominated for the 2009 Oscar for Best Editing for his artistry on “Milk,” and also due to it featuring visual effects from Patrick Murphy and his colleagues at a52...

SourceEcreative.com, July 14, 2009:  Member News from Around the World
Anonymous Content is out with two new high profile spots, one of which might contain some of most astonishing copy ever read by a celebrity endorser. The spot, “Driven,” directed by Frank Budgen for Wieden + Kennedy and Nike, features Tour de France star and Nike endorser Lance Armstrong, seen in a variety of quick-cut shots as he prepares for the race. Intercut are powerful scenes of people being treated in hospitals, clinics and physical therapy sessions, all of whom have suffered some debilitating loss—limbs missing, undergoing chemo, being tested, etc. “The critics say I’m arrogant,” says Armstrong in the voiceover. “Washed up. A doper. A fraud. They can say what they want. I’m not back on my bike for them.” The other spot, “America,” is the lynchpin of the new Levi’s campaign, also from Wieden + Kennedy, that employs dramatic imagery and the words of poet Walt Whitman to kick-start the image and identity of this iconic brand. It was directed and shot by Cary Fukunaga, who has joined Anonymous’ commercial division after originally being repped solely by its management arm. His feature film “Sin Nombre” won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award and the U.S. Dramatic Excellence in Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival. For “Driven,” agency credits go to Tyler Whisnand, Danielle Flagg, Karl Lieberman, Ryan O’Rourke, Shannon Worley, Mark Fitzloff, Susan Hoffman and Ben Grylewicz. Anonymous credits to go EP Jeff Baron, Producer Suzie Tedesco and DP Michael Bernard. The spot was edited by Angus Wall at Rock Paper Scissors, with visual effects from A52. For “America,” agency credits go to Whisnand, Flagg, Fitzloff, Hoffman and Grylewicz, as well as to Juliana Montgomery, Rudy Adler, Julia Oh and Jeff Selis. The spot was cut by Elliot Graham, also at Rock Paper Scissors, with effects again from A52. Anonymous credits go to EP Danielle Peretz and Producer Joe Mandarino.

Creativity-Online.com, July 1, 2009:  Levi's: America
Walt Whitman. Jeans. America. See the first fruits of the new Wieden and Levi's partnership. Editorial Company: Joint Editorial/Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Elliot Graham; VFX Company: a52; VFX Supervisor: Pat Murphy.

FWDlabs.com, July 1, 2009:  America, "Go Forth"
...Editor: Elliot Graham Assistant Editor: Jessica Baclesse Post Producer: Neil Kopp Post Executive Producer: Patty Brebner. VFX Company: A52 Rock Paper Scissors EP: Carol Lynn Weaver Rock Paper Scissors Producer: Vicki Tripp....

Boards, June 30, 2009:  Levi's "America"
...Editor: Elliot Graham @ Rock Paper Scissors; VFX Company: a52; VFX Supervisor: Pat Murphy....

Boards, June 30, 2009:  Levi's “OPioneers!”
A 1950's Smithsonian recording of Walt Whitman's poem, "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" is the soundtrack for a new generation in this Levi's ad from Wieden + Kennedy. VFX Company: a52; Executive Producer Carol Lynn Weaver (Rock Paper Scissors); Producer: Vicki Tripp (Rock Paper Scissors); Colorist: Angus Wall; VFX Supervisor: Pat Murphy; Smoke Artist: Paul Yacono; Flame Support: Scott Johnson; Nuke Artist/Matte; Painter: Shahana Khan; Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall (a52); VFX Producer Pete King (a52).

FWATheater.com, June 6, 2009:  10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival "Tenth of a Century"
The fully computer-animated opening artfully presents a take-off of the strangely similar aesthetic of studio titles - like Hollywood with a dramatic twist - that welcomed viewers to Newport Beach Film Festival and their 10th annual celebration of film with wit and charm....

IdN Onair, May 29, 2009:  2009 Newport Beach Film Festival Open by Elastic/a52
10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival "Tenth of a Century"

Coloribus.com, May 27, 2009:  Nike: Puppet Chalk
...Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Biff Butler; Post Producer: Tricia Sanzaro; Post Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver; Assistant Editors: Anton Capaldo-Smith, Aaron Morris; Telecine Artist: Angus Wall; VFX: A52; Flame Artists: Patrick Murphy, Chris DeCristo, Joanna Cruz, Michael Bliss, George Cuddy; Smoke Artist: Paul Yacono; VFX Producer: Megan Meloth; VFX Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall...

Great Ads, May 27, 2009:  Nike MVP Puppets Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
...Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors; Editor: Biff Butler; Post Producer: Tricia Sanzaro; Post Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver; Assistant Editors: Anton Capaldo-Smith, Aaron Morris; Telecine Artist: Angus Wall; VFX: A52; Flame Artists: Patrick Murphy, Chris DeCristo, Joanna Cruz, Michael Bliss, George Cuddy; Smoke Artist: Paul Yacono; VFX Producer: Megan Meloth; VFX Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall...

SourceEcreative.com, May 27, 2009:  Member News from Around the World
Andy Hall, 3D and visual effects supervisor at VFX boutique a52, has directed a humorous animated opening for the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival. Working through Elastic, and in collaboration with advertising agency RPA's Creative Director Scott McDonald and SVP/Executive Producer Gary Paticoff, Hall directed the festival's official :30 opening, which introduced all the films screened at the eight day event , which took place last month. The content artfully presents a parody of Hollywood studio ID sequences—those little animated or live action segments that appear just before a picture’s titles start to roll. Viewers can see touches of Disney, Tri-Star, Dreamworks and other studio brands in the opening, which ends with a shot that owes more than a little to Twentieth Century Fox. “Being as this is the festival's 10th anniversary, the initial idea was a celebration of fanfare to the studios," Hall explained. "With that in mind, I wanted to create a narrative that took us on a journey connecting all these pieces. After much thought, it felt right to give the work a sense of style that tipped its hat to those opening fanfares - but in a whimsical way.” The end-frame of Hall's open, showing an iconic 3D sand sculpture forming the words, "10th of a Century: Newport Beach Film Festival," is the image featured on the festival's poster, program and within its print advertising. The finished piece was color-graded for film and HD/SD broadcast presentation by a52's Patrick Murphy using Autodesk Flame, and is driven by an original orchestral score from Robot Repair. Elastic's credits include Executive Producer Alex Gorodetzki; a52 credits include Executive Producer Linda Carlson, Producer Jenny Bright, CG supervisors Kirk Shintani and Max Ulichney, and 3D artists Adam Newman, Paulo de Almada Mauro and Christopher Janney. The spot's final mix is courtesy of Santa Monica's Framework Sound.

Universal Positive, May 21, 2009:  The amazing Technicolor talents of director Andy Hall
By virtue of their attendance at the recent 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival, tens of thousands of Southern Californians - including industry professionals and film fans alike - had numerous opportunities to witness the amazing talents of director Andy Hall first-hand. Since 2005, Andy has been with LA-based VFX boutique a52 (www.a52.com), filling roles on high-profile projects as director, 3D supervisor and/or VFX supervisor, and collaborating with many top industry talents - including a52's own VFX supervisor Patrick Murphy - on a growing list of amazing projects. For the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival, Andy worked through full-service design company Elastic (www.elastic.tv), and in tandem with advertising agency RPA creatives Scott McDonald, David Smith and Gary Paticoff, to craft the festival's official :30 opening, which introduced all fare screened at the 8-day event....

Boards, May 8, 2009:  Andy Hall tips hat to titles for Newport Beach Film Festival
From 20th Century Fox's monolithic lettering to the DreamWorks' crescent moon boy, major Hollywood studio logos are often more memorable than the films they're attached to. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Newport Beach Film Festival in southern California, director Andy Hall of a52 and Elastic, Santa Monica worked with Santa Monica-based agency RPA to pay homage to the fanfare with which big movie studios announce their presence at the beginning of every film....

Dexigner.com, May 8, 2009:  Andy Hall of Elastic and a52 Directs Theatrical Opening for 10th Newport Beach Film Festival
Full-service design company Elastic detailed the work of Andy Hall, 3D and visual effects supervisor at VFX boutique a52, for the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival....

CGExplorer.com, May 7, 2009:  3D Animated Trailer Making Of: Newport Beach Film Festival "Tenth of a Century"
Full-service design company Elastic (www.elastic.tv) is very proud to detail the work of Andy Hall, 3D and visual effects supervisor at VFX boutique a52 (www.a52.com), for the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival. Working through Elastic and in collaboration with advertising agency RPA's creative director Scott McDonald and SVP/executive producer Gary Paticoff, Hall directed the festival's official :30 opening, which introduced all fare screened at the 8-day event that kicked off last week....

Digital Arts Online, May 6, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival titles mimic early days of Hollywood
...3D and visual effects supervisor at VFX boutique a52 has directed the titles for the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival through design company Elastic....

CGnews.com, May 5, 2009:  Elastic and a52 Create Artistic Opening for Festival
Full-service design company Elastic has recently worked with 3D and visual effects supervisor Andy Hall of VFX boutique a52, on an artistic animated short for the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival. Working through Elastic and in collaboration with advertising agency RPA, Hall directed the festival' s official :30 opening short....

Advertolog.com, May 4, 2009:  Spot: Newport Beach Film Festival: 2009
DESIGN/PRODUCTION COMPANY: Elastic; CITY/STATE: Santa Monica, CA; DIRECTOR: Andy Hall; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Alex Gorodetzki; PRODUCER: Jenny Bright....

Design Scene, May 4, 2009:  10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival "Tenth of a Century"
..."Andy Hall is a mix of pure enthusiasm and sheer talent," began Scott McDonald, creative director at RPA. "Our client understood and supported what we were trying to do and believed in the artistry of the project. Elastic, Andy and a52 contributed such a sharp point of view - the very first ingredient was world class - we just kept throwing gasoline on that fire. I got to see this piece play on the biggest movie screen this side of the Mississippi and, let me tell you, it dropped some jaws."...

VFXWorld.com, May 4, 2009:  Andy Hall of Elastic, a52 Directs Theatrical Opening for Newport Beach Film Fest
..."I was heavily influenced by the work of Terry Gilliam, particularly 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' because of its theatrical nature," Hall added. "By giving it a lot of texture and layering the lighting, I was able to capture a stage-like quality, and the whole film became very much a labor of love. I wanted there to be layers of detail, so that every time it's watched, viewers might see something new."...

Adrants.com, May 1, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival Goes the 'Childlike Wonder' Route
RPA, a52 and Elastic put together this wee whimsical piece to kick off the 10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival. It's pretty to look at....

CGChannel.com, May 1, 2009:  Andy Hall of Elastic and a52 Directs Theatrical Opening for 10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival in Collaboration with Advertising Agency RPA
...The finished content was flawlessly color-graded for film and HD/SD broadcast presentation by a52's Patrick Murphy using Autodesk Flame, and is driven by an original orchestral score from Robot Repair. Elastic's credits include executive producer Alex Gorodetzki, and for a52, executive producer Linda Carlson, producer Jenny Bright, CG supervisors Kirk Shintani and Max Ulichney, and 3D artists Adam Newman, Paulo de Almada and Christopher Janney. The spot's final mix is courtesy of Santa Monica's Framework Sound....

It's Art Magazine, May 1, 2009:  Focus : Newport Beach Film Festival by A52 and Elastic
The fully computer-animated opening was designed by Hall to look and feel like one of the epic stop-motion masterpieces of Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton. The content artfully presents a take-off of the strangely similar aesthetic of studio titles  like Hollywood with a dramatic twist - that welcomes viewers to Newport Beach and their 10th annual celebration of film with wit and charm....

LikeSyrup, May 1, 2009:  Elastic/A52 | Newport Beach Film Festival Titles
This very original promo integrates stylized titles sequences from all the major and indie movie studios. As a kid that grew up getting excited about the title sequences as well as the feature film ahead, this hit me with a fresh breath of nostalgia. Enjoy....

Lineboil.com, May 1, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival Titles
Newport Beach Film Festival just wrapped up the 2009 event out in Orange County, California. The opening title sequence this year' s festival, which marries many of the popular major studio title sequences, was directed by Andy Hall from Elastic and animated at a52 by 3D artists Adam Newman, Paulo de Almada and Christopher Janney. The agency on the project was RPA. The sequence is titled Tenth of a Century, as it' s the 10th year of the festival....

MilkandCookies.com, May 1, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival: Tenth of a Century
An animated trailer for Newport Beach Film Festival that took us on a journey involving major (and minor) studios logos....

Motionographer.com, May 1, 2009:  Elastic / A52: 10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival
Andy Hall directs....

No Fat Clips, May 1, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival: 10th of a Century
A nice clip with "strangely similar aesthetic of studio titles  like Hollywood with a dramatic twist  that welcomes viewers to Newport Beach and their 10th annual celebration of film with wit and charm."...

ScaryIdeas.com, May 1, 2009:  10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival : Andy Hall of Elastic and a52 Directs Theatrical Opening
The fully computer-animated opening was designed by Hall to look and feel like one of the epic stop-motion masterpieces of Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton. The content artfully presents a take-off of the strangely similar aesthetic of studio titles - like Hollywood with a dramatic twist - that welcomes viewers to Newport Beach and their 10th annual celebration of film with wit and charm....

shots.net, May 1, 2009:  Logos come to life
a52 and Elastic director Andy Hall has animated a snazzy YouTube for the Newport Beach Film Festival and RPA which screened at last week's event. How many logos can you spot?

Boards Magazine, Apr. 30, 2009:  10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival "Tenth Of A Century"
The opening titles of major movie studios get a playful ribbing in Elastic and a52's opening for the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Creativity-Online.com, Apr. 30, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival: 10th of a Century
An animated intro tribute to ... intros.

Motionographer.com, Apr. 30, 2009:  Newport Beach Film Festival Titles
Elastic/A52 presents the opening titles for the 10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival. If not for its wonderful design and execution alone, this referential journey should have a special place for those of you who grew up geeking out on animated logo sequences, even before the titles. As an homage, Elastic cleverly deconstructs some of the most classic, animated studio preludes and flips them on their heads. This thing is firing on ALL cylinders.

FWATheater.com, Feb. 9, 2009:  Video of the Week:  Lexus - Cards
...EDITORIAL COMPANY:  Rock Paper Scissors.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY:  a52....

Creativity-Online.com, Jan. 30, 2009:  Lexus: Cards
There's nary a rumble in this construction site.... 

Creativity-Online.com, Jan. 30, 2009:  Lexus: Cards - Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes with Lexus' card shark.... 

BestAdsonTV.com, Jan. 29, 2009:  Stacked deck
Rock Paper Scissors' Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall have been nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Film Editing for their work on David Finchers The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Among Baxter's most recent commercial editorial assignments is this spot where he teamed with MJZ director Dante Ariola for an assignment from ad agency Team One. The spot features the world record holder for card stacking, Bryan Berg, who builds an entire city around the Lexus ES to showcase its smooth operation.... 

Feedhere.com, Jan. 29, 2009:  So… Here’s the Deal with Lexus
The astounding talents of world champion card stacker Bryan Berg help make a point for how smooth a Lexus runs (and how little Mr. Berg was drinking the night before). Real cards, no tape, no glue, no 3D although A52 did contribute some Flame work. Agency: Team One Advertising, El Segundo, Director: Dante Ariola, Production Company: MJZ, Los Angeles, Editor: Kirk Baxter @ Rock Paper Scissors, VFX: A52, Santa Monica, Music: Elias, Los Angeles, Sound Design: Stimmung Films.

Boards Online, Jan. 28, 2009:  Lexus: Cards
All's quiet in this house of cards.  Visual Effects Company: A52, Santa Monica, Ca.  Executive Producer: Ron Cosentino; Producers: Heather Johann, Pete King; VFX Supervisor: Tim Bird; Flame Artists: Joana Cruz, Mike Bliss, George Cuddy, Alex Kolansinski.

3D World, Winter 2008:  Projects round-up:  Soul Survivor
'Peel', a CG spot for Nike directed by Trevor Shepart of Elastic, features the dramatic rebirth of a shoe.  The animation was created using Maya and ZBrush by visual effects house a52, led by Andrew hall, who aimed for an organic stop-motion look and feel.  "I wanted the naimators to set keys from the end of the shot to the beginning,, so that they were making choices on a frame-by-frame basis," says hall.  "With the shading and lighting of the scene, it was about th elittle nuances that get printed on film, from light fluctuations to subtle tonal shifts in picture."

Multichannel News, Dec. 15, 2008:  People: a52
Santa Monica, Calif.-based visual effects shop a52 has added Andy McKenna as lead flame artist. He had been VFX supervisor and lead flame artist at Moving Pixels. 

SHOOT Magazine, Dec. 12, 2008:  Visual Effects Artist Andy McKenna Joins a52
Andy McKenna has come aboard Santa Monica-based a52 as lead Flame artist. He most recently served as VFX supervisor/lead Flame artist at Moving Pixels, Santa Monica.

Partfaliaz, Dec. 11, 2008:  Andy McKenna joining a52
a52 proudly announced the addition of award-winning VFX supervisor and artist Andy McKenna to his full-time staff in the position of Lead Flame Artist. Established in 1997 as a home for the very latest high-end photo-real visual effects technologies and the industry's most innovative and talented graphic design artists, visual effects company a52 creates award-winning imagery for the world's most visually ambitious commercial and television projects....

shots, Dec. 10, 2008:  ON THE MOVE
Santa Monica-based special effects shop a52 signs VFX supervisor and artist Andy McKenna. He takes on the role of lead flame artist, and joins from Moving Pixels.

numero f, Dec. 9, 2008:  Andy McKenna Reel 2008
Desde el inicio de su carrera en 1994, Andy McKenna se ha establecido como uno de los mejores artistas VFX (efectos visuales) que trabajan en anuncios, vídeos musicales y películas de largo metraje....

Boards, Dec. 8, 2008:  Industry news and people moves
Santa Monica-based (VFX) boutique a52 has hired VFX supervisor and artist Andy McKenna as lead Flame artist.  http://www.a52.com

Creativity-Online.com, Dec. 8, 2008:  People news from a52, Corbis and more
Andy McKenna (pictured) joined Santa Monica-based VFX boutique a52 as lead flame artist...

Dirtymouse.co.uk, Dec. 8, 2008:  a52
Santa Monica-based visual effects (VFX) boutique a52 have a great catalogue of work.

Digital Arts Magazine, Dec. 5, 2008:  Flame artist Andy McKenna joins a52's VFX roster
...McKenna himself has spoken warmly of his new position: "For as long as I can remember," he says, "a52 has been one of the most prestigious VFX companies in the United States. There is a certain sense of style and sophistication to the finish of all work that a52 produces... Over the years, I have always kept a keen eye on a52, and when the opportunity came up to join them, especially after meeting with Angus Wall, Linda Carlson and the rest of the team, it became clear that it was going to be a great fit. They have also been doing some really fantastic 3D work which really impresses me, too.”...

The Reel Newsletter, Dec. 5, 2008:  Newsreel 5/12/08:  McKenna joins A52
Recently a52's executive producer Ron Cosentino proudly announced the addition of award-winning VFX supervisor and artist Andy McKenna to his full-time staff in the position of Lead Flame Artist. At a52, which is well known for its artful contributions to major commercial, music video and television projects....

POST Magazine, Dec. 4, 2008:  A52 ADDS LEAD FLAME ARTIST
Since beginning his career in 1994, McKenna has worked in commercials, music videos and feature films.  He worked with Sydney-based visual effects and design company GMD, contributing to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.  Later, while with Radium, he worked on music videos for Ludacris, Janet Jackson, Liz Phair, and Missy Elliott. His career also includes time with Sydney's Animal Logic. McKenna joined Moving Pixels in 2006....

SHOOT Magazine, Dec. 4, 2008:  Award-Winning VFX Artist Andy McKenna Joins a52 as Lead Flame Artist
Visual effects boutique a52 is very proud to announce the addition of award-winning visual effects (VFX) supervisor and artist Andy McKenna to its full-time staff. McKenna's 2008 reel can be viewed online by clicking here. At a52, which is well known for its artful contributions to major commercial, music video and television projects, McKenna joins a team that includes the talents of Flame artist/VFX supervisor Patrick Murphy, 3D/VFX supervisor Andrew Hall, and many others....

StudioDaily.com, Dec. 4, 2008:  Award-Winning VFX Artist Andy McKenna Joins a52 as Lead Flame Artist
McKenna joins Flame artist/VFX supervisor Patrick Murphy and 3D/VFX supervisor Andrew Hall...

VFXWorld.com, Dec. 4, 2008:  VFX Artist Andy McKenna Joins a52 as Lead Flame Artist
Since beginning his career in 1994, McKenna has established himself as one of the world's premier VFX artists working in commercials, music videos and feature films. During a stint with Sydney-based GMD, Asia Pacific's most highly awarded design and visual effects company, McKenna contributed his artistry to major feature film projects, among them, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING....

The Screenwriters League, Dec. 3, 2008:  DVD Junkie #1: Deadwood
...In re-watching the first season, I am first struck by the slickness and ease of the opening sequence - designed by Rock Paper Scissors and a52 visual effects (which is better known for car commercials and music videos, most notably the quite ridiculous "God Gave Me Everything" by Mick Jagger), one thing you can say about HBO is that they know how to set a tone. Their long opening sequences are like foreplay, and it's quite obvious they know this by how much care and design know-how goes into each....

Booooooom.com, Nov. 24, 2008:  a52 / Acura
I guess this is ad week - a52 created this stunning ad for Acura. View the high quality version of the ad here.

SHOOT Magazine, Nov. 14, 2008:  Top Spot of the Week: Acura MDX's "Motion"
VFX:  a52, Santa Monica....

Motionographer.com, Nov. 7, 2008:  Poetically beautiful new Acura ad from a52 masters
Poetically beautiful new Acura ad from a52 masters. 

Boards, Sep. 2008:  ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS:  Fine lines:  a52 spins a winner for Nike
For anyone who's seen the footage of drugged spiders haplessly weaving webs, a52 director Andy Hall's "Spider" for Nike - in which time-lapse footage shows a spider spinning a web in the shape of a sneaker - might seem the result of a fortuitous Ritalin-induced high. "There's a whole series of spots that we've created for Nike's Flywire technology, reflecting different elements of what this new technology represents," explains Hall of the Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo spot. "In the case of 'Spider', [it was about] emphasizing something that was incredibly light but incredibly strong."...

Boards, Sep. 2008:  Inventory & hookups
Los Angeles-based editorial company Rock Paper Scissors and VFX company a52 launched design company Elastic and hired Alex Gorodetzki as EP and Trevor Shepard as creative director of design.

CGM, Sep. 2008:  Oversea VFX Express:  Nike "Spider"
Rock Paper Scissors, a52, Elastic....

No fat clips!!!, Sep. 28, 2008:  Boeing: Connecting
A spot from 2003 directed by Andrew Becker and produced by Gabi Simpson at Radical Media. Director of photography: Claudio Miranda.  Advertising agency: FCB. Creative director: John Claxton. Art director: Chuck Taylor. Editor was Dave Trachtenberg at Cosmo Street.  Visual effects by a52 under the supervision of Simon Brewster. Additional crew: Simon Brewster, Marguerite Cargill, Scott Johnson, Vonetta Taylor, Westley Sarokin.

MarSciTechtainment, Sep. 24, 2008:  Secrets of the visual effects and animation businesses...
...During my years of working in the film and television production industries, I was very surprised to learn how important these often complementary areas often were in the grand schemes -- and since I began representing LA visual effects company a52 in 2000, I've gained even more appreciation for the deep talents of the best artists, producers and entrepreneurs who handle these magical feats....

Motionographer.com, Sep. 16, 2008:  A52 & Elastic Strike Again for Nike Lab
a52 and Elastic follow up their Spider piece for Nike Lab (W+K Tokyo) with this throwback to Neill Blomkamp's Evolution piece.

FWATheater.com, Sep. 15, 2008:  Video of the Day: Nike - Peel
Produced through the creative team at Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo and their clients at Nike for Nikelab.com, this latest campaign spot was directed by Elastic's creative director of design, Trevor Shepard, and also features the 3D and VFX artistry of a52.

Adland, Sep. 13, 2008:  Nike - "Peel" - (2008) :20 (Japan)
A new spot for W+K Tokyo's ongoing Nike campaign -- this one was directed by Elastic's creative director of design, Trevor Shepard. Here we watch a new Nike be born from and old Nike, and it's created entirely in CGI.  Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo.

Boards Online, Sep. 12, 2008:  Nike: Nikelab - Peel
Shoes shed too.

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Sep. 11, 2008:  Member News from Around the World
a52 artists recently helped bring the latest Lexus ES broadcast spot to life for advertising agency Team One. Directed and photographed by Lance Acord through Park Pictures, the spot entitled Perspective is the newest spot from for the ES conveying the fact that, "Behind every detail, there's a detail." Park Pictures' production team consisted of executive producer Jackie Kelman Bisbee, head of production Dinah Rodriguez and line producer Tony McGarry, while Company 3 colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld and a52 VFX supervisor Pat Murphy, 3D supervisor Andy Hall and CG artists Kirk Shintani & Max Ulichney, and Rock Paper Scissors editor Noah Herzog also weighed in. 

BestAdsonTV.com, Sep. 3, 2008:  Lexus: Perspective
...This newest spot individually hangs the vehicle by thousands of pieces by wires, and then produced a fascinating spot exploring the exhibit in detail, which finally resolves to an angle where the pieces perfectly align to reveal a profile vision of the newest ES....

Coloribus.com, Sep. 3, 2008:  Lexus ES: Perspective
with Lexus, behind every detail, there is another detail... 

FWATheater.com, Sep. 3, 2008:  Lexus - Perspective
a52's artists recently helped bring the latest Lexus ES broadcast spot to life for advertising agency Team One, conveying the fact that, "Behind every detail, there's a detail."...

Boards Online, Sep. 2, 2008:  Lexus: Perspective
It's not what you see, it's how you see it....

Animation World Network, Aug. 28, 2008:  Hot Spots Showcase 6: The Best in Animated & VFX Commercials
..."a52 was immensely important in conveying the 'reality' of a giant pop-up book. We wanted the spot to feel as real as possible. What we found in the course of production was that building a pop-up book over 20 feet tall to accommodate a full-sized Lexus was physically impossible. To be more exact, the book could have been built that large, but the weight of the pop-up extensions would have been too great, and turning the pages on a book that large at a rate that could accommodate a 30-second spot was problematic. As a result, production built a giant, full-sized book frame for green screen, with tabs and wheels that could be manipulated by actual stage hands. And the actual pop-up book with moving parts was a mere six feet high, which was then married to the green screen frame at a52. The guys at a52 put complete heart and soul into making the effect as lifelike as humanly possible. As with all intricate effects jobs, passion is the driving force that usually propels the end result beyond merely convincing to something quite amazing." -- Jon Pearce, creative director, Team One....

Animation World Network, Aug. 28, 2008:  Hot Spots Showcase 6: The Best in Animated & VFX Commercials, Page 5
...As reported by AWN and VFXWorld, the principals behind Los Angeles-based editorial company Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) and visual effects company a52 recently announced the launch of Elastic as a new, full-service design-driven digital production studio. As the first spot from this new venture, Spider represents a perfect example of visual content requiring the type of hybrid production approach Elastic was created to address....

Creativity-Online.com, Aug. 26, 2008:  Lexus: Perspective
A car seen as a sum of its parts.... 

StudioDaily.com, Aug. 18, 2008:  Top Spot of the Week: Nike "Spider"
Nike "Spider"; Agency - Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo; Production Company - Elastic; Director - Andrew Hall; VFX/Post - a52... 

aboutCREATION.nl, Aug. 17, 2008:  Rock Paper Scissors and a52 Launch Elastic
The principals behind Los Angeles-based editorial company Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) and visual effects company a52 announced the launch of a new, full-service, design-driven company named Elastic. 

Blip.tv, Aug. 17, 2008:  Nike Spider
Alex Gorodetzki Launches Elastic as Executive Producer with Trevor Shepard as Creative Director of Design....

Dexigner.com, Aug. 15, 2008:  Rock Paper Scissors and a52 launch Elastic
...Elastic already has assignments underway for Nike and many other prominent international brands. The first Elastic spot is Andrew Hall's Nike "Spider," produced through Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo and their clients at Nikelab and offering a perfect example of visual content requiring the type of hybrid production approach Elastic was created to address.... 

SHOOT Magazine, Aug. 15, 2008:  Rock Paper Scissors, a52 Launch Elastic
The principals behind Santa Monica-based editorial company Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) and visual effects company a52 have launched Elastic, a full-service, design-driven house.  RPS and a52 co-founders Angus Wall and Linda Carlson have hired Alex Gorodetzki as Elastic's executive producer and Trevor Shepard as its creative director of design....

Motionographer.com, Aug. 14, 2008:  Santa Monica Welcomes Elastic
Santa Monica welcomes Elastic, a design-driven VFX house and part of the a52/Rock Paper Scissors Family. Their first official project was this piece for Nike, which we recently profiled. 

Creativity-Online.com, Aug. 13, 2008:  People news from JWT, TBWA and more
Rock Paper Scissors/a52 co-founders Angus Wall and Linda Carlson announced the launch of their full-service design firm Elastic, which will be led by newly hired EP Alex Gorodetzki and creative director of design Trevor Shepard. 

Shots, Aug. 13, 2008:  NEWS IN BRIEF
LA editorial company Rock Paper Scissors and visual effects company a52, have launched a brand new design-driven company called Elastic. Nikelab spot Spider by a52's Andy Hall represents the first piece of work to emerge from Elastic. 

Boards Online, Aug. 12, 2008:  Industry news and people moves
Los Angeles-based editorial company Rock Paper Scissors and VFX company a52 have launched design company Elastic and hired Alex Gorodetzki as executive producer and Trevor Shepard as creative director of design. 

It's Art Magazine, Aug. 12, 2008:  The Making of Spider
Questions and answers with Andrew Hall.  Can you give me a quick play-by-play on what you and your team did on this spot?....

VFXWorld.com, Aug. 12, 2008:  Rock Paper Scissors and a52 Launch Elastic
...Elastic will represent all in-house editors and vfx artists from RPS and a52 for projects ranging from title to type design.... 

Studio Daily, Aug. 11, 2008:  Rock Paper Scissors and a52 Launch Elastic; Alex Gorodetzki Launches Elastic as Executive Producer with Trevor Shepard as Creative Director of Design
"Elastic has grown out of the needs of our clients and the desires of our artists to make pictures and tell stories," said Angus Wall, who together with Linda Carlson launched RPS in 1992 and a52 in 1995. "It's great to operate as a little studio and produce projects from beginning to end. RPS, a52 and Elastic will be working as autonomous companies and a complete digital production studio." Elastic will represent all in-house editors and VFX artists from RPS and a52 for projects ranging from title to type design.... 

FWATheater.com, July 27, 2008:  Nike - Spider
Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo was asked by Nike to create a global product innovation campaign for their new super light shoes with Flywire and Lunarlite Foam technologies. We created these spots to tell short product benefit stories and air online at nikelab.com as part of the campaign....

Viralblog.com, July 25, 2008:  Viral Friday: #7. Nike Lab: Spider
Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo and a52 created the above commercial for Nike Lab. The idea is simple, a spider crafts a web together that looks like a three dimensional shoe, but there’s just something about it that’s so crisp and fresh. Nike is introducing new super light shoes that utilize the innovative Flywire technology. W+K Tokyo created a few other ads for Nike Lab to promote the new shoes. Check out Moon Jump and Pillows. (Source: Kitsune Noir, Trendhunter)...

Creativity-Online.com, July 18, 2008:  The Latest:  Nike: Spider
Nike gets its own Charlotte.

Boards Online, July 17, 2008:  Nike: Spider
A52 spins a CG spider in this "blip" for Nikelab....

Shae-Shae's Blog, July 17, 2008:  Cool Nike Ad
a52, a visual effects company out of Santa Monica, California created a cool advertisement for Nike Lab. It features a spider spinning a web into the shape of a pair of Nike Zoom Victory kicks....

PreQuel Magazine, July 15, 2008:  W + K and a52’s Nike Spot
Advertising agency Widen + Kenedy (Tokyo division) and visual effects studio a52 , recently teamed up to produce a beautiful spot for Nikelab.com. The advert featuring a spider weaving a Nike running shoe into its web is a simple, striking, perfectly designed visual communication of both the product and brand without any words. Remarkable....

Motionographer.com, July 13, 2008:  a52 and W+K Tokyo for Nike Lab
Directed internally by 3D Supervisor Andrew Hall, A52 created this simple, yet stunning film for Nike Lab via W+K Tokyo. Reminiscent of some of the early...

Feed, July 11, 2008:  W+K Tokyo, A52 Spin Web For Nike
Eerily well done Nikelab spot from Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo and director Andrew Hall with effects work from A52. “Spider” is currently playing at nikelab.com, in retail locations and as a viral online. Watch Nikelab “Spider”...

Forget the film, watch the titles, July 2, 2008:  Carnivàle
One of the eye-catching features of HBO's TV drama series Carnivàle was the meticulous art direction and the striking opening title sequence. The series won five Emmy's...

Design Scene, June 27, 2008:  a52 - visual effects studio
Since its inception in 1997, a52 has developed and produced imagery for some of the world’s best known commercials and music videos. Home to some of the industry’s most talented artists a52's innovative studio has created award winning visual effects through the seamless integration of 2D and photoreal CGI...

VFXTalk.com, June 19, 2008:  a52 Honored For Monster.com Work
...a52's extensive visual effects contributions to "Slots" are courtesy of visual effects supervisor Pat Murphy, 3D supervisor Andy Hall, producer Scott Boyajan, effects artists Kirk Balden, Tim Bird, Raul Ortego, Mike Bliss, George Cuddy, Shannon Nobel, Marty Taylor, Brandon Jolley, James Pastorius and Brendan Smith, and 3D artists Max Ulichney, Kirk Shintani, Chris Janney, Dan Gutierrez, Paulo deAlmada and Eli Guerron. Executive produced for a52 by Linda Carlson, additional RPS credits include executive producer Carol Lynn Weaver and assistant editor Terence "Biff" Butler. Final audio for "Slots" was mixed by Loren Silber of Santa Monica's Lime Studios....

Computerlove, June 10, 2008:  2008 AICP Show Honors a52's VFX on Monster.com "Slots"
...The inclusion of Monster.com "Slots" in this year's program – where it is honored in both the Visual Effects and Cinematography categories – marks the eleventh consecutive year that a52's work has been honored in the prestigious event. Founded in 1997, a52's work has now appeared in the AICP Show each year since 1998 – the first year it was eligible....

September Industry, June 9, 2008:  a52
Posting about visual effects is not what I usually do; but today I’ll make an exception meet a52. Take a look at their site and you’ll notice there is lots; of award winning work, including the recently awarded “Slots”....

SHOOT, June 6, 2008:  2008 AICP Show List Of Honorees
Visual Effects:  Monster.com "Slots" :60; Production Company: Gorgeous Enterprises; Director: Frank Budgen; Executive Producers: Paul Rothwell, Cassie Hulen; Advertising Agency: BBDO New York; Agency Chief Creative Officer: David Lubars; Agency Executive Creative Director: Eric Silver; Agency Art Directors: Richard Ardito, Jerome Marucci
Agency Copywriter: Grant Smith; Agency Senior Producers: Ed Zazzera, Jeff Beverly; Visual Effects Supervisors: Patrick Murphy, Andrew Hall, A52; Visual Effects Producer: Scott Boyajan, A52; Composers: Chemical Brothers; Editor: Angus Wall, Rock Paper Scissors.

SHOOT, June 6, 2008:  Artful Sweet 16 At 17th AICP Show
London-based Gorgeous Enterprises was next in the production house countdown with four honors all directed by Frank Budgen: Monster.com's "Slots," which gained recognition in the Visual Effects (A52, Santa Monica) and Cinematography (Budgen and John Mathieson) categories; Sony Bravia's "Playdoh" from Fallon London, which topped the Advertising Excellence/International category; and Live Earth's "S.O.S. Save Our Selves" for Young & Rubicam, Chicago, which was honored in the Original Music category (music from bicoastal shop Human)....

Artect.net, May 26, 2008:  Santa Monica’s ‘Graffiti Building’
Three distinct art forms converge on the corner of Broadway and Cloverfield Boulevard in Santa Monica. A building clad in graffiti since 1991, by famed graffiti writers Slick, Risk, Den and Severe, now houses the digital artists of editorial studio Rock Paper Scissors and visual effects boutique a52. The latter perhaps best remembered for their avant-garde title design work on HBO’s Carnivale, and Rome....

Dekh Bhai Dekh, May 15, 2008:  Carnivale - Opening Credits
Carnivàle's opening title sequence was created by A52, a visual effects and design company based in Los Angeles, and featured music composed by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. The opening title sequence won an Emmy for "Outstanding Main...

Dirty Mouse, May 6, 2008:  Bruce Bolander
Architect Bruce Bolander has retrofitted Santa Monica’s Iconic “Graffiti Building” as a digital artists’ haven for Rock Paper Scissors and a52. That is a pretty smart place to work!...

Shots, Apr. 23, 2008:  ON THE MOVE
Former a52 VFX producer Ron Cosentino is back on board as executive producer for the company, which along with its sister editorial company Rock Paper Scissors relocated from West Hollywood to Santa Monica late last year. 

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Apr. 23, 2008:  Member News from Around the World
Malcolm Venville of Anonymous Content and Wieden+Kennedy/Tokyo masterminded this inspiring look into the training 'routines' of Nike-sponsored pros. As famed athletes train in their respective disciplines, pushing their bodies to the limit, the spot, Fast Forward, showcases the will and determination it takes to achieve their goals. Also lending their expertise were Anonymous executive producer Dave Morrison, HOP Sue Ellen Clair and producer Paul Ure, Rock Paper Scissors editor Angus Wall, and a52 Inferno artist Tim Byrd. 

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Apr. 23, 2008:  Member News from Around the World
a52's Andy Hall recently directed (while also serving as VFX supervisor) a set of four :15 spots for 72andSunny and their clients at Callaway for the new Callaway Golf Tour i Series Golf Ball. The spots, Longer, Bite Ball, Run Ball, and Get In There, combine live-action with CG elements in order to present action from the ball's POV while it performs its best tricks. With a52 serving as production, design, 3D, VFX and finishing company, credits include EP Ron Cosentino, line producer David Wolfson, producers Jenny Bright & Megan Meloth, flame artists Patrick Murphy & Tim Bird, 3D supervisor Kirk Shintani, and 3D animators Chris Janney, Eli Guerron, Max Ulichney, Paulo Mauro & Dan Gutierrez. DP duties were handled by Montana Artists Agency's own Jim Matlosz while music was courtesy of Emoto and sound was provided by 740 Sound Design. 

VFXTalk.com, Apr. 21, 2008:  Anonymous Content Wins Big with Nike
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors.  Editor: Angus Wall.  Producer: CL Weaver.  Colorist: Angus Wall.  Post/Effects: a52.  Lead VFX/Inferno Artist: Tim Bird.

Art of the Title Sequence, Apr. 21, 2008:  Carnivàle [2003]
Created by: a52.... 

FEED, Apr. 16, 2008:  On the Move: Rock Paper Scissors & a52
Santa Monica’s growing reputation as LA’s post production place-to-be grew again in late 2007 when West Hollywood editorial house Rock Paper Scissors and VFX facility a52 took over the ‘graffiti building’ at Broadway and Cloverfield.... 

Creativity-Online.com, Apr. 9, 2008:  People news from DDB, BBDO and more...
Santa Monica-based VFX company a52 welcomed back VFX producer Ron Cosentino, who will now take on the role of executive producer.... 

SourceEcreative.com, Apr. 8, 2008:  On the Move:  Ron Cosentino Returns to a52 as Executive Producer
Effective immediately, former a52 VFX producer Ron Cosentino is back onboard as EP for the company, which along with its sister editorial company Rock Paper Scissors relocated from West Hollywood to Santa Monica late last year....

Boards Online, Apr. 8, 2008:  Industry news and people moves
Former a52 VFX producer Ron Cosentino is back on as EP of the Santa Monica-based company, after a recent stint with the LA office of visual effects company Mac Guff. 

Digital Content Producer Briefing Room, Apr. 2, 2008:  POP SOUND’S PETER RINCON COMPLETES THRILLING MIX FOR NEW RANGE ROVER SPOT
Visual FX & Postproduction Company: a52. Executive Producer: Ron Cosentino. Producer: Heather Johann. Lead Flame Artist: Simon Scott. Flame Artists: Marty Taylor, Michael Bliss, George Cuddy, Carlos Morales. After Effects Artist: Cladia YiLeon.

AdRants.com, Mar. 27, 2008:  'Will You Ever...?' is Probably a Better Question
...The spot was put together by HSI Productions and a52 (which did the VFX) for agency Young & Rubicam...

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Mar. 26, 2008:  Member News from Around the World
Irvine, California-based agency Young & Rubicam recently turned to HSI director Gerard de Thame for client Range Rover. The spot, Set Free, is aimed at all the adrenaline junkies out there by providing glimpses of extreme sports. The tag: Have You Ever? Additional talents included HSI executive producer Maddi Carlton, Skouras Agency DP Mick Coulter, Union Editorial cutter Jim Haygood, Pop Sound mixer Peter Rincon, The Syndicate colorist Beau Leon, music and sound company Hum Music, and VFX house a52. 

Adland, Mar. 18, 2008:  Range Rover Sport - "Set Free" -(2008) :30 (USA)
Irvine, California-based agency Young & Rubicam Brands recently turned to HSI Productions' director Gerard de Thame and the VFX artistry of a52 -- plus Union Editorial's editor Jim Haygood and other talents from The Syndicate, Hum and POP Sound -- to create an adrenaline-inducing :30 spot for the new Range Rover Sport entitled "Set Free." The spot debuted on broadcast and cable outlets last Friday.

BestAdsonTV.com, Mar. 18, 2008:  LAND ROVER SET FREE
...Young & Rubicam Brands recently turned to HSI Productions' director Gerard de Thame and the VFX artistry of a52 -- plus Union Editorial's editor Jim Haygood and other talents from The Syndicate, Hum and POP Sound -- to create an adrenaline-inducing :30 spot for the new Range Rover Sport entitled 'Set Free' ...

StudioDaily.com, Mar. 6, 2008:  Five Questions with... Jon Pearce, creative director, Team One
Title - "Missing H" - :60.  VFX: a52.  VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy. 

Duncan's TV Ad Land, Feb. 18, 2008:  Monster.com Slots
Visual effects were developed at a52 by executive producer Linda Carlson, producer Scott Boyajan, VFX supervisor Patrick Murphy, and 3D supervisor Andy Hall....

Shots, Feb. 8, 2008:  Contender:  Lexus: Missing H
VFX: a52

Advertolog.com, Feb. 7, 2008:  TV-spot: Lexus: Missing H
Imagine a world without 'H'.   VFX: a52.  VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy. 

DigitalPostProduction.com, Feb. 7, 2008:  Super Bowl XLII: Digital Artists Tackle Commercials with Autodesk Solutions
...a52 used Flame to shape CareerBuilder.com's SELF-HELP YOURSELF and HELP YOU HELP YOU, which aired during ESPN's SportsCenter immediately following the conclusion of the Super Bowl....

VFXWorld, Feb. 7, 2008:  Super Bowl XLII Tackled with Autodesk Solutions
...a52 used Flame to shape CareerBuilder.com's SELF-HELP YOURSELF and HELP YOU HELP YOU, which aired during ESPN's SportsCenter immediately following the conclusion of the Super Bowl....

BestAdsonTV.com, Feb. 6, 2008:  CAREERBUILDER.COM: HELP YOU, HELP YOU
Using a humorous approach to show a worker reassessing his career situation, "Help You Help You" features a man a man walking into a shop where he confronts himself, picks himself up and carries himself out the door. "a52 and RPS were meticulous with all the technical details, which allowed us to focus on the performances, script, and art direction," said Wieden+Kennedy copywriter Jason Bagley....

Digital Content Producer Briefing Room, Feb. 6, 2008:  Team One Puts the ‘H’ in Hybrid for Lexus
Team One Los Angeles recently finished a powerful and innovative campaign for Lexus Hybrids that examines what the world would be like without the letter ‘h’. The :60 spot directed by MJZ’s Dante Ariola takes us through a series of humorous and visually vexing scenes looking at what major landmarks, news stories, classrooms, and typical office environments would look like if all the h’s were mysteriously missing....  Editorial - Rock Paper Scissors.  Editor - Andrea MacArthur.  VFX Co - a52.  VFX Supervisor - Patrick Murphy. 

Boards Online, Feb. 5, 2008:  Lexus: Missing H
Imagine a world without "h".  VFX: a52.  VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy. 

Creativity-Online.com, Feb. 5, 2008:  The Latest:  Lexus: Missing H
The consonant defects to Lexus....  VFX: a52.  VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy. 

StudioDaily.com, Feb. 4, 2008:  Top Spot of the Week, 2/4:  CareerBuilder "Help You"
...Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors .  Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver.  Editor: Angus Wall.  Asst. Editor: David Brodie.  Visual Effects Company: a52.  Executive Producer: Linda Carlson.  Producer: Megan Meloth.  On-Set Vfx Supervisor, Vfx Supervisor: Patrick Murphy.  Flame Artists: Patrick Murphy, Tim Bird....

SHOOT Magazine, Jan. 25, 2008:  Super-Duper Sunday In Offing; The Big Game Gets Even Bigger In Light Of Writers Guild Strike's Impact On TV Landscape
Assorted industry houses spanning visual effects, postproduction, music and audio post contributed to this year's body of Super Bowl work. a52, Santa Monica, was involved in effects for some of the prospective Careerbuilder.com work (which were helmed by Mills).

SHOOT Magazine, Jan. 25, 2008:  Visual Effects & Animation: SHOOT's Top Ten Chart
Monster.com "Slots."  a52, Santa Monica.  Patrick Murphy, VFX supervisor; Andy Hall, 3D supervisor; Linda Carlson, executive producer; Scott Boyajan, producer. Toolbox: Maya, Mental Ray, PF Track, Thankless (proprietary crowd simulator), Shake, Flame. 

Motionographer.com, Jan. 22, 2008:  A52:  Monster "Slots"
From out of nowhere, Monster looks like they’ve decided to fund beautiful work! First it was “Legs,” now it’s “Slots,” with seamless vfx from the masters at A52.  Unlike “Legs,” you know where this spot is headed after the first five seconds. But that doesn’t take the fun out of it; knowing that this is yet another “don’t be a part of the herd” spot is what makes watching it fun. Since we know the basic concept, we get to gorge ourselves on the details—of which there are plenty.  Full credits on A52’s project page.

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Jan. 17, 2008:  Member News from Around the World
a52's Pat Murphy and producer Scott Boyajan led the VFX and Frank Budgen/Anonymous Content led the directorial charge on the new Monster.com spot for BBDO/New York entitled Slots. With most of the footage consisting of workers traveling on individual tracks and shot on location in Buenos Aires, a52 team applied their artistic finesse to the amazing feats and added numerous photo-real 3D elements to the picture mix. Also lending their skills were a52 EP Linda Carlson, Flame artists Kirk Balden, Tim Bird, Raul Ortego, Mike Bliss, George Cuddy, Shannon Nobel, Marty Taylor, Smoke artist Brandon Jolley, Shake artists James Pastorius & Brendan Smith, 3D supervisor Andy Hall, and 3D animators Max Ulichney, Kirk Shintani, Chris Janney, Dan Gutierrez, Paulto deAlmada, Eli Guerron; and Rock Paper Scissors editor Angus Wall.

SHOOT Magazine, Jan. 11, 2008:  VES Award Nominations Find Asylum For Spots
...Two other spot-related VES Award categories also yielded nominations. For outstanding created environment in a live-action broadcast program or commercial, Sway Studio, Culver City, Calif., attained nominee status for Subaru Impreza's "Peel Out" directed by Gavin Bowden via the former Plum Productions for DDB New York. And for outstanding special effects in a broadcast program or commercial, Full Scale Effects, North Hollywood, earned a nomination on the strength of Lexus "Hydrant" directed by Nicolai Fuglsig of bicoastal/international MJZ for Team One Advertising, El Segundo, Calif. A52, Santa Monica, also contributed effects to "Hydrant," which was part of Lexus' "Actively Safe" campaign.... 

Creativity-Online.com, Jan. 7, 2008:  The Latest:  Monster: Slots
Avoid the monotony of the work commute.

Boards Online, Jan. 7, 2008:  Monster: Slots
BBDO, New York and Frank Budgen create an urban metaphor for job site Monster.

My Predictions, Jan. 7, 2008:  Monster by BBDO NY. Your Calling is Calling.
Monster - Slots.  Agency: BBDO New York - Chief Creative Officer: David Lubars - Executive Creative Director: Eric Silver - Art Director: Richard Ardito / Jerome Marucci - Copywriter: Grant Smith - Sr. Producer: Ed Zazzera / Jeff Beverly - Music Director: Rani Vaz - Prod: Gorgeous Enterprises - Director: Frank Budgen - Producer: Alicia Richards - DP: John Mathieson - EDITORIAL: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS - Editor: Angus Wall - VFX: A52 - Executive Producer: Linda Carlson - Producer: Scott Boyajan - VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy - 3D Supervisor: Andy Hall - MUSIC: Chemical Brothers "Dream On".

ArtoftheTitle.com, Dec. 21, 2007
Deadwood
Title Design: a52

Adland, Dec. 15, 2007
Lexus - Pop Up (2007) 0:30 (USA)
Agency: Team One.  Visual Effects: a52.... 

SHOOT Magazine, Dec. 7, 2007
Industry Artisans: Visual Effects And Postproduction Pros Make Their Mark On Notable Work
Holmedal and Irwin then turned their attention to the six-foot tall pop-up book, shooting it opening and closing and capturing the animated movements within the pages. All of the elements were later married together at a52. VFX supervisor Andy Hall and lead Flame artist Raul Ortego, both of a52, likened working on the project to putting together a giant puzzle with moving parts. Hall says that the Lexus project was the most challenging spot he's worked on in 2007, and pointed out that overall the most pressing issue the industry continues to face is one of expectation, in terms of time and resources. "Smaller teams are needed but with great productivity because of the financial constraints that significantly affect the way the resources are distributed," Hall relates... 

shots, Nov., 2007
Directors heed Murphy's laws
Having picked up the tricks of the trade through spells at Red Post and LA outfit a52, Pat Murphy has carved out a niche for himself as a post-production maestro who can quickly tap into a director's vision and give a shoot a unique tone.  Sam Mitchell asks where his inspiration comes from.... 

BusinessWire.com, Nov. 29, 2007
National Guard Launches Innovative Film Campaign in Theatres Nationwide, Announces LM&O Advertising 
Following the successful October premiere of its 3:30 minute pre-movie recruitment film entitled “Citizen Soldier,” the Army National Guard will roll out the second phase of the nationwide theatre campaign tomorrow, on Friday, November 30, with a broad array of innovative and interactive advertising components to complement the film. The announcement was made by Andy Blenkle, supervisor of the Army National Guard recruitment account for LM&O Advertising, Inc., a full-service advertising agency headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. LM&O’s creative and media departments handled the multi-faceted integrated marketing project....  “This is truly a groundbreaking film and campaign, not only for military advertising, but advertising period,” said LM&O Senior Vice President and Creative Director, Dave Marinaccio, who conceived, developed and managed the production.... For “Citizen Soldier,” Marinaccio contracted Antoine Fuqua, the director of “Training Day” which earned Denzel Washington an Academy Award; A52, a special effects shop known for its work in music videos and HBO series; and Company 3, the film colorists behind the three “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and “300.” 

Creativity-Online.com, Nov. 12, 2007
Lexus: Pop-Up Book - Behind the Scenes
A52 gives us a look inside the pop up book. 

Advertising Age, Nov. 12, 2007
How the Ad World's Dealing With the Decline of the :30
...It's increasingly clear that Madison Avenue isn't the Easy Street it once was. Shops are being forced to make do with less, forcing wholesale changes in the TV-commercial- production business.  "This year has been hard," said Mark Tobin, managing director and executive producer at a52, a visual-effects and design company that has serviced clients such as Lexus, EA Sports and Nike. "Budgets have been seriously cut and reapportioned into different areas. We have to find ways to make more with less."... 

SHOOT Magazine, Nov. 9, 2007
Top Spot of the Week: Stylewar, a52 Author Mega Pop-Up Book To Illustrate Safety For Lexus
While director Oskar Holmedal of the directing collective Stylewar, which is represented by bicoastal Smuggler, has always loved pop-up books and has quite a few in his collection, never in his wildest imagination did he ever think he would actually construct one.  But he has made a pop-up book—and a rather awesome one—with the assistance of the artisans from a52, Santa Monica, Calif. The book is featured in the aptly titled :30 "Pop-Up," a commercial created by agency Team One, El Segundo, Calif., for its client Lexus.... 

Adland, Nov. 3, 2007
Honda Fit - Gas Milage (2007) 0:15 (USA)
Honda Fit - Eyes (2007) 0:15 (USA)
Award-winning visual effects design company a52 today detailed two new :15 animated spots the company has created under the direction of its 3D/VFX supervisor Andy Hall for advertising agency RPA. The spots, entitled "Eyes" and "Gas Mileage," debuted this week on cable,and will break online on Oct. 8 on U.S.-targeted metro funky and mainstream newspaper sites....

BestAdsonTV.com, Oct. 28, 2007
Pop-Up
"Pop-Up" uses a 30-foot pop-up book to tell "the Story of the safest accident." In the spirit of Team One LA's Actively Safe campaign which debuted its first elements earlier this year, the safest accident is the one that never happens. As explained by Jon Pearce, Team One's creative director on the campaign along with Gavin Lester, "a52 was immensely important in conveying the ‘reality' of a giant pop-up book. We wanted the spot to feel as real as possible.... 

VFXTalk, Oct. 24, 2007
Team One's Lexus "Pop-Up" Spot Comes Together at a52
Award-winning visual effects design company a52 today detailed its role in bringing a sensational new ad to life for advertising agency Team One and the 2008 Lexus RX350. The spot entitled "Pop-Up" was directed by Stylewar through Hollywood production company Smuggler.... 

Digital Arts Magazine, Oct. 25, 2007
A52 creates pop-up-style car ad
a52 today detailed its role in bringing a new ad to life for advertising agency Team One and the 2008 Lexus RX350. The spot entitled Pop-Up was directed by Stylewar through Hollywood production company Smuggler, and is set to debut in high-profile network and cable broadcast coverage this week.... 

Adrants.com, Oct. 24, 2007
Lexus Tells Cautionary Tale in Pop-Up Form
For its "safest accidents" effort by Team One and a52, Lexus illustrates a series of hypothetical accidents with a life-sized pop-up book and quirky music....

POST Magazine, Oct. 24, 2007
A52 MAKES LEXUS SPOT POP
...The actual pop-up book, with moving parts, was just six feet high and was then married to the greenscreen frame at A52.  Flame and Smoke were used to rotoscope the different pop-up pieces, which were then composited together in Flame. For the city scene, A52's CGI artists recreated elements in Maya using high-rez stills from the shoot as textures, and tracked them to the live-action using 2d3’s Boujou for final compositing in Flame. Live-action passes of the Lexus, capturing reflections and shadows, were also combined in Flame, and virtual holes were created for the pop-up book's pages in Maya and were then tracked with Boujou.  A52 artists added additional touches as well, including tabs and wheels for the book using Maya. Flame was used for additional reflections, titles and color grading. Autodesk Smoke handled final assembly....

Motionographer.com, Oct. 23, 2007
Lexus Pop Up
Just when you thought pop up ads could not be done again, agency Team One along with Stylewar as director came up with a whole new way to do it..just make it really really big! They went to vfx house A52 to pull this difficult task off. The spot looks to be shot live with a real pop up book but as Jon Pearce of Team One explains, “the book could have been built that large, but the weight of the pop-up extensions would have been too great, and turning the pages on a book that large at a rate that could accommodate a 30-second spot was problematic”.... 

Creativity-Online.com, Oct. 17, 2007
Lexus Pops Off
...Yeah, "a matter of putting it together" is somewhat of an understatement. It looks practical and the better A52 and the editor did their job, the less visible their work actually is. It's a bit thankless. But they made it so realistic you can hardly tell there is a lot of CG going on. They did things like keeping the wire in at the top of the page, which were used to turn the pages, and they added some air pockets and kept some of the imperfections in there so the pages looked like they moved and sat naturally.... 

SHOOTonline's iSPOT, Oct. 17, 2007
iSPOT of the Week:  Honda Fit Attracts Eyeballs In Animated Video Created by RPA, a52
The 2008 Honda Fit may be small in size but it's big on looks. RPA, Santa Monica wanted to express that in a quirky way and accomplished that with "Eyes," a 15-second animated spot created by a52, Santa Monica's Andy Hall for online distribution that was released last week.  In the broadband video, viewers are taken into a surreal world where gigantic eyeballs chase cars through empty streets. A voiceover says "Speedy eye-catcher.  The Fit from Honda; the Fit is go." In addition to creating a compelling story in 15 seconds, one of the other challenges was to maintain a visual style that was introduced last year in a spot titled "Food Chain" when the Fit was first unveiled to consumers.  The spot featured cars eating other cars and at the end the Fit eats a huge SUV, related Curt Johnson, associate creative director/art director. RPA. "The city in the background was created by a52 so we had the idea for the rolling eyeball spot this year to actually put this car chase on the streets of that city that they had created," Johnson said....

Adweek, Oct. 16, 2007
Ad of the Day:  Lexus Hits the 'Sweet Spot' 
...Not only is it a fresh, smart way to demo the moves that the new sports sedan with a more powerful engine is capable of, but it also seems to be a bit self-deprecating about the hoity-toity markers of quiet class and elegance that defined previous Lexus commercials. Altogether, the effect is sophisticated and as badass as you can get in a good-natured way....

Adrants.com, Oct. 16, 2007
Lexus Winks: Even Classy Cars Have Naughty Streaks
...The spot, which debuted this evening during Boston Legal, is brought to you by Team One Advertising, LA, and visual effects firm a52. We wish Lexus would try being funny more often....

Boards Online, Oct. 16, 2007
Lexus: Etiquette
A Lexus acts up.  Visual Effects Company: A52, Santa Monica, CA.  Executive Producer: Mark Tobin.  Producer: Sarah Haynes.  On-Set Visual Effects Supervisor: Andrew Hall.  Lead Flame Artists: Tim Bird.  Vfx Artist: Mike Bliss. Cgi Artist: Max Ulichney.

Creativity-Online.com, Oct. 16, 2007
The Latest:  Pop-Up Book
Stylewar helps Lexus keep up with its moving landscapes.  VFX Company: a52.  VFX Supervisor: Andy Hall.  Lead Flame Artist: Raul Ortego.  Executive Producer (VFX): Mark Tobin.  Producer (VFX): Sarah Haynes. 

Brandweek, Oct. 15, 2007
Lexus Tweaks Audi in Latest Spots
...The spot, via Team One, El Segundo, and special effects company a52, Santa Monica, Calif., is a poke at Audi’s ads for the A4 that poke fun at the Lexus technology that allows a car to park itself. In those ads, the tagline claims it is the “the luxury car for people who can park themselves."... 

Creativity-Online.com, Oct. 8, 2007
The Latest:  Lexus: Slice
Lexus details served up in slices.  Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors.  Editor: Noah Herzog.  VFX: A52.  On-set VFX Supervisor: Tim Bird.  Flame Artist: Pat Murphy, 
Scott Johnson.  VFX Producer: Pete King. 

Digital Arts Magazine, Oct. 8, 2007
A52 builds full-CG Honda spots
"The assignment from the agency was to create two 15-second spots for the Internet, based upon story boards they had for the Honda Fit campaign," Hall explained. "From there, I was given a lot of freedom in terms of style and choices, which really made them a challenge."... 

StudioDaily.com, Oct. 8, 2007
Top Spot of the Week:  Honda "Eyes"
Honda Fit Attracts Eyeballs, Touts Fuel Efficiency in New Animated :15 Spots from Ad Agency RPA, a52 and Director Andy Hall....

Adrants.com, Oct. 5, 2007
Honda Goes Fit with Comic Book Headlines, Robot Tones and Fast Wit
...these retro-vibing :15 spots for the Honda Fit manage to be quick and informative with a witty -- but thankfully minimalist -- "WTF?" aspect. Eyes was like a speedy sci-fi take on the Nissan Rogue ad, which also debuted just recently. And Gas Mileage, while slightly less memorable, maintains the campaign's pace and says everything it needs to without tempting you to push fast-forward.  a52 produced the spots for agency RPA out of Santa Monica, CA.

MediaPost's Marketing Daily, Oct. 5, 2007
Honda Merges Tough With Classy For New Ridgeline Ads
...In a testament to the increasingly media-agnostic nature of video advertising assets, Honda is also breaking a pair of new ads on TV that were produced for the Internet. The ads, for Honda's Fit subcompact, are animated 15-second spots created by L.A.-based visual effects and design company A52. The agency, which is known for special effects on TV and films, has done work for Honda on Fit and Ridgeline under the aegis of RPA.  According to A52 computer graphics chief Andy Hall, who directed the ads, RPA gave the firm free rein on the new ads, which are animated extensions of Honda's "Fit Is Go" effort.  The ads break this week on cable and will go online on Monday on offbeat regional magazine sites. The agency produced the spots in HD format--even though the ads were originally intended to be online only. Hall says the agency's assignment was to make two 15-second spots for the Internet, based on RPA storyboards.  One of the two ads has Fit racing through an urban landscape, chased by three gigantic eyeballs. The car finally careens into a tunnel that is a little too small for the eyes, one of which gets stuck at the entrance. "Eye Catching," says the headline. The agency--and Hall--directed Honda's ad for the Ridgeline that ran during Super Bowl XL, as well as last year's effort for the Fit....

Adweek, Oct. 3, 2007
Ad of the Day:  Honda's Fit Shapes Up Nicely
The Honda Fit is eye-catching, literally. At least, that's the idea behind this fun new energetic spot from RPA in Santa Monica, Calif. The car is barreling down the streets of a futuristic city to the sounds of techno music in what could be a scene out of a car racing videogame. In hot pursuit, giant eyeballs that are apparently so drawn to the "Speedy Eye-Catcher!," as noted by a robotic voiceover and the onscreen copy, that they race after it, trailing behind like billiard balls behind the speed racer. The action-packed chase and the moving bloodshot eyeballs do hold a viewer's attention and the attitude is spot-on for the young target market Honda's after with the Fit. The spot ends with one of the eyeballs getting caught in a tunnel and the tagline "The Fit is go!"

Boards Online, Oct. 2, 2007
Honda Fit: Eyes
Never roll your eyes at a passing Honda Fit. Production Company: a52, Santa Monica.  Director: Andrew Hall. 

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Sep. 3, 2007
Member News from Around the World
Burlington, Vermont-based agency Kelliher Samets Volk recently turned to Backyard Productions director Ericson Core for a set of three thoughtful :30 image spots for wireless provider Unicel. The ads Destination, Inspiration, and Lost, feature a free-roaming balloon as it wanders through urban and rural landscapes, visually driving home the campaign's tagline: Unicel: The way wireless should be. Others lending their skills included Backyard EP Peter Steinzeig, Beast editor Igor Kovalik, and A52 artist DanielGutierrez & Max Ulichney, executive producer Mark Tobin, Flame artist Kirk Balden, and VFX supervisor Andy Hall. 

AdLand, Aug. 28, 2007
Unicel - Lost (2007) 0:30 (USA)
Unicel - Inspiration (2007) 0:30 (USA)
Unicel - Destination (2007) 0:30 (USA)
VFX/ANIMATION/FINISHING COMPANY: a52.  CITY/STATE: Santa Monica, CA.  EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mark Tobin.  PRODUCER: Sarah Haynes.  VFX/3D SUPERVISOR: Andrew Hall.  FLAME ARTIST: Kirk Balden.  CGI ARTISTS: Max Ulichney, Dan Gutierrez, Paulo de Almada....

Adrants.com, Aug. 15, 2007
HBO Gets All Oblique on Our Asses with New -- er, Axed 'John from Cincinnati' Series
You may want to watch out for the deceptively simple-seeming John from Cincinnati - even if it's just to see the main title sequence, whose creative director, Angus Wall, was also behind Big Love, Rome and Carnivale.  A collaboration between Rock Paper Scissors and A52, the opening is unique in that it gives nothing away (not even main characters!), leaving us stewing in feelings of surfer's nostalgia and little more...

POST Magazine, Aug. 14, 2007
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS POSTS 'JOHN FROM CINCINNATI' OPEN
According to the series' executive producer Gregg D. Fienberg, the open needed "to carry off some sort of a sense of exuberance without trying to explain in any way what the essence of the show was about.  A David Milch show shifts and grows along the way and any attempt in a main title to convey more than a feeling would most likely go off the rails sometime during the life of the series. Ultimately, even though our show seems very dark and dreary at first, at its core is a celebration of the exuberance of life. Angus and his team captured that."...

SourceEcreative Newsletter, Aug. 1, 2007
Member News from Around the World
HBO once again turned to Angus Wall to design and produce the main titles for its newest series, John From Cincinnati. The feature film editor is the owner of editorial company Rock Paper Scissors - and the creative director behind the main title sequences for HBO's original series Carnivale, "Deadwood," Rome, and "Big Love." For John from Cincinnati, A52's producer Sarah Haynes and on-set visual effects supervisor Andy Hall spent a day at Imperial Beach filming the show's stunt surfers. RPS editor David Brodie worked closely with Wall to combine the new footage with stock images and surf footage licensed from epic surfing films including Bruce Brown's world-famous 1966 documentary, "Endless Summer." Inferno artist Raul Ortego then effected the finished edit to give it a vintage look, and added the titles. 

3D World, July, 2007
How to Become a Studio Star:  Andy Hall, A52
Many artists see advertising agencies as, at best, an occupational hazard, and at worst, an active impediment to their work.  In contrast, A52's Andy Hall believes that they can be a positive spur to creativity....

Animation World Magazine, July 31, 2007
Hot Spots Showcase 5: The Best in Animated & VFX Commercials
For the past five years, AWN has put out a call to its readers working in commercials to share their work. Each year the showcase is filled with innovative, funny and eye-popping spots. This year is no exception. It is a collection of commercials representing the best, and diverse, work these production houses are doing. These are ads you definitely don't want to skip past....

SourceEcreative Newsletter, July 2, 2007
Member News from Around the World
A52's artists recently had the pleasure of producing an all-CGI spot for Nike Golf via Wieden+Kennedy. Working with the agency's creative group, namely creative director Hal Curtis, art director James Moslander and producer Ben Grylewicz, A52's Andy Hall served as VFX/3D supervisor on the spot. Utilizing photoreal animation, the commercial announced a promotion offering Nike One golf ball buyers the chance to win a game of golf with Tiger Woods. Other A52ers included producer Scott Boyajan, Flame artist Stafan Gaillot, and 3D artist Max Ulichney. The spot debuted on June 16 during broadcast coverage of the U.S. Open. 

Duncan's TV Ad Land, June 9, 2007
Reebok Run Easy at Speed of Chat
...Visual effects were done at A52 by lead VFX/Flame artist Tim Bird, compositors Justin Blaustein, Mike Bliss, executive producer Mark Tobin, producer Heather Johann....

SourceEcreative Newsletter, June 5, 2007
Member News from Around the World
Don't you just love it when inanimate objects are animated with personality? (Me too.) Directed by Bruce Dowad of tight for Draft FCB, the :30 Fig Newtons spot entitled Market brings the famous cookies to life -- via the VFX and CGI artistry of A52. The cinematic spot features animated Fig Newtons appearing in a live-action world, with the cookies escaping cookie jars in homes and packages in grocery stores to march en masse to a country fruit market and settle into fruit barrels. Discovered there the next morning, the voiceover relates, "Fig Newtons: Packed with that real fruit taste, it's the cookie that thinks it's a fruit." Talents abounded from tight EP Jonathan Ker and producer Jeremy Barrett, RMI composer Robert Miller, and A52ers - EP Mark Tobin, VFX producer Sarah Haynes, on-set VFX supervisors Andy Hall & Raul Ortego, Flame artist Mike Bliss, Inferno artist Raul Ortego, and CGI artists Max Ulichney, Kirk Shintani, Dan Guiterrez, & Paulo de Almada.

Taxi Design Network, June 5, 2007
A52 Pursues Broadcast Perfection for Lexus
...A52's project visual effects supervisor Kirk Balden calls the spot's end footage of the running LS 600h L a "triumph of digital technology."...

Dexigner.com, June 3, 2007
A52 Pursues Broadcast Perfection for Lexus
Los Angeles visual effects design company A52 today detailed its contributions to the latest broadcast campaign from the creatives at advertising agency Team One, and Gorgeous Enterprises/Anonymous Content director Peter Thwaites, for Lexus....

Studio Daily, May 24, 2007
Five Questions with... VFX artist Kirk Balden, A52
VFX artist Kirk Balden of A52 steps up to answer five questions... 

Adwired.com, May 23, 2007
Headliner:  Fig Newton "Market"
Directed by Tight Films' Bruce Dowad for Draft FCB, this charming spot features animation and visual effects from A52.

SourceEcreative Newsletter, May 22, 2007
Member News from Around the World
The latest campaign from the creatives at advertising agency Team One, Anonymous Content and director Peter Thwaites, is for lucky client Lexus. The first three spots featured recording artists Diana Krall, Elvis Costello and John Legend commenting on music as they savored it from inside a Lexus. The latest, Fast Reimagined and Instinct, feature the all-new 2008 Lexus LS 600h L Hybrid Sedan, and an impending crash of a Lexus with a pickup truck in a busy metropolitan intersection, respectively. Others weighing in were Anonymous EP Cassie Hulen, Company 3 colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, Rock Paper Scissors editor Adam Pertofsky and visual effects team A52. Also in from the company is this excellent green campaign for SOS’ Movement for a Climate in Crisis where Frank Budgen steps up to show the overarching emotional impact of global warming. A cacophony of sounds in Morse Code dots and dashes, created by humans and animals, crescendo to a powerful climax. Also lending their skills were Anonymous EP Cassie Hulen, Rock Paper Scissors Angus Wall & Brad Waskewich, and Human Music & Sound Design.

SHOOT, May 18, 2007
Top Spot of the Week: Traveler's "Luck"
Visual Effects:  A52. 

fxguide, May 17, 2007
A52 Pursues Broadcast Perfection for Lexus
Los Angeles visual effects design company A52 today detailed its contributions to the latest broadcast campaign from the creatives at advertising agency Team One, and Gorgeous Enterprises/ Anonymous Content director Peter Thwaites, for Lexus....

Boards Online, May 15, 2007
Lexus "Fast Reimagined"
Lexus "Instinct"
Gorgeous' Peter Thwaites speeds up and hits the brakes for this Lexus campaign.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52.

Shots, May 15, 2007
Contender:  Live Earth: Save Our Selves
Post Production: A52

Shots, May 15, 2007
Contender:  Travelers Insurance: Lucky
VFX: A52

Shots, May 15, 2007
CUT & PASTE
Gorgeous director Peter Thwaites does some nice things with slow motion and damage limitation for Lexus with some tight post work by the artists at Rock Paper Scissors and A52...

VFXTalk.com, May 15, 2007
A52 Pursues Broadcast Perfection For Lexus With Team One
For the campaign’s five :30 spots, Team One’s credits include executive creative directors Chris Graves and Jon Pearce, creative director Phillip Squier (“Instinct”), copywriter John Hage (“Instinct”) and executive producer Jack Epsteen....

Adweek, May 14, 2007
Best Spots of April, 2007:  Traveler's "Risk"
Special Effects/Titles: Patrick Murphy/A52, Los Angeles

SHOOT, May 11, 2007
Top Spot of the Week: Reebok "Run Easy"
Visual Effects:  A52.  Tim Bird, lead VFX/Flame artist; Justin Blaustein, Mike Bliss, compositors; Mark Tobin, executive producer; Heather Johann, producer. 

AdCritic.com, May 9, 2007
Spot of the Day:  SOS
Visual Effects:  A52 - Los Angeles.  VFX Producer: Heather Johann.  VFX Artist:  Tim Bird, Raul Ortego.

AdCritic.com, Mar. 9, 2007
Lexus - Instinct
Visual Effects:  A52 - Los Angeles.  VFX Producer:  Pete King.  VFX Supervisor:  Kirk Balden.  CG Supervisor:  Kirk Shintani.

Boards, April, 2007
Ad land's do-gooders...
the judges for this year's First Boards Awards did a great job coming up with our list of the most promising new talent. As usual, we coyly coerced them into committing hours upon hours to the task, and for that we thank them....  2007 JUDGES:  Andy Hall (A52, LA).

SHOOT, Apr. 27, 2007
Getting Real: VFX Attain Realism, Drive Stories
...To deliver a modern take on the famous "Odessa Steps" sequence from Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin in the new Coke spot out of Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore., West Hollywood-based A52's photoreal CGI and seamless VFX artistry played important roles.  In the spot, a man running through a train station bumps into another man, who just opened his bottle of coke. The Coke bottle cap flies out of his hand and begins bouncing down the steps. In despair, he watches it tumble, and then envisions it as the flat screen TV he longs to have when he earns enough My CokeRewards points. The bouncing cap morphs into other objects that onlookers are fantasizing about when they see the cap cascading by. When it rolls to a halt, a crowd of people race to it.  When A52 started the project, the VFX team was only supposed to create CGI Coke bottle caps bouncing down the steps. The other tumbling elements (flat screen monitor, guitar, paintball gun, vintage Coke cooler, golf clubs, DVDs, and rubber dog toy) were supposed to be in-camera. But director Jason Smith of Bob Industries, Santa Monica, decided to shoot them as separate passes for control and safety issues. A52 re-created all the falling elements but one in CGI to achieve the desired angle and trajectory or to add in a specific prop that production hadn't been able to obtain.  "In the final piece every shot has some visual effects from simple clean up to rebuilding whole shots in post," says Andy Hall, visual effects supervisor. The CGI team included Kirk Shintani, Paulo de Almada and Chris Janney. Patrick Murphy, visual effects supervisor and Inferno/Flame artist, and Hall choreographed the objects to create a continuous tumbling, bouncing movement from beginning to end of the spot. Each CGI element went up to Murphy in Inferno to see them in context of the individual shot and the spot as a whole. There was a lot of back and forth to achieve a  continuous tumbling, bouncing movement through the entire spot. In addition to Inferno the team relied on Maya, mental ray and Shake.  "The biggest challenges were the time constraints on the job, creating continuity of action that communicated the idea of these people seeing their own rewards tumbling down the stairs and taking a variety of very different objects and creating a continuous and believable action throughout the spot," Hall relates....

AdCritic.com, Apr. 18, 2007
Spot of the Day:  Reebok - Run Easy
Post Effects:  A52 - Los Angeles; Executive Producer (Effects): Mark Tobin; Lead VFX Artist: Tim Bird.

SourceEcreative, Apr. 4, 2007
VFX Artist Raul Ortego Revisits His First Year at A52…
Los Angeles visual effects design company A52 was launched in 1995 as a boutique – where ad agency creatives, directors and other industry talents could go to work directly with extraordinary visual effects artists in a casual setting.  At this time last year, executive producer Mark Tobin added international VFX artist Raul Ortego to the roster, keeping with the company’s vision, and never looking back on his decision....

3D World, March, 2007
Fish Food
A spot for US mobile service Helio features lifelike creature effects courtesy of LA VFX studio A52, including a realistic sequence where a whale engulfs a female diver.  A52 modelled, textured, animated and lit the whale, as well as a school of fish that appears throughout the spot using Maya for animation and mental ray for rendering.  "As the actors were shot in a pool, there was a challenge in the way that we had to handle the sea water colour correction," said lead Inferno artist Raul Ortego.  "We had to make it appear realistic, while also making the actors appear very clearly."  www.A52.com

CG Magazine (China), March, 2007
Oversea VFX Express:  Bud Light "Snowed In"

CG Magazine (China), March, 2007
Pixilation:  Honda Civic "Freedom"

Videography, March, 2007
Crime Scenes and Compression Schemes: The File-Based Workflow for David Fincher's Zodiac
Another effects vendor that received DPX files from the production team was Los Angeles-based A52. At one point in the film, the narrative takes the form of a hypnotic montage, artistically drawing together the letters and clues the serial killer provided to investigators. After receiving input from Wall on Fincher's vision for the sequence, high-resolution scans were taken of the actual letters from the Zodiac killer. "It seemed early on that the process required a strong collaboration between 2D and 3D to really capture the level of detail that David was looking for," explains A52 VFX co-supervisor Andy Hall.  According to A52's Sarah Haynes, the raw live-action Viper footage for the sequence was provided to A52 on a portable hard drive in the form of DPX files. After A52's work was completed, the sequence was output as DPX files and sent to Technicolor, where it was colored by Stephen Nakamura and mastered as part of the film's digital intermediate....

International designers Network (Hong Kong), 2006/7.  Six.  Volume 13.  Number 5.
TV Commercial
Acura Anthem & Tech by A52
Microsoft Xbox Cops and Robbers by A52

SHOOT, Mar. 16, 2007
Top Spot of the Week: Lexus' "Hospital"
West Hollywood-based A52 handled visual effects which entailed some beauty clean-up and the seamless combination of multiple telecine passes....

Videography, Mar. 15, 2007
Crime Scenes and Compression Schemes: The File-Based Workflow for David Fincher's Zodiac
Like other pioneering HD feature directors such as Michael Mann, George Lucas, James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez, David Fincher has said goodbye to film and embraced high-definition video as his capture medium of choice....  Another effects vendor that received DPX files from the production team was Los Angeles-based A52. At one point in the film, the narrative takes the form of a hypnotic montage, artistically drawing together the letters and clues the serial killer provided to investigators. After receiving input from Wall on Fincher's vision for the sequence, high-resolution scans were taken of the actual letters from the Zodiac killer. "It seemed early on that the process required a strong collaboration between 2D and 3D to really capture the level of detail that David was looking for," explains A52 VFX co-supervisor Andy Hall. According to A52's Sarah Haynes, the raw live-action Viper footage for the sequence was provided to A52 on a portable hard drive in the form of DPX files. After A52's work was completed, the sequence was output as DPX files and sent to Technicolor, where it was colored by Stephen Nakamura and mastered as part of the film's digital intermediate....

Digit, Mar. 14, 2007
A52 builds montage for Fincher's Zodiac
"This was a perfect job for A52," Angus Wall said, "as it called for great design and the ability to take a concept and run with it. Andy, Kirk, Max and Pat really delivered, far exceeding expectations for the sequence. As one of the only purely visual flourishes in the movie, it's a rare blend of content and style...." 

FXGuide.com, Mar. 14, 2007
A52 key story montage for Zodiac
...For A52, the team consisted of VFX co-supervisors Andy Hall and Pat Murphy, 3D animators Kirk Shintani and Max Ulichney, producer Sarah Haynes, and executive producer Mark Tobin. After receiving extensive input from Wall on Fincher's vision for the sequence, high-resolution scans were taken of the actual letters from the Zodiac killer. "It seemed early on that the process required a strong collaboration between 2D and 3D to really capture the level of detail that David was looking for," explained Andy Hall. "Working with Maya and Mental Ray, the letters were reconstructed so the camera could literally travel into the fibers of the paper."...

VFXTalk.com, Mar. 14, 2007
A52 uses CGI and Visual Effects to Create Key Story Montage for "Zodiac"
At a key moment in “Zodiac,” director David Fincher’s historical dramatic thriller which opened in theaters nationwide earlier this month, the narrative takes the form of a hypnotic montage, artistically drawing together the letters and clues a serial killer has provided to investigators at a time when the officers must repeatedly return to the offices of the San Francisco Chronicle. To create that sequence, Fincher and his collaborators, including editor Angus Wall, turned to the talented artists at LA visual effects design company A52....

AdCritic.com, Mar. 7, 2007
Spot of the Day:  Lexus - Hydrant
The Latest:  Lexus - Hospital
Visual Effects:  A52 - Los Angeles.  VFX Producer: Jenny Bright.  Flame Artist: Patrick Murphy, Kirk Balden.

Adrants, Mar. 4, 2007
Lexus Says Safest Accidents Are Ones That Never Happen
Historically shunned but acknowledged more and more every year by car markers is the inevitable fact car accidents happen. Following VW's most recent entry with its dramatic crash ads comes this work by Team One and visual effects company A52 for Lexus in which an interesting approach is taken to illustrate the ability of Lexus vehicles to help you avoid accidents. Each of the two spots takes a reverse look at an accident and, through a set change, takes us from the accident to a world in which the accident never occurs....  Comment:  Credits where very much due to director Nicolai Fuglsig, DP Salvatore Totino, MJZ EP Lisa Rich, line producer Emma Wilcockson, production designer Floyd Albee, SFX supervisor Dave Peterson, stylist Aimee Acord, editor David Henegar of Butcher Edit, colorist Stefan at CO3 and the teams at Robot Repair (music) and Juice West (final mix). Bravo!

StudioDaily, Mar. 1, 2007
Five Questions with... Tim Bird, VFX artist, A52
Tim Bird, VFX artist at A52, steps up to answer Five Questions and discuss his most recent work on the Bud Light spot "Snowed In" via DDB Chicago....

CG Magazine (China), February, 2007
Oversea VFX Express:  Helio "Scuba Time"

Digit, Feb. 16, 2007
A52 sees square for Nike Golf
LA-based VFX company A52 has contributed to a series of spots for Nike Golf commissioned by Wieden+Kennedy...

Boards Online, Feb. 15, 2006
Nike Golf "See Square"
Nike Golf "Tour Dominance"
Smuggler's David Frankham gives golf a new dimension for Nike.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52.  EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mark Tobin. PRODUCER: Sarah Haynes. ON-SET VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR: Raul Ortego. VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR: Raul Ortego. INFERNO ARTISTS: Raul Ortego, Kirk Balden, Justin Blaustein. 
MATTE PAINTERS: Brandon Jolley, Helen Maier, Max Ulichney. 3D SUPERVISOR: Andy Hall. 3D ANIMATORS: Paulo de Almada, Kirk Shintani, Max Ulichney. 

AdCritic.com, Feb. 15, 2007
Spot of the Day:  Cherry Coke - Downpour
VFX: A52 - Los Angeles. VFX Artist: Tim Bird.

CG Magazine (China), January, 2007
Oversea VFX Express:  Honda Civic Freedom

Videography, January, 2007
Zodiac: Solving Tapeless Mysteries
...Like Fincher, Angus Wall is not a typical film editor. In 1992, Wall and Linda Carlson founded Rock Paper Scissors, a West Hollywood creative editorial house known for its commercial work for such clients as BMW, HP and Nike. Later, in 1997, they set up visual effects house A52....

SHOOT, Jan. 12, 2007
Post Reaction to Autodesk Restructuring
...Kirk Balden, Flame and Smoke artist at L.A.-based A52, says, "There are executives...and development people that will be missed, who have been with the product almost since the beginning. Those are the people who knew the backbone of the software and we were able to talk to one on one. That's the worrisome part."....

3D World, December, 2006
A52 Puts Pioneer Through Its Paces
Set inside a futuristic testing facility, the HD resolution and fully CG spot "Orbit", from A52 for Pioneer, sees numerous chrome balls get pulled into gravitational alignment when the TV displays the image of a planet.  Meanwhile, the second spot, "Wind Tunnel", features smoke flowing round the hyper-realistic image of a Formula One car.  "We wanted no one to be able to distringush between live-action cinematography or CGI," said A52's VFX/CG Supervisor Andy Hall.  Maya was used for animation, Shake and Inferno for compositing, while rendering was completed in mental ray.  www.A52.com.

Communication Arts, December, 2006
Advertising Annual:  Television Commercials:  "Kid Tiger" "60
Patrick Murphy, A52, artist.  Mark Tobin, A52, executive producer.  April Killingsworth, A52, visual effects producer.  A52 (Los Angeles, CA), post production company.

International designers Network (Hong Kong), 2006.  Five.  Volume 13.  Number 5.
TV Commercial
Wind Tunnel & Orbit by A52

Videography, December, 2006
A52 Goes Deep for Helio
Los Angeles visual effects company A52 contributed CG and visual effects work to a broadcast spot for agency Deutsch/LA and its youth-focused mobile service client, Helio...

Digital Producer's Briefing Room, Dec. 20, 2006
A52 Goes Deep for Helio, Deutsch/LA and Moxie Pictures’ Jared Hess
...“The simple ideas always seem the hardest to pull off,” added Jennifer Parke, VP/Group Creative Director. “A52 and the entire team made the very complex process of a whale eating a girl look so simple.”...

Boards Online, Dec. 8, 2006
Helio - Scuba Time
A woman becomes whale food in this spot for mobile service provider Helio.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52...

CGNews, Dec. 8, 2006
A52 Goes Deep with Moxie Pictures for Helio
...“A52 really brought this concept to life,” said Nate Morley, VP/Group Creative Director at Deutsch. “The work they did on the whale, the color and the environment helped us take this spot to another level.”...

VFXTalk, Dec. 8, 2006
A52 Goes Deep with Moxie Pictures for Helio
...A52’s team, including VFX supervisor Patrick Murphy, VFX producer Sarah Haynes, CGI supervisor Andy Hall, lead Inferno artist Raul Ortego and others worked closely with the agency and production teams – including Hess, line producer Laura Heflin and director of photography Munn Powell – to determine what needed to be shot during the project’s single day of location production, which was filmed at the Olympic Training Center in Salt Lake City, Utah....

Digit, Dec. 7, 2006
A52 dives for Jared Hess commercial
VFX house A52 has worked on a commercial directed by Napoleon Dynamite-helmer Jared Hess.  The spot, entitled Scuba Time, is for mobile phone builder Helio. The action is set deep in the ocean, where a diver is found by his buddy, who used the Buddy Beacon service on his Helio device to track his friend down on a spear-fishing expedition. When a young woman swims up to the pair and comments on the device, she is soon engulfed by an enormous whale, leaving the second diver to comment, “She shouldn’t have called it a phone!”...

Ventilate, Dec. 7, 2006
A52 : HELIO ‘SCUBA TIME’
I recently saw this on tv: A52’s latest project, a funny commercial for Helio , directed by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess of Moxie Pictures. Live action was shot at the Olympic Training Center in Salt Lake City. A52 used Maya and Mental Ray for CG. You can view some of the CG development at Darnell Works’ site....

Digital Producer, Dec. 6, 2006
A52 Goes Deep with Moxie Pictures' Jared Hess for Deutsch/LA and Helio
Moving forward with the live-action footage of the divers, A52's post-production work began.  Under Andy Hall's supervision, A52's CGI team of Paulo de Almada and Dan Gutierrez modeled, textured, colored, animated and lit the "hero" whale, as well as a school of fish that appears throughout the spot, using Maya for the animation, and Mental Ray for rendering.  From there, Raul Ortego artistically composited-in the coral reef and appropriate screens for the Helio device, while also adding the CG fish and whale.  His final touch was to color- grade the water to complete the spot's deep-sea illusion.  "Because the actors were shot in a pool," Ortego explained, "there was a challenge in the way that we had to handle the sea water color-correction, to make it appear realistic, while also making the actors appear very clearly."...

Shots, Nov. 22, 2006
CUT & PASTE
A52 visual effects artist Kirk Balden has teamed with Partizan's 24-year-old director Ace Norton for a mixed-media extravaganza of a broadcast spot conceived by the creatives of RPA. It seems you don't have to play golf and holiday in Dorset to own a Civic after all. The spot is even going to air on MTV. Marvel HERE...

Boards Online, Nov. 21, 2006
Honda Civic - Freedom
Partizan's Ace Norton mixes media mightily for the new Honda Civic.  Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles, CA; Visual Effects Company: A52, West Hollywood, CA.

Digital Producer, Nov. 20, 2006
A52 Helps Partizan's Ace Norton Inaugurate Honda Civic "Freedom" for RPA
...Featuring a fast-paced blending of stop-motion, live-action, visual effects and animation techniques edited together by Rock Paper Scissors' Brad Waskewich, the storyline features a young man driving his Honda Civic to his local voting place.  Early on, the man multiplies into seven distinct versions of himself, each with a Civic of a different color.  With each man casting his vote for the Civic, the voiceover confides:  "Freedom is choice.  The Honda Civic.  Reverse your thinking."...

SHOOT, Nov. 17, 2006
Facility Execs Offer Their Insights, Advice on the HD Movement
..."In the world of commercials, those campaigns that require international and multi-standard format distribution currently stand to gain the most from HD mastering," adds Mark Tobin, managing director/executive producer of A52, Santa Monica. "At the same time, with more and more people coming to rely upon photoreal CG storytelling, the sophistication and power of the tools available to our artists are driving demand for the creation of high-impact HD spots where the quality of the imagery is an important part of the commercial message....

Adweek, Nov. 13, 2006
Best Spots of October:  Burger King "Eat Like Snake"
When a man leaves his Triple Whopper momentarily unattended in a workplace lunchroom, his colleague slithers over to "eat like snake," unhinging his jaw to swallow the enormous burger in one bite....  Flame Operators: Tim Bird/A52, Los Angeles; Tom McCullough/R!OT, Santa Monica; Nick Tanner/Smoke & Mirrors, New York...

Autodesk.com, Nov. 10, 2006
Putting HD on the Spot
With a heritage of shooting 35mm film, the advertising community is no stranger to high-resolution imagery. But as more and more television viewers purchase HDTVs, there’s growing pressure for top advertising agencies and their clients to shift to High-Definition (HD) for the post production, mastering, and distribution of their commercial spots. As a leading, award-winning visual effects and design company in West Hollywood, Calif., A52 is seeing rapidly increasing demand for editing and mastering of HDTV spots from their commercial clients....

AdCritic.com, Nov. 8, 2006
The Latest:  Honda - Freedom
(An aside: It's not often that we quote press releases, but it's election day and all, so here goes. "As young adults across America struggle to find their voice in the elections, the new Honda Civic spot ties into this theme by celebrating the mobility and freedom found in the vehicle.")  VFX: A52 - Los Angeles.  VFX Executive Producer: Mark Tobin.  VFX Producer: Heather Richardson. Sound Design: 740 Sound Design - Santa Monica. Song: "Huddle Formation". Musical Artist: Go Team. VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Kirk Balden.

AdCritic.com, Nov. 6, 2006
The Latest:  XBOX 360 - Cops and Robbers
Garth Davis and McCann go big.  Visual Effects: A52 - Los Angeles.  Executive Producer (Effects): Mark Tobin. Lead Inferno Artist: Patrick Murphy. Inferno Artists: Justin Blaustein, Carlos Morales. 

AdLand, Nov. 6, 2006
Microsoft XBox - Cops & Robbers (2006) 0:60 (USA)

Adrants.com, Nov. 6, 2006
XBox Pushes Console with Frolicky Foot-Tapping Ad
San Francisco Agency McCann-Erickson worked in tandem with a ton of talent, including director Garth Davis of Anonymous Content and editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors, to release a playful ad for Xbox entitled "Cops and Robbers" - a monicker as whimsical as the spot itself. A52 is responsible for making complex visual effects and physical logistics look like a carefree leap off a building. It's a fun watch and the clapping beat will probably be stuck in our heads all day. We much prefer it to the esoteric stuff PS3's putting out. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

One Club's Creative Showcase, Nov. 6, 2006
Xbox "Cops and Robbers"
‘Cops and Robbers’, created by McCann Erickson, San Francisco and directed by rising Australian director, Garth Davis, features three ‘robbers’ wearing ski masks running away from ‘cops’, holding what looks like a bag of stolen goods. They try to evade the cops by scaling the rooftops of buildings, taking desperate, gravity-defying leaps from buildings to window ledges and into a waiting getaway car. A car chase ensues but eventually it’s all over as the cops ‘win’ and close in on the ‘robbers’. But there’s a twist to the story as the chase is revealed to be just a mischievous game of ‘cops and robbers’ amongst friends who immediately start the countdown to begin another game....

VFXTalk.com, Nov. 4, 2006
MJZ, Rock Paper Scissors, A52 and Others Team-Up for High-Concept Spots
...A52’s Pat Murphy, who served as the project’s VFX supervisor, provided workflow details on several key scenes in “Anthem,” including the opening shot of a distant city. “That scene begins with a four-hour timelapse scene shot during the day,” he began. “Phil personally went to Company 3, where he sat with Stefan and color-corrected that piece of footage in a multitude of ways for daytime, sunset and nighttime passes.” With those passes for reference, Murphy added the CG windmills created by 3D supervisor Andy Hall’s team, shifted the light from the sky onto the ground in front of the city as day becomes night, hand-animated lights into the windows of the buildings in-sync with the turning of the windmills, and added many other subtle adjustments to complete the illusion. “The important thing is that it was a huge collaboration on everybody's part,” Murphy pointed out....

BestAdsOnTV.com, Nov. 3, 2006
Xbox 360:  Cops & Robbers
the short version has been around for a couple of weeks but we wanted to wait for the 3 minute cut (!!!!). bestads.  Post Prod. Co: A52.  Lead Inferno Artists: Patrick Murphy.  Inferno Artist: Justin Blaustein.  Inferno Artist: Carlos Morales.  Exec Producer: Mark Tobin.  VFX Producer: Mark Kurtz.

Boards Online, Nov. 3, 2006
Xbox 360:  Cops and Robbers
Don't try this at home kids. Garth Davis helms this action-packed stunt extravaganza for Xbox.  Visual Effects/Finishing Company: A52.  Executive Producer: Mark Tobin.  Lead Inferno Artist: Patrick Murphy.  Producer: Mark Kurtz.  Inferno Artists: Justin Blaustein, Carlos Morales.

CGSociety Newsletter, Nov. 2, 2006
A52 and friends
A52 has detailed their contributions to spots recently developed by advertising agency RPA for Acura. One in particular, named Acura ‘Anthem’, is a 60-second cinematic treatment on life itself, rather like the Range Rover series seen elsewhere in recent months. MJZ and 'Rock, Paper Scissors' post production also make this car advert worth catching, if you can....

Computer Graphics World, October, 2006
Spotlight:  2D Animation:  Lines of Communication
The look of the Microsoft "Realizing Potential" commercial campaign may be simplistic -- bold white-line animated drawings augmenting a live-action scene.  But, the execution of the most recent series was rather complex, requiring a collaborative effort among five companies: Z Animationa (animation production), Anonymous Content (live action), A52 (compositing), Mad River Post (editing), and EliasArts (music)....

Videography, October, 2006
A52 Blows Back Pioneer
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52's VFX/CG supervisor Andy Hall directed....

CGSociety.org, Oct. 27, 2006
MJZ, Rock Paper Scissors, A52 and RPA generate a fine spot for Acura
A52 has detailed their contributions to spots recently developed by advertising agency RPA for Acura. One in particular, named Acura ‘Anthem’, is a 0:60-second cinematic treatment on life itself, rather like the Range Rover series seen in recent months....

AdLand, Oct. 18, 2006
Acura - Tech (2006) 0:30 (USA)

AdLand, Oct. 18, 2006
Acura - Anthem (2006) 0:60 (USA)

Highend3D.com, Oct. 18, 2006
A52 Part of Virtuoso Talents Behind Acura “Anthem” and “Tech
...In "Anthem," A52's 3D artists created animated windmills, a satellite and clouds, and a digital wireframe of the hero car for a sketch-wireframe-car transition – and the company's effects artists handled numerous creative compositing challenges to convey the passing of time and support the spot's storyline.  Challenges for "Tech" involved creating/integrating a CGI satellite, compositing a wireframe grid with live-action footage, and beautifying the final scene. ....

One Club's Creative Showcase, Oct. 17, 2006
Acura "Anthem"
"Anthem" is a :60 cinematic treatise on the brand's focus on advancing performance, technology, design, and life itself....

Feed, Oct. 16, 2006
A52 and ACURA
Here's one that's worth the sixty seconds out of your day to stop and admire: Acura "Anthem" from A52.  Elegant 3D, seamless VFX, speed ramping, jump-cuts...it's another clean and simple car ad that reads like a modern filmmaker's handbook set to Supertramp...

HollywoodIndustry.com, Oct. 16, 2006
Virtuoso Talents Unite for Acura Broadcast Spots from RPA; MJZ Director Phil Joanou, Rock Paper Scissors' Adam Pertofsky, A52 and Others Team-Up for High-Concept Spots
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their contributions to two spots recently developed by advertising agency RPA for Acura.  Directed by MJZ's Phil Joanou - whose feature film "Gridiron Gang" became the number one U.S. box office film for the week following its Sep. 15 opening  - "Anthem" and "Tech" debuted last month, and will continue to air over the weeks ahead as part of RPA's national cross-media campaign....

AdCritic.com, Oct. 10, 2006
The Latest:  Burger King - Eat Like Snake
"unhinge your jaaawww."   VFX: A52, R!OT, Smoke & Mirrors

Creativity, Sept. 2006
Top Spots, Visuals: Nike "Swing Portrait"
VFX Producer: Mark Tobin, A52; VFX Artist: Kirk Balden.

AdLand, Sep. 29, 2006
Microsoft XBox - Cops & Robbers (2006) 0:60 (USA)
Agency: McCann-Erickson/A&L San Francisco (USA); Editor: Angus Wall; Post Production: A52 (USA).

Ad-titude.com, Sep. 19, 2006
Pioneer's sleek Hi Def. Campaign
Pioneer has launched a 20 million dollar campaign to coincide with the NFL and NCAA football season. Developed by RPA, this integrated campaign includes both web, print, and TV elements. The ads, which are for Pioneer's high definition plasma TV's, come at a time when millions of people are watching football and wishing they had a HD Plasma. With the help of A52, the LA based visual effects and design company, Pioneer launched two TV spots which display the HD TV's in futuristic testing labs. The spots are called "Orbit", and "Wind Tunnel."...

Duncan's TV Ad Land, Sep. 18, 2006
Pioneer PureVision Plasma Tests
Pioneer Electronics has just launched two 30 second TV commercials featuring the High Definition PureVision Plasma Television in test mode. Production, VFX and animation was all done at A52, directed by Andy Hall, with executive producer Mark Tobin, producer Sarah Haynes, visual effects/3D supervisor Andy Hall, Inferno artist Patrick Murphy, Shake artists Mike Adkisson and James Pastorius, pre-visualization artist Casey Schatz, and CGI artists Max Ulichney, Chris Janney, Kirk Shintani, Kevin Clarke....

Motionographer, Sep. 17, 2006
A52:  Pioneer
VFX powerhouse and Cream O’ the Croppers A52 directed a couple beautiful all-CG spots for Pioneer and agency RPA: “Orbit” and “Wind Tunnel.” Each spot is cleverly concepted and beautifully realized. 

AdLand, Sep. 15, 2006
Andy Hall creates HD campaign for Pioneer completely in CGI
A52's Andy Hall teamed up wtih RPA for a $20 million national cross-media campaign for Pioneer Electronics which includes HD broadcast spots "Orbit" and "Wind Tunnel" in addtion to print/online elements....

Feed, Sep. 15, 2006
A52's Artists Create Elements for RPA's $12 Million Pioneer Electronics Campaign
HOLLYWOOD — Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced that visual effects supervisor Andy Hall has directed the HD broadcast spots, and overseen development of print/online elements, for advertising agency RPA's $20 million national cross-media advertising campaign for Pioneer Electronics.  The campaign's first broadcast and print elements – each of which conceptually conveys Pioneer's passion for innovation and best-in-class plasma TV technology – have debuted in various media outlets since Oct. 2.  Two completely 3D-animated broadcast spots are also being broadcast widely during HD sports programming, and will also appear prominently as part of Pioneer's recently announced High Definition Sponsorship of the ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD college football telecasts....

FXShare, Sep. 15, 2006
A52 Creates Elements for RPA's $12 Million Pioneer Campaign
Andy Hall Directs HD Commercials Created Entirely in CGI, Oversees Design of Campaign's Print/Online Elements...

POST Magazine, Sep. 14, 2006
A52 CREATES ENTIRELY-CG HD SPOTS FOR PIONEER
LOS ANGELES - Visual effects and design company A52 recently completed production and post on two high-definition commercials for agency RPA and their client Pioneer Electronics. A52 visual effects supervisor Andy Hall directed the entirely-CG Orbit and Wind Tunnel spots, as well as oversaw the development of print and online elements....

Variety, Sep. 14, 2006
Gridiron Gang
...Camera (color), Jeff Cutter; editor, Joel Negron; music, Trevor Rabin; production designer, Floyd Albee; set designer, Aric Cheng; set decorator, Erin Morache; costume designer, Sanja Milkovic Hays; sound (Dolby Digital/SDDS/DTS), Ken McLaughlin; supervising sound editors, Jerry Ross, Skip Lievsay; visual effects supervisor, Tim Bird; special effects coordinator, Kelly Kerby; visual effects, A52; stunt coordinator, Allan Graf; assistant director, J. Stephen Buck; casting, Sarah Halley Finn, Randi Hiller. Reviewed at Sony Pictures studios, Culver City, Sept. 6, 2006. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 126 MIN.....

VFXWorld, Sep. 14, 2006
A52 Create CG Spots for Pioneer
...Gary Paticoff, svp, exec producer at RPA, said, "Having worked with the A52 team on various projects, we were well aware of their credentials and abilities to deliver the cutting-edge CGI executions called for. It was important to position the Pioneer plasma products accurately in their appearance and performance while integrating them within the created environments."  The artwork for all the campaign's elements draws from imagery brought to life in its two :30 HD broadcast spots, which are titled ORBIT and WIND TUNNEL. Set inside a futuristic testing facility, both spots feature a Pioneer PureVision plasma TV being tested: In ORBIT, when the TV displays the image of a planet, numerous chrome balls get pulled into the planet's gravitational force, fly up and move into orbit; in WIND TUNNEL, imagery of a Formula 1 car on the TV appears so real that smoke flows around the racing automobile — instead of flowing around the TV itself. Each frame of footage from both spots was created by A52's artists at 1080p HD resolution, using Autodesk's Maya animation software, Apple's Shake compositing software and Autodesk Inferno....

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Sep. 13, 2006
Member News From Around the World
VFX/CG supervisor Andy Hall just directed the HD broadcast spots, and overseen development of print/online elements for ad agency RPA's $20 million national cross-media advertising campaign for Pioneer Electronics.  The artwork for all the campaign's elements draws from imagery brought to life in its two :30 HD broadcast spots, entitled Orbit and Wind Tunnel.  Each frame of footage from both spots was created by A52's artists at 1080p HD resolution.  Along with numerous other effects and CGI artists, Hall also relied on the talents of VFX supervisor and Inferno artist Pat Murphy, executive producer Mark Tobin and producer Sarah Haynes....

Boards Online, Sep. 12, 2006
Pioneer "Wind Tunnel"
Pioneer "Orbit"
A52 sex up Pioneer's new plasma display.  PRODUCTION/VFX/ANIMATION COMPANY: A52; DIRECTOR: Andy Hall; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mark Tobin; PRODUCER: Sarah Haynes; VISUAL EFFECTS/CG SUPERVISOR: Andy Hall; INFERNO ARTIST: Patrick Murphy; SHAKE ARTISTS: Mike Adkisson, James Pastorius; PREVIZ ARTIST: Casey Schatz; CGI ARTISTS: Max Ulichney, Chris Janney, Kirk Shintani, Kevin Clarke.

Adwired.com, Sep. 12, 2006
Headliner:  Pioneer Pure Vision
Pioneer pushes the boundaries of Hi-Definition TV in this new campaign directed by Andy Hall via RPA....

Boards, August, 2006
Festival Report Card:  Top 10 Spots
Xbox 360:  "Water Balloons."  VFX Company:  A52.

Animation World Magazine, Aug. 31, 2006
Hot Spots Showcase 4: The Best in Animated & VFX Commercials
“The finished spots really represent director Phil Joanou’s vision, and I think he was blown away. Overall, the job went really smoothly, and it felt like everyone was on the same page the whole way through.” — A52’s Patrick Murphy. 
“One of our biggest challenges was giving the agency the comfort level that we could create the cars in these spots in CG and have no one question their believability.” — A52’s Andy Hall. 

International designers Network (Hong Kong), 2006.  Three.  Volume 13.  Number 3.
TV Commercial
Honda Fit-Food Chain & Reflexes by A52 

The Futon Critic, Aug. 15, 2006
SCI FI'S NEW SERIES, 'EUREKA,' SUPPORTED BY "INVENTIVE" PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
New York August 15, 2006 SCI FI Channel's newest scripted series, 'Eureka,' airing Tuesdays @ 9pm ET/PT, is supported by an array of innovative marketing tactics designed to capitalize on the uniqueness of this one-of-a-kind series....  In addition to on-air tune-in spots, specially designed "concept promos" drive tune-in while skillfully introducing viewers to this extraordinary town of intellectually curious inventors where literally anything can happen. Steven Diller of MJZ productions directed the spots with special effects by a52 productions....

Boards Online, Jul. 25, 2006
Top Spot:  Nike "Swing Portrait"
Erstwhile photographer Malcolm Venville lenses a series of striking Tiger Woods snapshots.  Production Company: Anonymous Content/Culver City.  Director: Malcolm Venville. DP: Janusz Kaminski. Producer: Paul Ure. Exec. Producer: Dave Morrison. Agency: Wieden & Kennedy/Portland. Agency EP: Ben Grylewicz. Agency Producer: Pamela Standley. CD: Hal Curtis. AD: Ken Meyer. CW: Tatum Shaw. Editorial: Joint Editorial/Portland. Editor: Corky Devault. Post/Effects: A52/LA. VFX/Inferno Artist: Kirk Balden. EP: Mark Tobin. Music: Elias Arts/bicoastal.

AdCritic.com, Jul. 24, 2006
Spot of the Day:  Nike Golf: Swing Portrait
The Latest:  Nike Golf: Grip
The Latest:  Nike Golf: Shoe
The Latest:  Nike Golf: Shoulder
Watch and learn.  VFX: A52 - Los Angeles. VFX Executive Producer: Mark Tobin. VFX Artist: Kirk Balden.

AdLand, Jul. 22, 2006
Nike - Swing Portrait (2006) 0:60 (USA)
Nike - Shoulder (2006) 0:15 (USA)
Nike - Shoe (2006) 0:15 (USA)
Nike - Grip (2006) 0:15 (USA)
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy/Portland; Post/Effects: A52/LA; VFX/Inferno Artist: Kirk Balden; EP: Mark Tobin.

Duncan's TV Ad Land, Jul. 21, 2006
Nike FCUSA
Nike provided a challenge to the USA’s blindness to world football (soccer) with FC USA, a TV ad, in September 2005.  “OK. Let’s take two seconds to talk about soccer. Which is about two seconds longer than it deserves. Real men don’t play soccer. Let’s be honest. Soccer isn’t important to anyone in this country. Let’s leave it that way.”  Nike FCUSA was developed at advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, by creative directors Hal Curtis and Mike Byrne, art director Matt Stein, copywriters Alberto Ponte and Dylan Lee, and agency producer Andrew Loevenguth.  Director Malcolm Venville worked via Anonymous Content and hosts Nike FCUSA as a 6.24 mb quicktime video at Therapy Films and a 12.8 quicktime video at La PAC Films. Directors of Photography were Max Malkin and Emmanuelle Lubezki. Editing for Nike FC USA was done by Angus Wall and Brad Waskewich at Rock Paper Scissors where Nike FCUSA is hosted as a quicktime video. Visual effects were developed at A52, Los Angeles, by Flame artists Scott Johnson, Ben Looram, Justin Blaustein and Ryan Yoshimoto.

AdLand, Jul. 8, 2006
Microsoft - Imagine Cup (2006) 0:30 (USA)
Microsoft - Startup (2006) 0:15 (USA)
Agency: McCann-Erikson, SF; VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52; CITY/STATE: West Hollywood, CA; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mark Tobin; PRODUCER: Jenny Bright; FLAME ARTIST / SMOKE EDITOR / ONLINE EDITOR: Kirk Balden; ADDITIONAL FLAME/INFERNO ARTISTS: Alicia Aguilera, Tim Bird, Justin Blaustein, Mike Bliss, Ben Looram.

Creativity, June 2006
Sound+Vision: Honda "Food Chain"
To make a small car seem ferocious, Honda puts its sub-compact Fit at the top of the food chain.  First we see a small sedan swallowed by a bigger sedan -- going right under the hood and over the bumper.  Next, an SUV has its way with the sedan, and then the Fit swallows the SUV whole, to the tag, "Ferocious small dominator."  VFX: A52.  VFX Supervisor:  Andy Hall.

HOW, June 2006
Designers, Start Your Engines
For the "Keyhole" spot for the Honda Civic, A52 wanted to develop a collage style.  Every shot was re-created with up to 500 stills of the environment, mixing and matching live-action, 3D and 2D elements.  "It was really free-form; ideas would just come up," says Pat Murphy of A52.  "We'd ask ourselves, 'Does this apply, is it interesting, does it still stay within the ralms of rebirth and include different visual language?"

VFXWorld.com, June 15, 2006
A52 Earns First VFX Honors at AICP Show
Los Angeles vfx and design company A52 was honored for the first time in the visual effects category by the AICP Show for last year's Nike Golf KID TIGER broadcast spot from Wieden+Kennedy....

3dvf.com (France), June 14, 2006
News
Le studio californien A52 présente ses travaux pour son dernier spot publicitaire....

HOW, June 14, 2006
Design & Creativity News
Since its launch in 1997, LA-based visual effects and design company A52 has had its project work featured in one category or another of the annual AICP Show, which honors the best commercials of the previous year, for nine consecutive years. Because of the focus on seamless visual effects, color-grading and photoreal CGI, its artists' contributions are often invisible to everyone except the creatives, directors and editors who rely upon them. Last Thursday night, however, at the Museum of Modern Art, A52's work was honored for the very first time in the AICP's Visual Effects category, for the Nike Golf spot from Wieden+Kennedy starring a five-year-old Tiger Woods, entitled "Kid Tiger." The spot originally debuted last July, and since it stars a five-year-old doing what the AICP jurors knew was impossible, A52's artists were finally given some well-earned recognition in their main field of expertise...

POST Magazine, June 14, 2006
A52 RECOGNIZED FOR 'KID TIGER' VFX
At last week’s AICP Show, visual effects and design company A52 (www.a52.com) was honored for their work on last year's Nike Golf Kid Tiger spot from Wieden+Kennedy. The honor marks the ninth consecutive year that A52’s work has been recognized at the AICP Show, but only the first time in the "Visual Effects" category....

FXGuide.com, June 13, 2006
A52 Earns First AICP Show Visual Effects Honors
A52's work was honored for the very first time in the AICP's Visual Effects category, for the Nike Golf spot from Wieden Kennedy starring a five-year-old Tiger Woods, entitled "Kid Tiger." The spot originally debuted last July, and since it stars a five-year-old doing what the AICP jurors knew was impossible, A52's artists were finally given some well-earned recognition in their main field of expertise...

HollywoodIndustry.com, June 13, 2006
Project Profile:  A52 Earns First AICP Show Visual Effects Honors; Wieden+Kennedy's "Kid Tiger" Nike Golf Spot wins it
In home-movie quality, the :60 "Kid Tiger" spot shows a 5-year- old Tiger Woods playing the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, during the British Open.  He hits one remarkable shot after another in front of the jubilant crowd, and celebrates his performance with joyous demonstrations as his mother and father look on.  At the end, we see the full-grown Tiger enjoying his win.  During one week last July representing seven days of working around the clock, Bird, Murphy, producer April Killingsworth and other A52 artists artfully transformed twenty- year-old VHS home movies of young Tiger, along with recent NTSC broadcast footage from the British Open and stills of the St. Andrews Clubhouse, stands of crowds and other live-action plates, to create the finished spot. 

Pluginz.com, June 13, 2006
A52 Earns First AICP Visual Effects Honors for Nike Golf
“The agency’s main concerns were about maintaining the emotion and the story’s plausibility,” said Tim Bird, who served as the project’s co-VFX supervisor along with Pat Murphy. “In the end, the technical constraints we faced actually helped us convey those emotions and package the story in a powerful way.”

The Feed, June 13, 2006
A52 EARNS FIRST AICP SHOW VISUAL EFFECTS HONORS, FOR WIEDEN+KENNEDY’S PHENOMENAL “KID TIGER” NIKE GOLF SPOT
A52’s distinction this year is an important one for the ten-year-old company, as this is the ninth consecutive year its work has been honored in the AICP Show, but only the first time the honors have come specifically in the Visual Effects category.  “Over the past ten years, A52 has established a solid reputation for handling beautiful, seamless visual effects, for delivering gorgeous finished imagery – and for creating animation that looks like live-action,” explained Mark Tobin, A52’s managing director and executive producer.  “As a result, the artists’ collaborations with top creatives, directors, DPs and editors have consistently been honored in the AICP’s Visual Style, Cinematography, Graphics, Animation and Advertising Excellence categories – but this year, the jurors recognized the significance of our team’s contributions to this extraordinary spot for Hal Curtis, his colleagues at W+K and Nike Golf.  We’re very proud of everyone involved from our side, including our co-VFX supervisors Tim Bird and Pat Murphy, both of whom added artistry to this spot that few people would ever imagine upon watching it.” 

VFXTalk.com, June 13, 2006
A52 earns first AICP Visual Effects honors for Nike Golf "Kid Tiger"
On June 8, at the 15th Annual AICP Show presented by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 was honored for their visual effects artistry on last year’s Nike Golf “Kid Tiger” broadcast spot from Wieden+Kennedy. Honoring the best commercials of the previous year, the AICP Show will now go on tour to museums and cultural institutions across the U.S. and abroad....

SHOOT, June 9, 2006
MJZ Tops Prodn. Cos. With Nine AICP Show Honors
Visual Effects:  Nike Golf "Kid Tiger":60.  Visual Effects Artists:Tim Bird, Patrick Murphy, A52.
Editorial:  Xbox 360 "Water Balloons":60.  Visual Effects Artist: Patrick Murphy, A52; Editors: Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, Rock Paper Scissors.
Editorial:  Nike "FC USA":60.  Visual Effects Artist: Scott Johnson, A52; Editor: Brad Waskewich, Rock Paper Scissors.

Creativity, June 2006
The Ad & Design Annual - Film:  Xbox 360 Launch "Jump In"
"Jump in," goes the tag of the global launch effort of Microsoft's next gen gaming system the Xbox 360.  Adding startling new dimension to the idea of group play, Frank Budgen-directed spots featuring a massive multi-player jumprope jam and a citywide water balloon war.  Editors:  Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter / Rock Paper Scissors.  VFX: A52.

Graphic Design USA, May 2006
People
RAUL ORTEGO

Campaign (UK), May 19, 2006
The Work: New Campaigns - The World
HONDA FIT LAUNCH - US Project: Honda Fit launch Client: Tom Peyton, senior manager for national advertising, American Honda Brief: Showcase the unique features of the Honda Fit in launching the model Creative agency: RPA Writer: Todd Carey Art director: Curt Johnson Media agency: RPA Media planners: Sharon Enright, Kae Shoji Production companies: MJZ, HSI Directors: Phil Joanou (MJZ), Arni & Kinski (HSI) Editors: Brad Waskewich, Rock Paper Scissors; Tony Hall, Stardust Studios Post-production: A52, Stardust Studios Audio post-production: 740 Sound, Elias Arts, Lime Studios Exposure: National TV, internet THE LOWDOWN Honda has taken the unusual step of launching its new five-door hatchback, the Honda Fit, with five-second spots as part of efforts to reach drivers who have little time for conventional advertising. As well as running on national TV, the commercials are appearing on a variety of non-traditional media, including blogs and urban websites. They draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including video games and Japanese science-fiction films, under the....

MarSciTechtainment, May 17, 2006
Great work: Honda Fit "Food Chain"
For your enjoyment, here is the "Food Chain" spot that has been featured in the top international trade media outlets since first debuting back on Apr. 20.  Directed by MJZ's Phil Joanou, the award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 provided the spot's design, animation and effects work, and the end-tags were created by bicoastal Stardust Studios. More information and complete credits for this spot are online here. Bon appétit!...

Duncan's TV Ad Land, May 16, 2006
Honda Fit
American Honda and its ad agency RPA haved launched the all-new small car, the Honda Fit, with six 5-second and two t30-second TV ads. Launched on April 20, the ads feature a robotic voiceover and a quirky connection with the characteristics of the Honda Fit. The tagline: “The Fit Is Go”.  RPA’s project associate creative director Curt Johnson says, “For the Fit’s launch, we created a print/internet campaign showing one iconic-type character image (cartoon versions of a bat, a silver bullet, etc.) representing a unique feature of the Fit, followed by a picture of the car itself. For this key component of the campaign’s broadcast elements, we asked A52 to bring the print imagery to life in six five-second spots. an attention-grabbing approach which creatively packages many of the ideas we wanted to convey about the Fit.”...

DigitalAnimators.com, May 5, 2006
A52 Creates Fitting Set of :05 Broadcast Spots for Ad Agency RPA's Honda Fit Campaign
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed its design, animation and effects work on an innovative set of new :05 ads from advertising agency RPA for the all-new Honda Fit.  The six spots - created to reflect the Fit's subcompact size, and entitled "Appetite for Cargo," "Frisky Predator," "Nocturnal Flyer," "Werewolves Beware," "Speedy Demon" and "Mucho Muscle" - debuted on Apr. 20, and will continue airing during high-profile broadcast programming over the weeks ahead....

Boards Online, May 5, 2006
Screening Room:  Honda - Reflexes
Fun sci-fi flavored spots unveil the new Honda Fit.  Visual Effects Company: A52, West Hollywood, CA.  Executive Producer: Mark Tobin.  Producer: Ron Cosentino.  On-set Visual Effects Supervisors: Patrick Murphy, Andy Hall.  Inferno Artists: Patrick Murphy, Ben Looram, Justin Blaustein.  Matte Painters: Helen Maier, James Pastorius.  3D Supervisor: Andy Hall.  3D Animators: Dan Gutierrez, Max Ulichney, Chris Janney, Kirk Shintani.

Boards Online, May 5, 2006
Screening Room:  Honda - Food Chain
Fun sci-fi flavored spots unveil the new Honda Fit.  Visual Effects Company: A52, West Hollywood, CA.  Executive Producer: Mark Tobin.  Producer: Ron Cosentino.  On-set Visual Effects Supervisors: Patrick Murphy, Andy Hall.  Inferno Artists: Patrick Murphy, Ben Looram, Justin Blaustein.  Matte Painters: Helen Maier, James Pastorius.  3D Supervisor: Andy Hall.  3D Animators: Dan Gutierrez, Max Ulichney, Chris Janney, Kirk Shintani.

VFXTalk.com, May 5, 2006
A52 creates fitting set of Broadcast Spots for Honda
Award-winning Los Angelesvisual effects and design company A52 today detailed its design, animation and effects work on an innovative set of new :05 ads from advertising agency RPA for the all-new Honda Fit. The six spots – created to reflect the Fit’s subcompact size, and entitled “Appetite for Cargo,” “Frisky Predator,” “Nocturnal Flyer,” “Werewolves Beware,” “Speedy Demon” and “Mucho Muscle” – debuted on Apr. 20...

Plugin.com, May 4, 2006
Honda Fit Becomes Predator in CG-Rich Spots from A52
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed its design, animation and effects work on two new :30 TV spots from advertising agency RPA and MJZ director Phil Joanou for the all-new Honda Fit. The spots, entitled "Reflexes" and "Food Chain", debuted on Apr. 20...

Adland, May 2, 2006
commercials: Honda Fit - Food Chain - (2006) :30 (USA)
Agency: RPA.  Visual Effects: A52. 

Adland, May 2, 2006
commercials: Honda Fit - Reflexes - (2006) :30 (USA)
Agency: RPA.  Visual Effects: A52. 

DigitalPostProduction.com, May 2, 2006
Z Animation's HD Realization; Microsoft campaign's creative, highly organized approach
Microsoft’s new “Realizing Potential” global corporate branding campaign is an HD project for TV, print and the web, and the large-scale production required five separate facilities to complete the various aspects. Handling the animation on the six TV spots was Los Angeles-based Z Animation, which worked with Anonymous Content (live action production), Mad River Post (editing), A52 (compositing) and Elias Arts (music).... 

Creativity, April 2006
People on the move
A52 in West Hollywood has hired VFX artist Raul Ortego, formerly a freelancer.

CGChannel, Apr. 27, 2006
A52 makes fitting campaign for Honda Fit
...“We’ve learned to rely on A52 as a partner in resolving visual challenges in ways that are truly extraordinary,” explained Gary Paticoff, RPA’s executive producer. “Each of these :05 ads had a tall order to fill, and thanks to A52’s work, each stands alone as a unique, fitting testament to Honda’s new Fit.”...

Dexigner.com, Apr. 24, 2006
Z Animation Reaches Potential for Microsoft Global TV Campaign
Z Animation has created and produced the entire animation package for the third installment of Microsoft's "Realizing Potential" Global live action/animated corporate branding campaign, first introduced by agency McCann-Erickson/San Francisco in 2002. The global TV, print and Internet campaign (with English language narration by William H. Macy), specifically highlights Microsoft's education and economic development projects in 32 countries throughout Europe, Asia and America. The initial airdates include the U.S., France, Germany, South Korea, Japan and China, with other nations in the EC, Asia and Pacific Rim also able to adapt and customize announcers and supers for their own versions....

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Apr. 21, 2006
The Latest:  Honda: Food Chain
Where is your car on the food chain?  VFX:  A52, Los Angeles. 

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Apr. 21, 2006
The Latest:  Honda: Reflexes
Meet a car that's good on its feet, er, tires.  VFX:  A52, Los Angeles. 

SHOOT, Apr. 21, 2006
A Tale Of Four Automotive Case Studies As Seen Through The Eyes Of Visual Effects Artists
West Hollywood-based visual effects and design company A52 and director Olivier "Twist" Gondry of bicoastal/international Partizan recent completed a :30 that may appear straightforward but was actually quite complex....

Creativity, March 2006
Top Spots, Vision:  Honda "Mud Flap"
The naked chick silhouette seen on the mud flaps of semis stands up and walks around in this spot from A52, directed by effects supervisor Andy Hall.  As a silver shadow, she approaches another truck, getting a rare look at the top of the bed, before attempting to step inside the cab.  Waiting for her, of course, is another ubiquitous mud flap resident -- Yosemite Sam.  VFX: A52.  VFX Supervisor:  Andy Hall.  Music:  Hum, Santa Monida.  Lead Inferno Artist:  Patrick Murphy.  Agency:  RPA, Santa Monica.  CD: Joe Baratelli.  CW:  Adam Lowrey.  AD:  Chuck Blackwell.  Director:  Andy Hall, Pecubu Productions.  DP:  Eric Schmidt.  Editor:  Brad Waskewich, Rock Paper Scissors.

Jahshaka.net, Mar. 22, 2006
A52 and Director Phil Joanou Defy Physics
In a spot named "Snow Truck," a UPS truck arrives at a beach covered in snow. In "Elevator" and "Light Switch,' drivers in one place defy physics by magically turning up someplace else. And in "Ten Feet," "Rain" and "Overpass," UPS trucks respectively go from Manhattan to the mountains, from Texas to Oregon, and from the Mojave Desert back to Manhattan again... all in a matter of seconds, with no visible edits. Crafting each spot for The Martin Agency called for MJZ director Phil Joanou to capture some very exacting performances under meticulous conditions in locations ranging from Manhattan to Los Angeles, Lone Pine and Mojave, Calif. Among his production collaborators were director of photography Jeff Cutter and a team from LA-based visual effects and design company A52, which included VFX supervisor Tim Bird and producer Ron Cosentino.... 

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Apr. 25, 2006
Member News From Around the World
How busy can one company be?  Lordy - here we go: New commercials for the Honda Fit via Rubin Postaer & Associates/ Santa Monica.  The spots, Food Chain and Reflexes relied heavily on CGI (Food Chain) and VFX (Reflexes).  Talents included Rock Paper Scissors editor Brad Waskewich, Stardust 3-D artists Hai Ho, Michael Jones, Robin Roepstorff & Sam Sparks, CG supervisors Jake Banks & Chris Saunders and executive producer Eileen Doherty, Elias Arts composer Chris Mann, 740 Sound Design
sound designer Eddie Kim, Company 3 colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, and A52 3-D animators Daniel Gutierrez, Christopher Janney, Kirk Shintani & Max Ulichney, 3D supervisor Andrew Hall, executive producer Mark Tobin, Inferno artists Justin Blaustein, Ben Looram & Patrick Murphy, and producer Ron Cosentino.  (My gosh, take a breath!)  Also for the Honda Fit are five-seconds teasers - Frisky Predator, Speedy Demon, Silver Bullet, Nocturnal Flyer, Wrestler and Cargo-Bot.  Make sure to check 'em out for a full credit roster (heck, I'm beat!).

Adland, Apr. 7, 2006
commercials: UPS - Light switch - (2006) :15 (USA)
Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond Virginia.  Production Company: MJZ.  Visual Effects company: A52.

CGChannel, Apr. 7, 2006
A52 defies gravity in UPS spots
..."We thought, simple :15 second spots, one take, no problem. WRONG,” explained Joe Alexander, SVP and creative director for the Martin Agency. “Once we started talking to Phil and the team at A52, we realized we had six little Rubik's cubes on our hands, each with its own matrix. We always wanted one camera move to ensure that the spots left you thinking ‘How'd they do that?’, but we underestimated just how much the slightest variable would throw off the entire move. It was critical that we made adjustments on set. Having a tight, collaborative team like Phil, Tim and Ron there every step was crucial."...

Campaign (UK), Apr. 7, 2006
The Work: New Campaigns - The World
TOYOTA - THROW IT IN THE TUNDRA - US Project: Throw it in the Tundra. Brief: Launch the full-sized pick-up version of the Tundra. Creative agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles. Writer: Deb Smith. Art director: Kevin Murphy. Planner: Ginny Kollewe. Media agency: ZenithOptimedia. Media planners: Robin Lee, Darrell Halcon. Production company: Partizan. Director: Olivier Gondry. Editor: Michael Hackett. Post-production: A52. Exposure: TV in US heartland region. THE LOWDOWN Toyota is upping the ante in its battle against domination of the US pick-up truck market by Ford, General Motors and Chrysler with new TV advertising for its Tundra model. Launched at the Chicago Motor Show in February, the new version of the Tundra is intended to extend Toyota's position in an aggressive market sector in which customer loyalties run deep. Saatchi & Saatchi in Los Angeles drafted in Partizan's Olivier Gondry to direct the complex 30-second spot, which recreates various intense weather conditions to demonstrate the Tundra's durability. The film shows a single shot of a Tundra parked....

CGSociety.org, Apr. 6, 2006
A52 On Maya and Mental Ray
Since opening the doors of its West Hollywood location on Melrose Avenue back in 1997, visual effects and design company A52 has largely defined the term “seamless” in terms of visual effects, and the term “photo-real” in reference to the computer generated images the company’s artists have created and incorporated into spots, music videos and the occasional high-profile main title sequence....

HollywoodIndustry.com, Apr. 6, 2006
A52 and MJZ Director Phil Joanou Defy Physics in New UPS Campaign from The Martin Agency
Over the past weeks, viewers of the NCAA Tournament and other high-profile broadcasts have seen numerous :15 UPS spots - each appearing to be a single, unedited shot - in which UPS driver/delivery agents literally "cover more ground faster than ever."...

Boards, March 2006
Transformers; For invisible effects artists, the spot is the canvas
...Then there are times when you're just told to "take the footage and run". A52's Patrick Murphy was commissioned to "remix" Francois Vogel's "Any Road" spot for Lexus with frame-for-frame recreations of the car driving in winter, without being at the initial shoot or even meeting Vogel. "The agency came in maybe twice - the first time because they were probably scared [the CG winterization] would look like crap, and the second time the day we delivered."...

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Mar. 29, 2006
Member News From Around the World
Seems Harry Cocciolo directed his first automotive spots for client Acura via RPA.  The spots, Waiter and Arrow showcase the powerful navigation systems offered on the new Acura TL and MDX models.  The team for Tool included (wait for it) EP Jennifer Siegel, head of production Amy DeLossa and line producer Mark Fetterman.  Other professionals lending their skills were colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld for Company 3, editor Kirk Baxter for Rock Paper Scissors, and A52-ers: EP Mark Tobin, producer Scott Boyajan, VFX supervisor Tim Bird and Flame artist Ben Looram. [...]  Los Angeles-based visual effects and design company A52 recently put their finishing touches on a new broadcast spot from Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and client Toyota Motor Sales, USA.  The :30 spot entitled Throw It in the Tundra  presents a single shot of a Toyota Tundra parked outdoors as its being loaded with bails of hay, tools and other supplies.  Other A52 talents included executive producer Mark Tobin and co-producers Scott Boyajan and Dan Brimer.  Editiorial was handled by Crush Edit’s own Mike Hackett while end-graphics were provided by Solid.  And if that wasn’t enough – A52 also completed detailed visual effects work on the 6 x :15 UPS campaign for The Martin Agency.  The spots, Ten Feet, Rain, Snow Truck, Elevator, Light Switch and Overpass, drive home the point that UPS is covering more ground than ever.  Additional talents included EP Mark Tobin and VFX supervisor Tim Bird.  Company 3 weighed in with Stefan Sonnefeld while editor Katz cut for Cosmo Street....

CGSociety Newsletter, Mar. 24, 2006
CGPortfolio, A52 Studio Profile...
CGSociety visits A52 who last year hired former Digital Domain feature film animation supervisor Andrew Hall as their new CG Supervisor. Hall brought in more than just new ideas for workflow. He’s hooked up Maya and brought in some great ideas for future projects....

Adland, Mar. 23, 2006
adland: Toyota SPX ad directed by Olivier "Twist" Gondry
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 played weather gods and changed the skies from sunny to snowy seamlessly for Partizan director Olivier "Twist" Gondry, ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc....

CGChannel.com, Mar. 22, 2006
A52 changes weather at will in Toyota Spot
With a little magic from A52, weather in this Toyota spot changes even more often than in San Francisco!...

Create Magazine, Mar. 22, 2006
A52 Creates All-Season Effects for Partizan Director Twist Gondry's Toyota Tundra Spot
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their visual effects work for a new broadcast spot from Partizan director Olivier "Twist" 
Gondry, ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The:30 spot entitled "Throw It in the Tundra" debuted over the past weeks in the heartland of the U.S....

DigitalPostProduction.com, Mar. 22, 2006
A52 Creates All-Season Effects for Partizan Director Twist Gondry's Toyota Tundra Spot
The spot presents a single shot of a Toyota Tundra parked outdoors, as two men load its bed with bails of hay, tools and other supplies. The men begin their work in short sleeves on a sunny day, but the day quickly becomes rainy, and their attire instantly changes to rain gear. While the men continue working, their clothes change rapidly through the full range of seasons. The shot's POV moves around the truck, and the voiceover relates, "The loads you haul can be mean, dirty, gritty... sometimes, cold-cutting steel. So you'd better have a truck that's strong enough to take it. That truck is the Toyota Tundra. Load after load, mile after mile, year after year, Tundra endures. Toyota, moving forward."...

Jahshaka.net, Mar. 22, 2006
A52 Creates All-Season Effects For Twist Gondry's Toyota Tundra Spot
"This spot is deceptive," began Kevin Murphy, Saatchi & Saatchi's project creative director and art director. "It looks simple, but was actually quite complex and the magic is always making complexity look effortless. A52 and Twist worked, both on location and in post, to create the various intense weather conditions that show the Tundra's durability season after season. And they did a great job. Attention to detail is what sets a spot like this apart and A52 and Twist nailed it." 

VFXTalk, Mar. 22, 2006
A52 creates all-season effects for Twist Gondry's Toyota Tundra Spot!
...Twist Gondry has established himself since 1995 as a widely respected CG and VFX artist, after many years of working with his brother, acclaimed director Michel Gondry, on numerous internationally celebrated music video projects. Among Twist’s own directorial feats from recent years are music videos for The Stills (“Lola Stars and Stripes”), The Vines (“Ride” and ‘Winning Days”) and Hot Hot Heat (“Goodnight, Goodnight”), as well as commercials for Infiniti, Hyundai, Sprint, and many others...

Shots, Mar. 15, 2006
ON THE MOVE
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 has taken Flame/Inferno visual effects artist Raul Ortego on to its roster. A freelancer for the last three years, he was last with Spanish post house Telson....

Boards Online, Mar. 14, 2006
Industry news and people moves
LA-based visual effects/design company A52 has added flame/inferno artist Raul Ortego to its roster. Most recently operating as a freelance visual effects artist, Ortego has also worked with Discreet Logic and Telson in Spain....

CreativeChannel, Mar. 13, 2006
Meet the Artists at A52
Now in its tenth year of business, award-winning visual effects company A52 is expanding their roster of extraordinary artists. Here’s the most recent rundown on what the team has been up to....

FXGuide.com, Mar. 13, 2006
Inferno/Flame Artist Raul Ortego Joins VFX Company A52
Over the past decade, Raul has established a solid international reputation for extraordinary visual effects and graphic design artistry in the realms of commercials, music videos, on-air promos and feature films. A graduate of Spain’s Complutense College who also earned advanced post-production degrees from Madrid’s Cemtav and Inves Schools, Raul began his career as a Inferno/Flame demo artist for Discreet Logic in Spain, before joining Madrid-based Telson in 1997 as Senior Inferno/Flame Artist. He began freelancing in Spain in 2003, with the goal of eventually becoming a part of A52’s staff. Three years and many high-profile projects later, A52’s managing director and executive producer Mark Tobin is pleased to welcome Raul aboard....

HollywoodIndustry.com, Mar. 13, 2006
Award-Winning VFX Company A52 Adds to Roster
Internationally acclaimed Raul Ortego is newest Inferno/Flame artist...

Music Video Wire, Mar. 13, 2006
Emmy Award-Winning VFX Company A52 Adds Inferno/Flame Artist Raul Ortego to Roster
Over the past decade, Raul has established a solid international reputation for extraordinary visual effects and graphic design artistry in the realms of commercials, music videos, on-air promos and feature films. A graduate of Spain’s Complutense College who also earned advanced post-production degrees from Madrid’s Cemtav and Inves Schools, Raul began his career as a Inferno/Flame demo artist for Discreet Logic in Spain, before joining Madrid-based Telson in 1997 as Senior Inferno/Flame Artist. He began freelancing in Spain in 2003, with the goal of eventually becoming a part of A52’s staff. Three years and many high-profile projects later, A52’s managing director and executive producer Mark Tobin is pleased to welcome Raul aboard....

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Mar. 10, 2006
Movers
A52 in West Hollywood has hired VFX artist Raul Ortego, who started freelancing in his native Spain in 2003, to its staff working on Flame and Inferno....

POST, Mar. 10, 2006
A52 ADDS FLAME/INFERNO ARTIST RAUL ORTEGO
Visual effects and design company A52 has added Flame/Inferno artist Raul Ortego to its full-time staff. He brings with him over a decade of experience working on commercials, music videos, on-air promos and feature films....

Studio Daily, Mar. 10, 2006
A52 Signs Inferno/Flame Artist Raul Ortego
..."Raul is a great, multifaceted addition to our team for a number of reasons," Tobin began. “First of all, he has a great knowledge of the seamless nature of our work, and his reel has a lot of beautifully finished work on it. In particular, The Missy Elliot video he did with Dave Meyers features full face replacement, and he seemed to turn it around quite quickly; also, the Coke spot he worked on for Roman Coppola is just great. His color work also got my attention. Still, his energy and his love for visual effects impressed me the most. Much like our artists Pat Murphy, Andy Hall, Tim Bird and Kirk Balden, Raul has a passion and dedication for making the work look amazing, and I’m confident he will be a fantastic resource for directors.”...

Communication Arts, Jan/Feb, 2006
Exhibit
A52:  ROME Main Title Sequence.

Boards, Feb., 2006
Transformers; For invisible effects artists, the spot is the canvas
With new CG divisions sprouting up at FX houses and compositing software steadily increasing its capabilities, it's now accepted that in the realm of invisible or seamless effects, the sky is truly the limit - and can be lightened, darkened or replaced at will, of course....  Then there are times when you're just told to "take the footage and run". A52's Patrick Murphy was commissioned to "remix" Francois Vogel's "Any Road" spot for Lexus with frame-for-frame recreations of the car driving in winter, without being at the initial shoot or even meeting Vogel. "The agency came in maybe twice - the first time because they were probably scared [the CG winterization] would look like crap, and the second time the day we delivered." 

VFXWorld.com, Feb. 28, 2006
Transitions: The Old Standards Get a Face-Lift; J. Paul Peszko explores compelling transitions in commercials and music videos as a result of some of the latest advances in 3D software
The elaborate 3D titles for the HBO series Carnivale are probably more memorable than the series itself, evidenced by the fact that the main title sequence garnered an Emmy while the series itself was ignored....  One of the key members of the A52 team that created the sequence, Inferno artist Patrick Murphy, explains the process. “We started basically by doing a cut of old footage from the Dust Bowl era and then we went back and found art that would depict the best imagery to go with the whole piece but also go with the footage. So to each tarot card, we would position the footage in back of the piece, thereby splitting all the layers so that we could make it into a virtual painting. We were able to blend the live action footage back there to make it feel like it was part of the picture. So you never really saw it until you went right up next to it. Then we brought it back to life. The way it came back to life was very simple. It just real slowly started to move then ramps up to normal speed and keeps the color of the actual painted picture. Then it all dissipates and evolves from that point (into the live action).”...

Dzine.tv, Feb. 9, 2006
A52's Andy Hall Brings Classic Mud Flap Girl to Life In Honda Ridgeline Super Bowl Spot
A52 Inferno artist Pat Murphy worked closely with Hall to design the spot’s opening scene showing a girl-adorned mud flap on a moving truck. A52’s CG team of Dan Gutierrez and Max Ulichney created the girl, the photo-real mudflap, and a rubberized, textured version of the Honda logo in Maya, and Murphy’s 2D team, including Alicia Aguilera, composited all the CG elements in Inferno together with the moving road, and applied various effects to heighten the realism of the opening and closing scenes. “I never would have been able to achieve the finished look of this spot without Pat’s contributions,” Hall added....

FXGuide.com, Feb. 8, 2006
Honda Ridgeline Super Bowl XL Spot Directed by A52's Andy Hall
Award-winning LA visual effects and design company A52 is proud to announce that Andy Hall – hired last April as the company’s CG supervisor – directed the Honda Ridgeline “Mud Flap” spot from advertising agency RPA which debuted on Sunday during ABC’s coverage of Super Bowl XL. Our complete story details A52's involvement and includes input from Andy and RPA senior producer Julie Dolson....

Autodesk.com, Feb. 7, 2006
Autodesk Helps Kick Off Super Bowl XL
Many of the hard-hitting commercials airing during Super Bowl XL were shaped with Autodesk’s products – including software gained from its recent acquisition of Alias. Post-production facilities used Autodesk technology to realize ideas for Aleve, Bud Light, Gillette, Honda and many other Super Bowl commercials.  Award-winning visual effects and design company A52 crafted Honda’s commercial “Mud Flap” using Autodesk’s Discreet Inferno visual effects system and Autodesk Maya animation software...

CGChannel.com, Feb. 7, 2006
Superbowl spot: Classic Mudflap girl comes to life in Honda Spot
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced that Andy Hall – hired last April as the company’s CG supervisor – directed the Honda Ridgeline “Mud Flap” spot from advertising agency RPA which debuted yesterday during ABC’s coverage of Super Bowl XL...

HollywoodIndustry.com, Feb. 7, 2006
A52’s Andy Hall Brings Classic Mud Flap Girl to Life In Honda Ridgeline Super Bowl Spot
...“When I joined A52’s extraordinary team last year,” Hall said, “the goal was to capitalize on the increasing importance of CG in the creative world, and to pursue more character-performance type work.  To progress so quickly to the point where I had this opportunity to direct such an important, high-profile project for Honda and RPA is an accomplishment we’re all very appreciative and proud of.”...

POST Magazine, Feb. 7, 2006
A52 PRODUCES, POSTS HONDA'S 'MUD FLAP'
Andy Hall, CG supervisor at visual effects and design company A52 directed Honda's Mud Flap spot, which aired during Super Bowl XL. Conceived by agency RPA, the commercial promotes the car maker's Ridgeline truck and features an animated female silhouette that comes to life, leaving her long-time spot on the back of a mud flap...

Studio Daily, Feb. 7, 2006
Mud Flap Girl Comes to Life in Super Bowl Spot
..."The fact that everything turned out so well was due in large part to Andy's constant attention to the spot," said Julie Dolson, RPA's senior producer. "It's a simple idea and Andy's vision was to bring it to life, not complicate it. Andy and everyone over at A52 delivered in a ridiculously compressed timeframe without sacrificing quality."...

Adweek, Feb. 6, 2006
RPA's 'Mud Flap' Beats Super Bowl Rivals
Independent RPA's decision to buy time on the Super Bowl for its Honda Ridgeline commercial was delayed to the last moment, but the spot yielded satisfying results, according the agency. The 30-second spot scored the highest of any automotive ad in the USA Today readers poll and 21st overall, just ahead of Ford's Escape commercial featuring Kermit and General Motors' monster-baby ad for Hummer....

Boards Online, Feb. 6, 2006
Screening Room:  Honda Ridgeline - Mudflap
Yosemite Sam makes a play at another animated legend.  PRODUCTION COMPANY: Pecubu Productions; DIRECTOR: Andy Hall; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Eric Schmidt; LINE PRODUCER: David Wolfson; EDITORIAL COMPANY: Rock Paper Scissors; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: David Sellars; EDITOR: Brad Waskewich; PRODUCER: Scott Friske, Larry Ewing; VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mark Tobin; PRODUCER: Jenny Bright; VFX/CG SUPERVISOR: Andy Hall; INFERNO ARTISTS: Patrick Murphy, Alicia Aguilera; 3D ANIMATORS: Max Ulichney, Dan Gutierrez.

VFXPro, Feb. 6, 2006
Digital Artists Create Super Bowl XL Ads with Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. announced that many of the commercials airing during last night's Super Bowl XL were shaped with Autodesk's products -- including software gained from its recent acquisition of Alias. Post-production facilities used Autodesk technology to realize ideas for Aleve, Bud Light, Gillette, Honda and many other Super Bowl commercials....

Dzine.tv, Jan. 12, 2006
A52 Remixes Francois Vogel's Lexus 'Any Road' Spot to Add Artistic Snow Effects
A52’s team, led by visual effects supervisor Pat Murphy, CGI supervisor Andrew Hall and producer Scott Boyajan, faced several important challenges in fulfilling the agency’s request. First, many of the scenes in Honigsberg’s original edit used playback effects where the scenes were sped-up to 3X. So, A52’s team had to make their effects work in real-time for almost 80 seconds of footage that, when sped-up and cut back in, played back in about 26 seconds. Secondly, as Pat Murphy explained, “In the original version, you have this beautifully color-corrected car from the transfer that's on a dark black road, and it looks fantastic. When we put the car into a white environment, where it needed to have white reflected into it, we really had to work hard to put the car in that environment but still make it look good.”...

Adjab, Jan. 9, 2006
Lexus IS remixed for winter
Last fall, Lexus ran a spot called "Any Road" to market its newest IS sport sedan. The ad, part of a series directed by Paranoid Projects: Tool's Francois Vogel (who some of you might remember from the HP photo ads), was re-fangled in December to flip the script from normal weather conditions into a winterized version. If anything, this sounds like it was a lot of fun rather than a pain in the backside. Visual effects firm A52 did everything from figure out what tires were on the vehicle from the original spot, built new tires virtually, and added them to the footage at the same time that snow was built into the road to change the sky somewhat to keep us on our toes. Additionally, the trees in the background were created in such a manner where the viewer would believe that the snow had been on the ground for a few days, and had settled, melted, or shifted in different areas, and wasn't a simple blanket. In other words, they were going for reality....

AdRants, Jan. 5, 2006
Winding Road Car Commercial Gets 'Winterized'
...That's probably what visual effects company A52 thought when LA agency Team One asked them to "winterize" a previously shot commercial for the 2006 Lexus IS. Explaining the strategy, Team One Executive Producer Jack Epsteen said, "We have a long history of relying on A52 for complex visual feats and in this case, we felt that tapping into the company's artistic expertise to add snow effects to this spot would be an interesting way to back-up the 'Why live in one dimension' tagline.'"...

POST Magazine, Jan. 5, 2006
A52 WINTERIZES LEXUS' LATEST
A52 recently completed revisions for an existing Lexus spot in which it added winter elements throughout the :30 commercial. Designed to promote the 2006 IS model, the original Any Road commercial was directed by Francois Vogel of Paranoid Projects: Tool and edited by Chrome’s Hal Honigsberg....

Create Magazine, Jan. 4, 2006
A52 Remixes Francois Vogel's Lexus 'Any Road' Spot To Add Artistic Snow Effects
Along with Jack Epsteen, Team One's campaign team also includes executive creative director Chris Graves, group creative director/copywriter Jon Pearce and group creative director/art director James Dalthorp. The team for Paranoid Projects: Tool included executive producers Phillip Detchmendy and Claude Letessier, head of production Amy DeLossa and line producer Kati Haberstock. Alex Lamarque served as director of photography. Company 3 Santa Monica's colorist for the project was Stefan Sonnenfeld. In addition to Hal Honigsberg, Chrome's project credits include executive producer Deanne Mehling, producer Cristina Matracia and assistant editor Tommy Harden. Honigsberg shared sound design credits with Bob Gremore, who mixed the spot at Juice in Santa Monica. A52's team also included executive producer Mark Tobin and CGI artists Dan Gutierrez, Christopher Janney, Branden Perlow and Max Ulichney....

DigitalProducer.com, Jan. 4, 2006
A52 Remixes Francois Vogel's Lexus "Any Road" Spot to Add Artistic Snow Effects
A52’s team, led by visual effects supervisor Pat Murphy, CGI supervisor Andrew Hall and producer Scott Boyajan, faced several important challenges in fulfilling the agency’s request.  First, many of the scenes in Honigsberg’s original edit used playback effects where the scenes were sped-up to 3X.  So, A52’s team had to make their effects work in real-time for almost 80 seconds of footage that, when sped-up and cut back in, played back in about 26 seconds.  Secondly, as Pat Murphy explained, “In the original version, you have this beautifully color-corrected car from the transfer that's on a dark black road, and it looks fantastic.  When we put the car into a white environment, where it needed to have white reflected into it, we really had to work hard to put the car in that environment but still make it look good.”

Pluginz.com, Jan. 4, 2006
A52 Remixes Francois Vogel's Lexus 'Any Road' Spot
...Perfectionists to the end, Murphy described a few other touches his team added to the finished spot.  “The spot looks in many ways like a pure mirror effect, but we wanted it to feel like the shots with and without snow were not exact duplicates,” he said.  “So, we did little things like change the sky slightly and turn the car’s logos around so they always read properly.”...

Boards Online, Jan. 3, 2006
Screening Room:  Lexus - Any Road
Tool's Francois Vogel delivers more split-screen symmetry for Lexus.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52. 

Animation World Network, Dec. 27, 2005
A52 Adds Wintry Effects to 2006 Lexus IS Spot
For the new ANY ROAD spot to promote the launch of the 2006 Lexus IS sport sedan, A52 was asked to "winterize" it from beginning to end....

VFXWorld, Dec. 27, 2005
A52 Adds Wintry Effects to 2006 Lexus IS Spot
..."We have a long history of relying on A52 for complex visual feats," explained Jack Epsteen, exec producer with ad agency Team One, "and in this case, we felt that tapping into the company's artistic expertise to add snow effects to this spot would be an interesting way to back-up the 'Why live in one dimension' tagline. They met the challenge in their typical exemplary style."...

StudioDaily, Dec. 23, 2005
A52 Remixes Lexus Spot
..All of A52’s work was performed in HD resolution, and that includes a digital matte painting created in Photoshop by artist Helen Maier, who used real photography to build a one-frame digital matte painting to be used as the spot’s new background environment.  “Our goal was to make it feel as if the snow was a couple of days old, that the sun had been shining and the snow had compacted,” Murphy explained. “Some of the trees might not have snow on them because of the leaves being lighter, wind blowing it off or the sun having melted it down.”  Maier’s multilayered matte included trees, ditches and birms, as well as a new road plate with snow and car tracks on it....

Autodesk, Nov., 2005
A52's Creativity Sizzles with Distreet Flame and Autodesk Burn
With viewer expectations and client demands at an all-time high, there's nothing more disconcerting than the pressure to fill the screen with fabulous, innovative visual effects.  With Discreet Flame effects systems software, "The speed with which our ideas can be developed, produced and rendered is the key to making our deadlines and staying competitive," says Pat Murphy, A52's visual effects supervisor."...

DigitalProducer.com, Nov. 22, 2005
Crispin Porter + Bogusky Taps A52 to Build Miller Beer Campaign
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their visual effects work for a new broadcast campaign from Crispin Porter + Bogusky and their clients at Miller Brewing Company.  The campaign’s two :15 spots, entitled “Destiny” and “Perfect Brewery” debuted on Nov. 7 to promote Miller’s 1855 Celebration Lager.  Both spots will run for the next several weeks....

FXGuide.com, Nov. 22, 2005
Crispin Porter + Bogusky Taps A52
...“These spots were born from the idea of telling some of the Fred Miller stories responsible for Miller celebrating their 150th anniversary,” explained Paul Keister, CPB VP and creative director. “And the pullout technique is also off that idea, where we visually focus on the microscopic details of Fred Miller's history and pull out to show the bigger picture of why this beer is here. I hadn't seen A52's work before, but when I saw their reel, I knew immediately that they had to do it."...

Highend2D.com, Nov. 22, 2005
Crispin Porter + Bogusky Taps A52 for Historical Campaign
...A52’s team won Emmy and PROMAX Gold Awards in 2004 for their pioneering work on the main title sequence for HBO’s CARNIVÀLE, which featured the “2.5D” technique where the camera moves through still artwork to reveal other embedded imagery. The artistic approach to the new 1855 Lager spots, which explore historic black-and-white still images from the 1800s, brought new creative challenges to A52’s team...

Pluginz.com, Nov. 22, 2005
A52 Renders Historical Journey of Miller's 1855 Celebration Lager
...According to A52 project VFX supervisor and lead Inferno artist Kirk Balden, the agency’s creative team provided the set of still images used for both spots. Each image was scanned at resolutions ranging from 6K to 8K, and A52 designer Max Ulichney rendered a lower resolution previsualization of the camera move using Maya, which he provided to the campaign’s editor, Kirk Baxter of Rock Paper Scissors. Baxter made various adjustments to the sequence to help the agency creatives dial-in the move to best match the voiceover. In the meantime, Ulichney and fellow designer Chris Janney worked with the high-resolution versions of the imagery in Photoshop to rotoscope specific elements from each image. The results – which Balden described as multiplanar matte paintings – were then assembled in Autodesk’s Discreet Inferno system to create the final camera move...

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Nov. 18, 2005
Spot of the Day:  Xbox:  Water Balloons
A full-scale battle erupts.  VFX:  A52, Los Angeles.  2D Artist:  Patrick Murphy.

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Nov. 16, 2005
Member News From Around the World
A52 has been busy with a new set of :15 spots for Miller's 1855 Lager via Crispin Porter + Bogusky/Miami.  Consisting of historic black-and-white still images from the mid 1800s, the new ads, Destiny and Perfect Brewery, feature the talents of executive producer Mark Tobin, producer Scott Boyajan, VFX supervisor Kirk Balden, Inferno artist Ben Looram and designers Max Ulichney and Christ Janney.  Rock Paper Scissors lent editorial expertise with editor Kirk Baxter....

SHOOT, Nov. 4, 2005
Top 10 Spot Tracks:  Honda "Keyhole"
Production:  A52, Los Angeles.  Patrick Murphy and Andy Hall, visual effects supervisors/directors.

IdN: International designers Network, Volume 12 Number Four, International Edition
TV Commercial
Budweiser "Everyday Heroes" by A52
Finish Line "Ostrich," "Eyeballs," "UFOs" by A52

3DCreative Magazine, Oct., 2005
Honda Civic is Reborn
in RPA's "Keyhole" spot, created through A52's new directorial collective for photoreal CGI storytelling...

Creativity Magazine, October, 2005
WHEN IN ROME
HBO's latest show open, for the historical drama Rome, shows ancient wall scrawlings that move and tell of their times.  Featuring gory violence, blatant sex and the sense of a mystical place, the graffiti was well researched by director Angus Wall, who included the Lupercal and October Horse festivities in the animated drawings.  Client: HBO; CD/Director: Angus Wall; Producer: Scott Boyajan; DP: Tani Canevari; Editor: Brad Waskewich/Rock Paper Scissors; CG Supervisor: Andy Hall/A52; Lead 2D Artist/Supervisor: Kirk Balden/A52; Inferno Artists: Tim Bird, Ben Looram/A52; Music: Many Rooms Music; Composer: Jeff Beal; Original Artwork: Josh Bayer, Eugene Yelchin.

Creativity Magazine, October, 2005
TOP SPOTS, VISUALS:  HONDA "KEYHOLE"
As viewers look inside a car's keyhole, all kinds of creepy crawlies --including newly-emerged butterflies, shedding snakes and newborn spiders--come out to demonstrate the rebirth of the Honda Civic, part of a massive youth push for the redesigned vehicle.  But in addition to this rebirth, effects house A52 comes out of its effects cocoon with a directing credit, with VFX supervisors Andrew Hall and Patrick Murphy leading the animation-heavy spot in a close collaboration with editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors....

VFXWorld, Oct. 27, 2005
Autodesk Technology Goes Primetime
Autodesk Inc. announced that its media and entertainment systems and software are shaping more than 40 television shows for the 2005-2006 TV season. From returning favorites such as LOST and NIP/TUCK to provocative new shows such as PRISON BREAK and ROME, Autodesk’s technology is relied upon by broadcasters and post-production facilities....

Yahoo! Finance, Oct. 27, 2005
Autodesk Technology Goes Prime Time in House, Lost, Nip/Tuck and Other 2005-2006 Television Shows
...A52, an Emmy award-winning visual effects and design company, employed Autodesk's Discreet Inferno and Flame visual effects systems on the main title sequence for Rome, a new historical drama. This HBO and BBC co-production envelops viewers in the mystique of the Roman Empire of 52 BC. Created entirely in-house at A52, the title sequence combines live-action and computer-generated elements, including digital graffiti, grain and colors. Autodesk's systems were instrumental in crafting a chariot race from varied-rate footage that required extensive 3D tracking, and for creating a camera fly-through of a dye wall....

Dzine.tv, Oct. 20, 2005
Mythologies And Mystique Of Ancient Empire Unite In HBO'S 'Rome' Title Sequence From A52
“On many projects, you start off with storyboards and everyone has a good idea of what it's going to look like when it's completed,” Balden added. “This project was very experimental right to the very end. The tone of it is pretty much unlike anything we've done and most of what any of us here have seen. There's a lot there that creatively sets the stage for the series.” ...

VFXWorld, Oct. 17, 2005
A52 Delves More into CG for Honda Civic Spot
A52 served as the director for a recent HD spot titled “Keyhole,” as part of advertising agency RPA’s massive year-long multiplatform marketing campaign for the all-new 2006 Honda Civic.  A52’s collective features the talents of CG/vfx supervisor Andrew Hall and co-vfx supervisor Pat Murphy, and also relies upon the creative involvement of Rock Paper Scissors’ editor Angus Wall....

CGChannel, Oct. 13, 2005
A52 evolves into directorial collective for Honda Keyhole
Honda Civic is Reborn in RPA’s Keyhole Spot, Created Through A52’s New Directorial Collective for Photoreal CGI Storytelling...

SHOOT, Oct. 7, 2005
Visual Effects & Animation:  Creating A "Keyhole" For The Honda Civic; CG-intense spot illustrates the rebirth of an icon
...For 2005, Honda has redesigned the Civic, and with the change, comes a stunning spot from visual effecs and design company A52, Los Angeles, and Rubin Postaer and Associates (RPA), Santa Monica. The :30 "Keyhole" explores rebirth -- the rebirth of a car set against rebirth in nature...

SHOOT, Oct. 7, 2005
Massive Attack; Crowd Simulation Software Ushers In New Creative Options
Meanwhile, in the U.S., visual effects and design company A52 used Massive on a pair of ads.  The first was Budweiser's "Everyday Heroes" directed by noted DP Robert Richardson of bicoastal Tool of North America via Waylone Advertising, St. Louis.  The spot tells the story of Anheuser-Busch's "Here's to the Heroes" cross-country tour, held last spring.  The spot features two eight-horse Clydesdale teams -- one from New York, one from San Francisco -- who go to major cities along the routes to St. Louis, where both teams met.  In some 21 cities along the way, citizens participating in tour events sent messages of pride and appreciation to the nation's troops and took part in other partriotic activities and celebrations.  The conclusion of the spot featured a crowd of thousands celebrating the tour's patriotic causes and the two Clydesdale teams coming together in St. Louis....

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Oct. 4, 2005
Member News From Around the World
Los Angeles-based visual effects and design company A52 detailed its team’s evolving role in the creation of high-end television commercials for client Honda via RPA/Santa Monica.  With the increasing importance of CG-based creative approaches, A52 served as director on the HD spot entitled Keyhole for the all-new 2006 Honda Civic.  A52’s cast of thousands included: VFX supervisor/lead Inferno Patrick Murphy, Flame artists Tim Bird, Justin Blaustein, CG/VFX supervisor Andrew Hall, CG artists Daniel Gutierrez, Craig Halperin, Helen Maier, Maxx Okazaki, Brandon Perlow, Casey Schatz, Max Ulichney & Vania Alban-Zapata.  Oh hey – and editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors! 

HollywoodIndustry.com, Oct. 3, 2005
A52's effects and animation work title HBO's ROME
...“A52's Angus Wall and Scott Boyajan truly were the vision on our title sequence,” added series co-producer Todd London.  “From design and development, through production in Rome, and finally bringing it all together in post-production and final delivery, their talent, attitude, class and execution tend to be the reasons I enjoy having a working relationship with them.”...

Boards, September, 2005
Stock Picks:  Nike, "Kid Tiger"
Visual effects company A52 was given the final task of smoothing the transition between 25-year-old video footage and current, broadcast-quality material. "Each sequence is made up of at least two elements, many times three or four, composited as one image. And manipulating those different elements digitally so they could sit well together was no small feat, but they did it," says Curtis.... 

Boards, September, 2005
Stock Picks:  Finish Line, "Ostrich"/"Eyeballs"
Director Tom Kuntz and the creative team at W+K wanted footage that had a kitschy, B-movie feel, says A52 VFX supervisor Andy Hall. Sourced from Susan Nickerson of Los Angeles-based Nickerson Research, Kuntz and company settled on footage of a squawking ostrich on the run and a pair of floating eyeballs goofy and menacing enough to make Ed Wood proud. The clips appear behind the respective joggers, as though they are running away from monsters of their own making. "We're seeing inside their head, as it were," says Hall....

CGSociety.com, Sep. 23, 2005
Stash DVD: Issue 12
Stash 12 delivers an international line-up of 29 brilliant animation, VFX and motion design projects PLUS the complete slate of winners from the 2005 Rushes Soho Shorts Festival. Another highlight on this disk, a five-year-old Tiger Woods winning the British open in a Nike spot from A52....

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Sep. 23, 2005
Spot of the Day:  Honda:  Key Hole
The redesigned Civic undergoes a metamorphosis.  Client: Honda.  Agency: Rubin Postaer & Assoc.  Production Company: Pecubu Productions. Director: A52. VFX: A52 - Los Angeles.

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Sep. 21, 2005
Member News From Around the World
You all know that Rome wasn’t built in a day…  With that said, take a look at ROME, the spectacular co-production between HBO and BBC.  Viewers are transported into the mystique of the ancient city in 52 BC via an engaging main title sequence created entirely in-house by visual effects and design company A52.  The vision involved capturing live-action footage on location in Rome and combining animated graffiti on the walls of the city with vibrant cinematography to convey the unique mythologies and realities of the ancient world.  A52's project team, overseen by executive producer Mark Tobin, included creative director Angus Wall, producer Scott Boyajan, VFX artist Kirk Balden, Inferno artists Tim Bird & Ben Looram, CG supervisor Andrew Hall, and CG animators Christopher Janney, Chris Bowers, Denis Gauthier, Craig Halperin, Max Ulichney, Brandon Perlow and Daniel Gutierrez.  Angus Wall directed the live-action shoot and Tani Canevari served as his director of photography....

CGFocus, Sep. 20, 2005
Mythologies and Mystique of Ancient Empire Unite in HBO's ROME Title Sequence from A52
...As was the case on CARNIVÀLE, Angus Wall once again stepped into the role of creative director for the ROME project, working directly with Carolyn Strauss and director of HBO Entertainment Gina Balian, as well as series executive producers Bruno Heller and Anne Thomopoulos, HBO production executive Michael Hill, and project co-producer Todd London. The fulfillment of Wall’s vision involved capturing live-action footage on location in Rome, and combining animated graffiti on the walls of the city with vibrant cinematography to convey the unique mythologies and realities of the ancient world the epic series dramatizes....

VFXWorld, Sep. 7, 2005
A52 Goes for Mystique & Mythology in Rome Main Titles
ROME, the new HBO/BBC co-production, which recently debuted on HBO, boasts the mystique of Rome in 52 BC via a main title sequence created by award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52. The :90 main titles, created entirely in-house at A52, will introduce each episode.  “This venture, our third with A52, proves what a powerful creative force they are,” said Carolyn Strauss, president of HBO Ent....

IdN: International designers Network, Volume 12 Number Three, International Edition
TV Commercial
Infiniti "Dusk" + "All Wheel Drive" by A52

Source TV's The Source Monthly, August, 2005
MOST OFTEN ASKED
Wieden & Kennedy/PORTLAND's latest spot for Nike Golf features a very young Tiger Woods playing on the Old Course at St. Andrews. The spot is made up of second-and-third generation videotape of Tiger taken from three different TV pieces he'd done with local news stations intercut with St. Andrews footage shot in 1998. The end result? A seamless piece embodying his absolute delight in playing golf as a "Kid Tiger," earning it this month's place of Most Requested.  Flame/VFX: A52.

Videography, August 2005
MTV Announces Award Nominees
The nominees for best special effects include A52 for Coldplay's "Speed of Sound,"... 

Animation World Magazine, Aug. 31, 2005
Hot Spots Showcase 3: The Best in Animated & VFX Commercials
A52:  “The agency’s main concerns were about maintaining the emotion and the story’s plausibility,” said A52’s Tim Bird, who served as the project’s co-vfx supervisor along with Pat Murphy. “In the end, the technical constraints we faced actually helped us convey those emotions and package the story in a powerful way.” 

Adweek, Aug. 15, 2005
Best Spots of July:  Nike Golf "Kid Tiger"
Images of Tiger Woods playing golf as a kid are seamlessly worked into footage of his play at the British Open as the music accompanies with, "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger."  Flame Artists:  A52 Los Angeles:  Ben Looram, Justin Blaustein, Ryan Yoshimoto, Alicia Aguilera, Eric Algren, Scott Johnson; CGI Artist: Craig "Xray" Halperin, A52, Los Angeles.

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Aug. 11, 2005
Spot of the Day:  EA Sports: You
Are you ready to be an NFL quarterback?  VFX:  A52 - Los Angeles; VFX Executive Producer: Mark Tobin; VFX Producer: Jenny Bright; VFX Supervisor: Tim Bird.

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Aug. 10, 2005
Member News From Around the World
For a new :60 spot entitled You, via Wieden+Kennedy for EA Sports' Madden NFL 2006, RSA's Sam Bayer headed for the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for a bit of shooting.  The ad features amazing visual effects in regards to the stadium, the players and the crowds.  Other talents weighing in included RSA’s executive producer Tracie Norfleet, Company 3 and colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, Mad River Post and editor Lucas Eskin, and visual effects company A52 - artists Tim Bird, Justin Blaustein and Ben Looram....

Boards Online, Aug. 9, 2005
Screening Room:  EA Sports (60) - You
The NFL's Donovan McNabb stars in this first-person :60 spot from RSA's Sam Bayer.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52. 

SHOOT, Aug. 5, 2005
Digital Color Grading, DI Make Inroads at Siggraph Confab
...Another example was Budweiser's "Everyday Heroes" that broke in late May via Waylon Ad, St. Louis.  The spot, directed and lensed by Robert Richardson, ASC, via bicoastal Tool of North America, features visual effects from A52, Santa Monica, which tapped Massive to create a digital crowd of 10,000....

Creativity Magazine, July, 2005
SPECIAL REPORT: Music & Sound
Top Tracks:  Nike "Magnet"
VFX Company:  A52

Film&Video Magazine, July, 2005
Coldplay Sees the Light
... The lighting story wasn't over at the wrap but continued to evolve even after the edit by Rock Paper Scissors' Adam Pertofsky.  Romanek wanted to intensify the lighting effects as the mood of the video changes.  To get the intensity of color that Romanek decided he wanted took several days of Inferno and Flame work at A52 in West Hollywood.  Pat Murphy spent hours re-lighting and color correcting to emphasize blue in the first section, then red, and finally gold.  "A lot of the close-ups didn't give the same feel as the wide shots," says Murphy, "So we were basically manipulating the back-wall light and adding lights to make wide shots and close-ups match closer together."

Graphic Design USA, July, 2005
PEOPLE
Name: Andrew Hall.  Company: A52.  Location: West Hollywood, CA.  Title:  CG Supervisor.  Employment: Digital Domain, The Motion Picture Company, CreoCollective.  Fact:  His film credits include "The English Patient," "Tomorrow Never Dies," "Richard III," "Peter Pan," "The Time Machine."

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Jul. 26, 2005
Member News From Around the World
Sam Jones aligned himself with client DirecTV and their new spot ReThink TV.  The message: It's time to rethink mediocrity, choices, freedom, quality, possibilities, innovation, and query, what's next?  The usual suspects weighed in for Tool with telecine being tackled by Company 3 and colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, editorial by Rock Paper Scissors and editor JD Smyth, and visual effects by A52, lead artist Kirk Balden and VFX artist Justin Blaustein....  And speaking of A52...  The design company detailed their visual effects work for the new Nike Golf Kid Tiger broadcast spot from Wieden+Kennedy/Portland.  In home-movie quality, the :60-second spot shows a 5-year-old Tiger Woods playing the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, during the British Open.  At the end, we see the full-grown Tiger enjoying his win.  A52-ers included executive producer Mark Tobin, producer April Killingsworth, visual effects supervisors Tim Bird and Patrick Murphy, and VFX artists Alicia Aguilera, Eric Algren, Justin Blaustein, Craig Halperin, Scott Johnson, Ben Looram, and Ryan Yoshimoto.

Newsday, Jul. 27, 2005
List of nominees for MTV's VMA show
Best special effects in a video (artist, special effects company): Coldplay, A52, "Speed of Sound"...

Adjab, Jul. 26, 2005
DirecTV's "Rethink" campaign rolls on
DirecTV continues to ask viewers to "rethink TV" this year, in an attempt to show innovation by the television provider. In fact, this latest spot takes the slogan as its moniker, with the 60-second "Rethink TV" by Tool of North America's Sam Jones putting together a stack of short films or situations into one big concept. ...VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY:  A52.

Highend2D.com, Jul. 26, 2005
Sam Jones’ DIRECTV ad challenges viewers to “ReThink TV”
...The team from LA editorial company Rock Paper Scissors included editor JD Smyth and producer Dex Deboree. For VFX company A52 in West Hollywood, the team included executive producer Mark Tobin, producers Scott Boyajan and April Killingsworth, visual effects supervisor/lead artist Kirk Balden and VFX artist Justin Blaustein....

Contra Costa Times, Jul. 26, 2005
MTV awards promises to be all-new
Here are the nominees for key categories of the MTV Video Music Awards:  Video of the year: Coldplay, "Speed of Sound"; Special effects: Coldplay, A52, "Speed of Sound".

The Hollywood Reporter, Jul. 26, 2005
'Idiot' savant: 8 VMA noms for Green Day
Best Special Effects in a Video (Artist, Special Effects Company):  Coldplay, A52, "Speed of Sound".

Adweek, Jul. 25, 2005
Barbara Lippert's Critique: Loving A Baby Tiger
...this latest spot for Nike Golf juxtaposes the compact form of Li'l Man Woods into the endless green landscape of the Big British Open at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.  And the result is, I dare say, seamless and brilliant....  Visual effects:  A52, Los Angeles.

Yahoo! News, Jul. 25, 2005
MTV Announces Host, Nominees, and Performers for the 2005 Video Music Awards
Following are the nominees for the "2005 MTV Video Music Awards":  VIDEO OF THE YEAR:  Coldplay "Speed of Sound" - Director: Mark Romanek, Producer: Aris McGarry, Production Company: Anonymous Content.  BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS IN A VIDEO:  Coldplay "Speed of Sound" - Special Effects: A52....

HollywoodIndustry.com, Jul. 21, 2005
Sam Jones' DIRECTV Spot Pushes Viewers to Rethink TV
...The team from LA editorial company Rock Paper Scissors included editor JD Smyth and producer Dex Deboree. For VFX company A52 in West Hollywood, the team included executive producer Mark Tobin, producers Scott Boyajan and April Killingsworth, visual effects supervisor/lead artist Kirk Balden and VFX artist Justin Blaustein....

Boards Online, Jul. 19, 2005
Tiger Milk; Nike shows us a babe in the [Tiger] Woods
BABY TIGER STILL A KILLER> This new spot from Nike takes existing home movies of six-year old golf phenom Tiger Woods and melds them with footage from Tiger's 2000 British Open championship run at St. Andrew's. Thanks in no small part to seamless VFX work from A52, the clip plays out flawlessly; the end result is a surprisingly heartfelt tribute to natural talent, destiny and expectation that falls right in line with Nike's decidedly more human-drama-focussed work of late (see: the Kobe Bryant print ad, the Lance Armstrong spot). Plus, in light of Tiger's drought-ending triumph at the British Open this weekend, it makes Nike look downright prescient. Neat trick. Agency: Wieden & Kennedy.

Boards Online, Jul. 19, 2005
Screening Room:  Nike - Kid Tiger
A six year-old Tiger Woods takes the British Open.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52. 

FXguide, Jul. 18, 2005
Effects and CGI Elements from A52 Chase in Finish Line Spots
For national sports retailer Finish Line, A52 recently supported director Tom Kuntz of MJZ and the creatives at Wieden+Kennedy Portland in developing a set of three :15 spots. A52's Andrew Hall and Kirk Balden served as VFX supervisors for the campaign -- and for the spot entitled "UFOs," CGI elements were created by some new A52 3D artists using Maya and Mental Ray for rendering.... 

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Jul. 14, 2005
Spot of the Day:  Nike: Kid Tiger
A young Tiger Woods wins the British Open.  VFX:  A52 - Los Angeles; VFX Producer: April Killingsworth; VFX Supervisors: Patrick Murphy, Tim Bird.

Hollywood Industry, Jul. 14, 2005
A52's Effects and CGI Chase Runners in Finish Line Spots
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their animation and visual effects work for the new Finish Line broadcast campaign from Wieden+Kennedy in Portland and MJZ director Tom Kuntz. The campaign’s three :15 spots – “Ostrich,” “Eyeballs” and “UFOs“ – recently debuted and will continue airing nationwide over the weeks ahead.... Along with having their work honored in the AICP Show for the sixth consecutive year, other recent A52 awards include the Silver Clio Award for Visual Effects for the team’s work on Cadillac “Turbulence,” three Cannes Ad Festival Bronze Lions and top LA Advertising Club 2005 Belding Awards honors for Pat Murphy’s work on Ground Zero’s History Channel “Know Where You Stand” broadcast campaign, and a 2005 Gold BDA Award for the team’s on-air designs for HBO and Cinemax.

Adjab, Jul. 13, 2005
Finish Line's "Cog" has some fun
Both "Ostrich" and "Eyeballs" were filmed with live action footage. In "UFOs," the runner is really on a treadmill, but the UFOs, laser beam blasts, smoke, and destruction is all CGI effects done by A52, with Tom Kuntz directing and Kirk Baxter of Rock Paper Scissors handling the editing.

CGVisual, Jul. 13, 2005
A52
A52 detailed their animation and visual effects work for the new Finish Line broadcast campaign from Wieden+Kennedy in Portland and MJZ director Tom Kuntz.

Create Magazine, Jul. 13, 2005
A52's Effects And CGI Elements Chase Runners In Stylish Finish Line Spots From Wieden+Kennedy And Director Tom Kuntz
...Along with having their work honored in the AICP Show for the sixth consecutive year, other recent A52 awards include the Silver Clio Award for Visual Effects for the team's work on Cadillac "Turbulence," three Cannes Ad Festival Bronze Lions and top LA Advertising Club 2005 Belding Awards honors for Pat Murphy's work on Ground Zero's History Channel "Know Where You Stand" broadcast campaign, and a 2005 Gold BDA Award for the team's on-air designs for HBO and Cinemax....

Highend 3D, Jul. 13, 2005
A52’s Effects and CGI Elements Chase Runners in Finish Line Spots
A52's new CG supervisor Andrew Hall served as on-set VFX supervisor for this project, fulfilling managing director and executive producer Mark Tobin’s vision in hiring him. Along with Hall’s extensive feature and spot CGI experience, he has also directed and handled VFX on projects. Tobin’s view on the rising importance of CG prompted him to land the world-class animator whose additional skills and talents as an on-set VFX supervisor contributed to this project.  “The interesting thing with these spots was creating a very distinct kitsch feel that Tom Kuntz was going for,” Hall explained. “His goal was an off-center feel, reminiscent of the early rear projection footage that Alfred Hitchcock used in his films.” 

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Jul. 12, 2005
Member News From Around the World
For national sports retailer Finish Line, A52's team recently supported director Tom Kuntz and the creatives at Wieden + Kennedy/Portland in developing a set of three :15 spots.  A52's Andrew Hall and Kirk Balden served as VFX supervisors for the campaign, which features a person in a home gym running on a treadmill before a rear-projection effect kicks in and shows each imaginative fitness enthusiast running for his/her life from, respectively, an Ostrich, a pair of deranged Eyeballs, and a fleet of UFOs attacking a city.  Kirk Baxter of Rock Paper Scissors edited.

FXguide, Jul. 11, 2005
A52 shows how just one man can be Massive (Podcast)
To hear Craig “Xray” Halperin, explain it Massive is now a 'brand' name that agency creatives are both writing for and asking for. When the creative team behind the latest Bud spot needed to create a vast event before it happened, A52 were more than happy to get up to speed with Massive software and provide a "massive" set of end shots for the commerical....

Dzine.tv, Jul. 8, 2005
A52 Uses Massive 2.0 to Draw a Crowd for Tool Director Bob Richardson in Patriotic Budweiser Campaign from Waylon Ad
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their animation and visual effects work for a new Budweiser broadcast spot from Waylon Ad in St. Louis. The :60 commercial “Everyday Heroes” debuted widely during high-profile programming on Memorial Day weekend, featuring innovative visual effects feats including the team’s first-ever use of Massive – the artificial-crowd-generating animation system developed specifically to support production on "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy....

Cannes Ad Festival, June 27, 2005
Cannes Lions 2005 Film Winners
Jeep "Volcano" from BBDO Detroit, Shortlist, Cars
The History Channel "Berlin" from Ground Zero, Bronze Lion, Publications & Media
The History Channel "Hindenburg" from Ground Zero, Bronze Lion, Publications & Media
The History Channel "Normandy" from Ground Zero, Bronze Lion, Publications & Media

Film&Video Magazine, June, 2005
People & Places
Andrew Hall, formerly a feature- film animation supervisor for Digital Domain (Peter Pan, The Time Machine, How The Grinch Stole Christmas) has joined visual effects and design company A52 as CG Supervisor.

2005 PROMAX & BDA Awards, June 23, 2005
2005 BDA North America Design Awards Winners
HBO Cinemax On-Air ID Campaign, A52, Gold BDA Award

Adjab, Jun. 21, 2005
Budweiser salutes Everyday Heroes
Have you seen the latest Budweiser advertisement, "Everyday Heroes," featuring two teams of Clydesdales making their way across the country to ultimately meet in St. Louis? It's pretty nifty, and concludes with a big crowd waiting to celebrate the teams' arrival at the base of the Gateway Arch. But if you've followed the story on this campaign, that ending isn't quite possible just yet - because these folks aren't supposed to arrive in St. Louis until July 3....  So how'd they get that crowd? Well, visual effects & design firm A52 got a swarm of 200 extras to make their way to the area underneath the Arch, and filmed them in various capacities so as to extrapolate a big crowd as well as show closeups whenever necessary....

Highend3D, Jun. 21, 2005
A52 Uses Massive 2.0 to Draw a Crowd for Tool Director Bob Richardson in Patriotic Budweiser Campaign from Waylon Ad
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their animation and visual effects work for a new Budweiser broadcast spot from Waylon Ad in St. Louis. At the end of April, Anheuser-Busch announced its “Here’s to the Heroes” cross-country tour, sending one 8-horse Clydesdale team from New York and a second from San Francisco – each accompanied by its own mobile television studio – to major cities along the routes to St. Louis, where both teams will meet on Jul. 3. In some 21 cities along the way, citizens participating in tour events can send messages of pride and appreciation to our nation’s troops and take part in other patriotic activities and celebrations. The cinematic “Everyday Heroes” spot tells the story of the tour, crafted by the creative team from agency Waylon Ad and the project’s director, Academy Award-winning cinematographer Bob Richardson of Tool of North America....

HOW Magazine, Jun. 21, 2005
A52 Uses Massive 2.0 to Draw a Crowd for Budweiser
A52's team recently supported Oscar-winning Tool director Bob Richardson and St. Louis' Waylon Ad on a patriotic, cinematic :60 broadcast spot for Budweiser. Entitled "Everyday Heroes," the ad relates the story of Budweiser's "Clydesdales Across America" tour -- and features some surprising CGI and VFX work from our team. Among our feats, to create a crowd of fans celebrating the tour coming together in St. Louis, our 3D animator Craig “Xray” Halperin used Massive -- the Academy Award®-winning AI-based 3D animation system developed in support of the LOTR movie trilogy -- to generate 10,000 animated people surging toward the Clydesdales. www.a52.com for more. 

VFXWorld, Jun. 20, 2005
A52 Uses Massive 2.0 for Budweiser Spot
The project’s creative called for a magical glimpse into the future to occur at the spot’s end, featuring a crowd of 15,000 celebrating the tour’s patriotic causes and the two Clydesdale teams coming together in St. Louis. To create that crowd, A52’s 3D animator Craig “Xray” Halperin used Massive version 2.0 to generate a group of 10,000 animated people surging toward the Clydesdales. “Using Massive allowed us to generate the crowds for these shots quickly and interactively,” said Halperin, who learned to use the software over a period of weeks in support of this project. “I showed the client placement and overall motion of the crowd in Massive and was able to instantly make adjustments based on their direction.”...

Hollywood Industry, Jun. 17, 2005
A52 Uses Massive 2.0 to Draw a Crowd for Budweiser Campaign
Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their animation and visual effects work for a new Budweiser broadcast spot from Waylon Ad in St. Louis.  The :60 commercial “Everyday Heroes” debuted widely during high-profile programming on Memorial Day weekend, featuring innovative visual effects feats including the team’s first-ever use of Massive – the artificial-crowd-generating animation system developed specifically to support production on "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy.  The spot will continue airing through Jul. 4....

Boards Online, Jun. 7, 2005
Screening Room:  Coldplay - Speed Of Sound
Anonymous Content's Mark Romanek takes his fascination with elaborate lighting rigs to new extremes in the first video from Coldplay's X&Y.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52. 

Hollywood Industry, Jun. 6, 2005
Coldplay's Speed of Sound Features Effects from A52
 “The idea was to try and mirror the ecstatic nature of the band's music using light and color,” Romanek explained.  “The A52 team was extremely helpful in creating a consistency to the look of the piece, and in exploring some other aesthetic options.”

MVWire, Jun. 3, 2005
Coldplay's "Speed Of Sound" Music Video From Director Mark Romanek Features Effects From A52
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced details of their visual effects work for Anonymous Content director Mark Romanek for Coldplay’s new music video for “Speed of Sound.” The Times of London reports that the song – the first release from the band’s new EMI album “X&Y” which is due out on June 6 – is currently the world’s fastest-selling download. The new music video debuted on MTV on May 23....

SHOOT, Jun. 3, 2005
Ground Zero Tops Belding Competition
Ad agency Ground Zero, Los Angeles, scored the top two honors -- the Sweepstakes and Best Book prizes -- at the 39th annual Los Angeles Advertising Club's Belding Awards last week (5/26) during a gala ceremony in Hollywood.  Ground Zero took the best-of-show Sweepstakes kudo on the strength of The History Channel's "Normandy," in which a contemporary French woman and child are seen at the beach, playing in the water.  Pictured in full color, the mother and child are soon surrounded by black-and-white documentary footage of the World War II Normandy invasion.  "Normandy" was directed by Patrick Murphy, a visual effects supervisor at A52 Los Angeles, which produced the campaign's broadcast spots and handled special effects....

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Jun. 1, 2005
Member News From Around the World
The team from A52 just reunited with Anonymous Content director Mark Romanek for a music video for Coldplay and their new single, Speed of Sound.  Edited by Adam Pertofsky of Rock Paper Scissors, A52's team was led by VFX supervisor Pat Murphy, who helped to explore numerous aesthetic options.  Mark Tobin executive produced, Scott Boyajan and Ron Cosentino shared producer duties and VFX artists Tim Bird, Justin Blaustein and Ben Looram also contributed their talents.  RPS's team included executive producer Linda Carlson, producer Kelly Garcia and assistant editor Charlie Lee.

Clio Festival, May 24, 2005
Clio Award Winners
The History Channel Campaign from Ground Zero, Shortlist, Media Promotion
Cadillac "Turbulence" from Chemistri, Silver Clio, Visual Effects, Television/Cinema

Computer Graphics World E-Newsletter, May 19, 2005
INDUSTRY NEWS:  A52 Announces Addition of Andrew Hall
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 has announced that Andrew Hall, formerly a feature film animation supervisor for Digital Domain, has joined its team in the position of CG Supervisor, effective immediately....

HOW Magazine, May 10, 2005
A52 Lands Digital Domain Animation Supv.
Today, Mark Tobin -- managing director and executive producer for LA-based Emmy Award-winning VFX and design company A52 -- announced that Andrew Hall, a former feature film animation supervisor for Digital Domain who began his career at London's The Motion Picture Company, has joined A52's team in the position of CG Supervisor, effective immediately. Andrew's extensive credits on some of the most prestigious motion pictures in recent history and on scores of high-profile TV commercials -- complemented by his extensive experience as a VFX supervisor --are sure to benefit A52's clients in countless ways. "Although our CG department is small," Tobin explained, "between Andy and Denis Gauthier, we now offer animation, lighting and rendering capabilities that are truly beyond compare. ...As CG becomes increasingly important, it's wonderful to have a world-class animator who also has the skills and talents to contribute effectively on-set to supervise visual effects."

Computer Graphics World, May 5, 2005
A52 Announces Addition of Andrew Hall
...Hall looks forward to utilizing his technical and artistic knowledge from his CG background, directing A52's talented team of artists -- and also using his live-action directing and visual effects supervision skills, which he says have allowed him to better work with clients and directors....

Dzine.tv, May 5, 2005
Former Digital Domain Feature Film Animation Supervisor Andrew Hall to Supervise A52's CG Department
“The opportunity for CG to really take off in the creative world is imminent, and A52 wants to capitalize on that,” Andrew said. “The idea of building a CG department that will be an integral part of the overall business was very attractive to me. To be able to strategically work with Mark and Angus Wall to build a team that will be capable of creating the finest CG work was too appealing to pass up. The work that A52 does already is tremendous, and I'm really looking forward to contributing to that great work.”

Film&Video Magazine, May 4, 2005
Andrew Hall Joins A52 as CG Supervisor; Hall previously served as feature film animation supervisor at Digital Domain
"Clients that come to A52 will always work with an extraordinary team, and Andy's unique combination of talents makes him a great addition," explained Mark Tobin, A52's managing director and executive producer,  "In the past, the role of VFX supervisor has typically been in the 2D realm, but as CG becomes increasingly important, it's wonderful to have a world-class animator who also has the skills and talents to contribute effectively on-set to supervise visual effects." 

VFXNewswire, May 4, 2005
Andrew Hall to Supervise A52's CG Department

VFXWorld, May 2, 2005
Andrew Hall to Supervise A52's CG Department
Hall began his career at London's The Motion Picture Co., earning the title of senior animator and working on numerous TV commercials and features, including THE ENGLISH PATIENT, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, RICHARD III and THE MIRACLE MAKER.  Hall then spent six years as animation supervisor for Digital Domain, where his feature film credits included PETER PAN, THE TIME MACHINE, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU and LAKE PLACID, as well as a long list of prestigious commercials and network on-air IDs.  Since early 2004, Hall served as vfx/animation supervisor at CreoCollective, handling vfx supervision on many projects, and also serving as animation supervisor on high-profile jobs, including David Cornell's 2004 HD SONY DREAMS project. At CreoCollective, he also directed a vfx-intensive cancer research spot for Johns Hopkins Medicine....

Computer Graphics World, April 2005
Super Spots; This year’s Super Bowl commercials entertained with subtle digital effects
Visual effects and design company A52 coupled explosive visual effects with a cute kid to sell Nationwide Insurance’s “Science Project” spot, shown to a regional Super Bowl audience. In this latest commercial in an ongoing series, a boy’s homemade robot goes haywire, eventually blowing up the family car with Hollywood flare, much to the surprise of the youngster and his parents.... 

Creativity, Apr., 2005
The Ad + Design Annual:  Broadcast:  NIKE "MAGNET"
Lance Armstrong becomes the cycling Pied Piper on this particular journey, gorgeously directed by Jake Scott.  As he speeds through various landscapes, he becomes a human magnet, drawing Harley riders, buffalo, a flock of birds.  A soothing folksy tune from Elias helps to set the spot's appropriately intimate tone  Editor:  Angus Wall/Rock Paper Scissors, L.A.  Effects:  A52  VFX Supervisor:  Patrick Murphy...

LA411, April 2005
CGI Commercial Comedy:  How hard is it to get laughs through CGI?
Maybe you’ve seen the spots: a young boy builds a robot for a science project. The boy introduces the robot to his parents and as the robot waves, the parents look at each other, beaming with pride over their son’s creation. In the next moment, chaos ensues as the robot turns nasty, shooting laser beams from his eyes causing fiery explosions throughout the garage and finally blowing up the family car.  The explosions and laser beams created in this Nationwide Insurance :30 spot, which first aired during the super bowl, were created using Discreet Flame and Side Effects Software’s Houdini by visual effects specialists at A52.  Creative director from TM Advertising, Jay Russell confesses that he’s always concerned when it comes to getting a comedic payoff through CGI. The trick, he says, is to make sure that the CGI is invisible so that the viewer doesn’t think about the visual effect and simply watches the commercial letting it take them naturally to the conclusion. “Like all great effects work, you don’t notice the effects, you just laugh at the idea and buy it hook, line and sinker. The effects blend perfectly on all the spots.” 

IdN: International designers Network, Volume 11 Number Four, International Edition
Pick of the Month:  After(math) effects
West Hollywood visual-effects and design company A52 has come up with a stunning music video for R.E.M.'s Aftermath.  Directed by Peter Care, it features some technologically impressive stuff, such as the scene where the veteran American garage rockers look as if they're literally breaking up, or a live TV feed is being disrupted by external interference.  And the music on this second single release from R.E.M.'s latest album Around the Sun is great, too.

Dzine.tv, Apr. 29, 2005
A52 Infuses TBWA\CHIAT\DAY's Infiniti M Campaign With Extraordinary CGI Art
Throughout the campaign, the new M45’s curves and contours are drawn in the air with lights to highlight the car’s artistic design. In “Dusk,” after lights trace-out circles from a black background, the M45 is then revealed driving through the desert. Another angle on the car is introduced by lines tracing it from the side, before the driving vehicle itself appears in the picture....

FXGuide.com, Apr. 29, 2005
A52 Infuses Infiniti M Campaign with Extraordinary CGI Art
The Emmy Award-winning team from A52 recently completed some phenomenal design, animation and visual effects work for the 2006 Infiniti M campaign from TBWA Chiat Day in Los Angeles. Director Daniel Barber's campaign spots entitled “Dusk” and “All Wheel Drive” recently debuted, featuring environments created entirely in CGI -- as well as CGI light flourishes which are widely being used in the agency’s print and outdoor elements of the nationwide campaign. 

Pluginz.com, Apr. 29, 2005
Andrew Hall to Supervise A52's CG Department
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced that Andrew Hall, formerly a feature film animation supervisor for Digital Domain, has joined its team in the position of CG Supervisor, effective immediately.

shots, Apr. 27, 2005
ON THE MOVE
Los Angeles-based visual effects and design company A52 has hired Andrew Hall as CG supervisor. Hall was previously a feature film animation supervisor for Digital Domain.

Boards Online, Apr. 26, 2005
Industry highlights and people moves
LA visual effects and design company A52 hired Andrew Hall as CG supervisor. Hall was formerly a feature film animation supervisor at Digital Domain and has also worked at now-defunct CreoCollective and London's The Moving Picture Company, where he began his career. 

Highend3d.com, Apr. 26, 2005
TBWA\Chiat\Day’s Infiniti M Campaign Features A52's CGI Art
A52’s team was especially enthused to see their CGI light flourishes being put to such prominent use across the cross-platform campaign. The outdoor ad features their CGI light outlines tracing the side view of the M45 – which the team output at a resolution of 7000x9000 pixels. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a campaign that uses all the CGI from the same source, where it looks exactly the same from the TV spot to the billboards to the cover of the brochure,” Gauthier said. “Seeing it done so seamlessly is very impressive.”  TBWA\Chiat\Day’s project credits include global creative director Rob Schwartz, creative director Tor Myhren, art director Scott Brown and producers Richard O’Neill and Mai Huynh. Production was overseen by Rockfight’s executive producer Ned Brown and line producer Matthew Brown. Steve Chivers served as director of photography. The editorial team from LA’s Rock Paper Scissors included editors Angus Wall and JD Smyth and executive producer Linda Carlson, and A52’s team also included executive producer Mark Tobin, producer Ron Cosentino and online editors Tim Bird and Ben Looram....

DMN Newsletter, Apr. 25, 2005
A52 Gives Infiniti M Campaign Extraordinary CGI Art Look
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their design, animation and visual effects work for the new Infiniti M campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles.

Pluginz.com, Apr. 25, 2005
A52 Infuses TBWA\Chiat\Day’s Infiniti M Campaign With Extraordinary CGI Art
Much to the surprise of most who see 'Dusk', the filmed car & some photographic light strokes are its only live-action elements....

Digital Producer, Apr. 23, 2005
A52 Gives Infiniti M Campaign Extraordinary CGI Art Look
Through LA-based production company Rockfight, Barber meticulously photographed the M45 on a conveyor belt in front of a blue screen, using a motion control rig to capture sweeping camera moves of the car with its wheels turning, and using an experimental, open-shutter technique to create scintillating lines of light that float above the car’s surface. A52’s team tracked the vehicle in the live-action passes, then created a CGI version of the vehicle in matching scenes where they’d rendered-in the moving desert background, complete with lighting and appropriate shadows.  The team reflected all the CGI lighting and scenery in the CGI model of the M45.  In the finished composition, A52’s Pat Murphy used Autodesk’s Inferno to seamlessly layer together the live-action photography and the photographic light strokes Barber created with the CGI background and the digitized car....

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Apr. 22, 2005
Additions at A52 and Saville, plus other moves
Andrew Hall, formerly VFX and animation supervisor at CreoCollective, has joined L.A. effects house A52 as CG supervisor.

VFXWorld, Apr. 22, 2005
A52 Infuses Infiniti M Campaign With CGI Art
A52 has finished design, animation and visual effects work for the new Infiniti M campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles. Two campaign broadcast spots, DUSK and ALL WHEEL DRIVE, recently debuted, featuring environments created completely in CGI, as well as CGI light flourishes which are widely being used in the agency’s print and outdoor elements of the nationwide campaign....

Adjab.com, Apr. 21, 2005
Infiniti: The New M
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their design, animation and visual effects work for the new Infiniti M campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles.  Much to the surprise of most who see "Dusk," the car and some photographic light strokes filmed by project director Daniel Barber are its only live-action elements. CG supervisor Denis Gauthier and his fellow A52 artists Westley Sarokin, Craig "X-Ray" Halperin and Josh Kolden, Gauthier employed Houdini to create and render the 360-degree desert environment that included some six million branches of sagebrush, the highway, gravel, puddles, fences, signposts and more....

VFXPro.com, Apr. 20, 2005
A52 Infuses Infiniti M Campaign With CGI Art
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their design, animation and visual effects work for the new Infiniti M campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles.  Much to the surprise of most who see "Dusk," the car and some photographic light strokes filmed by project director Daniel Barber are its only live-action elements. CG supervisor Denis Gauthier and his fellow A52 artists Westley Sarokin, Craig "X-Ray" Halperin and Josh Kolden, Gauthier employed Houdini to create and render the 360-degree desert environment that included some six million branches of sagebrush, the highway, gravel, puddles, fences, signposts and more....

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Apr. 20, 2005
Member News From Around the World
The new Infiniti M spot, Dusk features some electrifying animation.  Directed by Daniel Barber of Rock Fight, the elegant commercial speaks volumes for the car.  Rounding it were executive producer Ned Brown and producer Matthew Brown.  Telecine was handled by Company 3 and colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld; Rock Paper Scissors took on editorial duties with editors Angus Wall and JD Smyth at the helm; music from Elias Arts and composer David Wittman; and lastly special effects by A52 with a large team headed by inferno artist Patrick Murphy, online editors Tim Bird and Ben Looram, and 3D artists Denis Gauthier, Westley Sarokin, Craig Halperin and Josh Kolden. 

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Apr. 18, 2005
Dunkin' Donuts Cools Down for Spring
Dunkin' Donuts begins pushing its line of iced coffee drinks this week with the first in a series of spots from Boston agency Hill, Holliday and Partizan director Paul Goldman. Based around the tag "Bring Yourself Back," one new spot shows mannequins being brought back to life with cool lattes, while another shows a pair of students literally dropping in for some much needed refreshment. Five more spots will debut throughout the summer, three more directed by Goldman and two directed by Partizan roster mate Jim Hosking.  VFX:  A52 - Los Angeles.

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Apr. 6, 2005
Member News From Around the World
A52 has gotten themselves a new CG Supervisor.  Formerly a Digital Domain-er, Andrew Hall now joins the talented group at A52.  Hall's feature film credits include Peter Pan, The Time Machine, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Oh Brother Where Art Thou and Lake Placid - as well as a long list of prestigious commercials and network on-air IDs. 

Dzine.tv, Mar. 31, 2005
A52 Perfects Dramatic Lexus 'Button'
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their visual effects work for the new Lexus “Button” broadcast campaign from Team One in Los Angeles. The package, consisting of the spots “Button/Reveal,” “Button/Ice” and “Button/Ocean,” was created by renowned director Bruno Aveillan via bicoastal Believe Media, and each continues airing widely during national high-profile network and cable broadcasts.... 

Hollywood Industry, Mar. 30, 2005
A52 Perfects Dramatic Lexus "Button" Broadcast Spots
“Lexus is such a high-quality product, when you do a Lexus spot you really do have to do everything first class,” said Team One’s project associate creative director and art director James Hendry.  “Along with my partner, copywriter Kathy Hepinstall, and Jack Epsteen, our incredibly creative executive producer who's extremely involved in the creative process, we all knew what we wanted.  It started with the great script, then Bruno brought so much vision to it.  Also, we always knew that A52 would be involved, and that whatever Bruno did, A52 would perfect.” 

Create Magazine, Mar. 29, 2005
A52 Perfects Dramatic Lexus "Button" Broadcast Spots from Team One Advertising and Director Bruno Aveillan
Together with the agency's team, Aveillan led director of photography Phillipe Le Sourd and the rest of his production crew to Vancouver to film their art gallery scenes. The crew also traveled to a 10,000 year-old glacier in British Columbia to shoot ice cave footage, then flew to Oahu, Hawaii, to roll cameras seventy feet below the surface for the "Ocean" source material. "You always go into a project like this trying to make it look like a feature film, and I think Bruno really did capture it," Hendry explained. "Like on any good shoot, you try a lot of things on the day, and when it came time for post, there were a few things that we entrusted to A52. What's great about A52 is that they were there every step of the way. It was tremendously difficult conditions to shoot under, so what we were able to do with A52 was to finish what we needed. We took it as far as we possibly could given the tremendous commitment and the obstacles of shooting in these far-flung locations, and A52 took what we did and brought it to life." Continuing, Hendry added, "I think what we enjoy about working with A52 is that they're incredibly professional, but they're also perfectionists. Nothing comes out that isn't right." 

Highend3D, Mar. 29, 2005
A52 perfects Bruno Aveillan's Lexus GS 'Button' campaign
The campaign’s high-level creative is connected to the vehicle’s SmartAccess system, which enables Lexus GS owners to start their car simply by pressing their SmartAccess’ Start button. That idea is dramatically embedded in the three spots, each of which uses stylized, cinematic approaches to illuminate the beauty, speed and power of the new GS. The high-tech, stylish “Reveal” spot highlights the car’s beauty, “Ice” showcases its power and “Ocean” conveys its speed. Each spot was edited by award-winning editor Adam Pertofsky of LA’s Rock Paper Scissors.  “Lexus is such a high-quality product, when you do a Lexus spot you really do have to do everything first class,” said Team One’s project associate creative director and art director James Hendry. “Along with my partner, copywriter Kathy Hepinstall, and Jack Epsteen, our incredibly creative executive producer who's extremely involved in the creative process, we all knew what we wanted. It started with the great script, then Bruno brought so much vision to it. Also, we always knew that A52 would be involved, and that whatever Bruno did, A52 would perfect.”

Newgraph, Mar. 29, 2005
A52 perfects Bruno Aveillan's Lexus GS 'Button' campaign
A52’s VFX team, including inferno artists Simon Brewster and Tim Bird and producer Scott Boyajan, ultimately handling myriad compositing, cleanup and visual effects feats for each campaign spot in post.

Highend3D, Mar. 4, 2005
A52 Builds Nationwide Insurance "Science Project" for TM Advertising and Director Frank Todaro
Also including the spots “Ceiling Fan,” “Draft Day” and “Hammer,” the new campaign reunites much of the team behind last year’s successful Nationwide campaign, which was short-listed at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and was also honored among Adweek’s Best Spots of April, 2004. Carrying over from the last round are Frank Todaro, director of photography Toby Irwin, A52’s team, Rock Paper Scissors’ editor Adam Pertofsky and TM Advertising’s group creative directors Wade Alger and Jay Russell and agency producer Florence Babbitt.

Digital Producer, Mar. 3, 2005
A52 Builds Nationwide Insurance Science Project
Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their visual effects and design work for Nationwide Insurance’s newest broadcast campaign from TM Advertising in Irving, Texas.  The four-spot package was created by award-winning director Frank Todaro via bicoastal Moxie Pictures, and the :30 “Science Project” – which debuted on Feb. 6 in over 30 U.S. markets during Fox’s broadcast of the Super Bowl and will continue airing at least until April – features the most overt work from A52’s team.

Videography, Mar. 3, 2005
A52 Builds Nationwide Insurance "Science Project"
The humorous “Science Project” spot features a young boy showing his homemade robot to his parents, when the cute contraption suddenly goes dangerously haywire. A52’s team employed Discreet Flame to composite visual effects elements including interactive light passes and special effects explosion plates – as well as CG laser beams created in-house by A52’s in-house team using Side Effects Software’s Houdini and Pixar’s Renderman for rendering...

Creativity, Feb., 2005
Everything is Illuminated
When digital effects artists have the skill to create characters and sets from virtual thin air, it's almost a shock when you learn that an impressive and easy to animate effect was captured in-camera.  In the case of "Liquid Light," a spot for Nissan's Fuga from TBWA\Chiat\Day in L.A. and Tokyo currently airing in Japan, that was the case, but the main tasks performed by A52's Inferno artists were stitching footage together, not animating effects....

Adweek, Feb. 22, 2005
Best Spots of January:  Nationwide | "Ceiling Fan"
At first glance, this would appear to be a spot for a home-improvement store, as we see a couple shopping for a ceiling fan and then installing it themselves. When they flip the switch to turn it on, fire engulfs the room. "Life comes at you fast. Be ready with Nationwide."  Visual effects:  A52, Los Angeles.

Yahoo! Finance, Feb. 7, 2005
Advertisers Score Winning Touchdown With Discreet's Technology During Super Bowl XXXIX
Discreet, the media and entertainment division of Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK - News) helped Super Bowl advertisers into the end zone during last night's broadcast. When fans weren't watching the battle between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles on the field, they watched many spots created with Discreet's industry leading visual effects, editing/finishing and 3D solutions.  A recent poll conducted by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association found that among the coveted American 18-to-24 year-old demographic, 24.5% tune into the Super Bowl primarily to watch spots. With millions of viewers from around the world, spots made with Discreet's solutions commanded attention.  A52, an Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles-based visual effects and design company, used Discreet's flame(R) visual effects system on the Nationwide Insurance "Science Project" spot. In the spot, much to the surprise of a young boy and his parents, a home-made robot goes dangerously haywire. The spot features the talents of VFX artist Simon Scott, who used Discreet's flame system to composite several visual effects elements, including computer-generated laser beams created by A52's 3D artist Craig "X-Ray" Halperin. Scott also used the flame system to marry other visual effects plates into the spot, such as interactive light and explosion passes.  "Discreet's flame system is still the obvious choice for high-end visual effects work. It allowed us to deliver a complex spot on a compressed schedule," said Scott. "Science Project" was directed by Frank Todaro via bicoastal Moxie Pictures for Temerlin McClain Advertising in Texas....

THE CREATIVITY E-MAIL, Feb. 2, 2005
THE LATEST:  Lincoln - Charity
VFX:  A52 - Los Angeles.

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Jan. 26, 2005
Member News From Around the World
A52 recently worked with Park Pictures director/DP Lance Acord on a package of new spots for Nike via Wieden + Kennedy/Tokyo. Most of the various :15 spots featured in the :60 Play/Win, debuted across Asia earlier this month. The spots feature amateur athletes, along with international star Ronaldinho, playing soccer in various urban settings. A52's work, handled mostly by VFX artist Scott Johnson, involved rotoscoping, compositing, clean-up and color-grading to complement the edit from Mad River Post' Lucas Eskin. Music and sound design was tackled by Elias Arts and sound designer Jay Nierenberg. 

Digital Producer, Jan. 10, 2005
A52 Adds Finishing Touches to High-Powered Cadillac Spots
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their role in handling visual effects for a pair of high-powered new Cadillac broadcast spots from chemistri in Detroit.  Directed by Daniel Barber via Rock Fight in Los Angeles, the first :30 entitled “Marquee” debuted earlier in Dec., and “Asphalt,” the second :30, premiered on Dec. 15. Filmed in various locations in downtown Dallas, both spots were crafted by Barber and Rock Paper Scissors editor JD Smyth to dramatically showcase the raw power and the fun of driving the new Cadillac STS.  In “Marquee,” a lucky driver races through the deserted city, approaching an illuminated marquee that reads, “Performance and luxury don’t mix.”  As the car speeds by, the sign’s light bulbs explode.  In “Asphalt,” the vehicle aggressively wends its way toward an “Only imports are fun to drive” painting on the ground, then does a power skid right across the words....

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Dec. 20, 2004
Member News From Around the World
Two news spots for Cadillac via chemistri are making the rounds.  Directed by Daniel Barber of Rock Fight, Marquee and Asphalt showcase the raw power and fun of driving the new STS.  Rounding it out for RF were executive directors Ned Brown & Melissa Culligan as well as producer Matt Brown.  Colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld weighed in for Company 3; Rock Paper Scissors and editor JD Smyth took on editorial; and visual effects were provided by the talented folk at A52, Inferno artist Tim Bird and online editor Ben Loorham. 

Creativity, Nov., 2004
Buddy Lee's Big Idea
Visual Effects:  A52. 

Millimeter, Nov., 2004
Cool Graphics:  EA Sports Broadcast Spots for “Madden NFL 2005”
Production:  HSI Productions, Los Angeles and New York.  Director:  Josh Taft.  DP:  Don Davis.  Visual Effects:  A52, West Hollywood.  Effects Artists:  Lisa Tomei, Marguerite Cargill.  Colorist:  Steve Rodriguez, Company 3, Santa Monica, Calif. Editorial:  Mad River Post, San Francisco. 

POST Magazine, Nov., 2004
Pretty Woman dominates Lee's latest ad
SANTA MONICA, CA - Terminal's Jonathan Del Gatto recently edited a new, visual effects-infused commercial for Lee Dungarees. Conceived by Fallon/Minneapolis, the "Pretty Woman" spot was directed by Partizan's Paul Goldman and was shot on location in Buenos Aires.  The :30 commercial opens with a giant woman walking through an urban cityscape, all to a hard rock remix of the popular Roy Orbison track. As she makes her way through the city, the woman steps on cars and snaps high-wire cables, unaware of her wake of destruction. She spots a young man in Lee jeans getting dressed in his apartment and grabs a painter's brush, leaving her phone number on the side of a building, suggesting that he calls her. The man is surprised by what he sees, but not intimidated. The spot closes with the tag, "No matter what happens, don't flinch," along with the Lee Dungarees logo.  Del Gatto cut the commercial on an Avid, with Rebecca Beluk assisting. Fergus McCall at The Mill in New York provided color correction using a Spirit system. Visual effects were handled by A52 in West Hollywood with Patrick Murphy serving as lead Discreet Inferno artist. Lisa Tomei also provided visual effects with Scott Johnson supervising. Ron Cosentino was VFX producer.

Design In Motion, Nov. 30, 2004
A52's Effects Work on R.E.M. 'Aftermath'
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced details of their visual effects work for Bob Industries and director Peter Care for R.E.M.’s new music video for “Aftermath.”  The second release from their new album “Around the Sun” released in early Oct., the new music video debuted in the U.K. on Nov. 4.  “The main idea was to have Michael, Mike and Peter walk through London, with Michael lip-syncing the song as he walks,” explained Care, who is renowned for pioneering innovative creative approaches in his work, having often employed experimental techniques throughout an illustrious career which has already earned him the Clio, Bronze Palm d'Or and MTV Video Awards, among many others. “Because R.E.M. are on tour in the USA, we decided to use composites of the band shot against a green screen with views of London as back plates,” Care continued....

Digital Post Production, Nov. 30, 2004
A52's High-Tech Artifacts Effect New R.E.M. Aftermath Video
While A52 is renowned for its seamless compositing and effects, in this case, the goal was a finished piece where the compositing and effects were obvious.  For example, all efforts to smooth the compositing of band members into background footage were intentionally avoided.  To that end, Wall handled all the green-screen compositing himself in his Avid Adrenaline system.  However, to incorporate the additional looks Care desired into the finished project, Sarokin worked with both director and editor to develop several unique effects in Discreet Flame.  "Many hours of effort were wasted because of the experimental aspect to the work," Care said, "but Westley never lost his sense of commitment as an artist and collaborator."  "As the edit evolved," Sarokin said, "Angus would send me the latest version, then I would run it through all these different looks I'd set up, then he'd take it back and start cutting in the pieces with the various looks."  Among the results of Sarokin's experimentations were a satellite-breakup effect, random mosaic color swathes and monochrome and saturated color treatments.  The satellite- breakup effect - where certain sections of the picture stutter and break-up - involved several different proprietary techniques aimed at generating interesting digital artifacts while still maintaining composition and form.  To generate the mosaic graphic objects, Sarokin used a simple mathematical expression in Flame that randomized the blocks' colors and their placements in space and time throughout the video.  When all was said and done, Care added, "Having Angus cutting while Westley worked in parallel with us was a perfect way to create this groundbreaking video."

Music Video Wire, Nov. 30, 2004
A52's High-Tech Artifacts Effect New R.E.M. "Aftermath" Music Video From Director Peter Care
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced details of their visual effects work for Bob Industries and director Peter Care for R.E.M.’s new music video for “Aftermath.” 

VFXPro, Nov. 30, 2004
A52 Experiments on R.E.M. 'Aftermath' Video
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today announced details of their visual effects work for Bob Industries and director Peter Care for R.E.M.’s new music video for “Aftermath.”  Care explained that the song's theme of ascension is illustrated using views of many other cities shot from ascending glass elevators, with the horizontal journey covering the verses and the vertical journey occurring within the choruses. Interestingly, the cityscape footage taken from glass elevators was shot by some 26 freelance videographers in cities throughout the world using Mini-DV camcorders.  “We felt that shooting on DV was highly appropriate,” Care said of the approach.  “We wanted the video to feel unforced, effortless, fun.  This also made it easier for people in other countries to shoot from elevators.”  To compile the piece, editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors first began selecting shots of the band, matching them to the background plates of London and then sorting through hours and hours of elevator shots to select key moments.  As the editorial process proceeded, Care and Wall turned to A52 visual effects artist Westley Sarokin to help implement another technical idea into their creative palette.  As Care explained, that idea was, “to make some parts of the video look like they're breaking up – as if the ‘live television feed’ was being intermittently disrupted.”... 

CreativeChannel, Nov. 15, 2004
FOCUS ON:  A52's Patrick Murphy
Upon first encountering A52’s visual effects supervisor and Inferno artist Pat Murphy, expect to encounter an unassuming, soft-spoken, bright, young gentleman whose passion focuses almost exclusively on creating new visual content that meets his own impeccable standards.  Since joining A52 in 2000, Murphy has earned a central role in various high-profile project scenarios. As a result, he’s now finding that incredibly daunting challenges always wait around the next corner....

Creativity, Oct., 2004
Showcase:  Automotive Advertising
Hummer Is Actually Hummin'
We hate to like anything associated with the Hummer, possibly the most obnoxious consumer vehicle in the entire history of the Internal Combustion Era, but these very cool "Jungle" and "Scanner" spots are for Hummer's new, slightly less repellent sport utility truck, so we'll let 'em slide.  They're consummately artsy in that no VO, no road footage manner, featuring music video-style music, too.  In fact, the "Scanner" track is LFO's "Freak," while the "Jungle" track is "Enter Space Bar," by Trebant.  Client:  Hummer; Agency:  Modernista; CD/CWs:  Gary Koepke, Shane Hutton; CD/ADs: Lance Jensen, Will Uronis; Agency Producer:  Charles Wolford; Director:  Arni & Kinski/HSI; Editor:  Adam Pertofsky/Rock Paper Scissors; Effects:  Simon Scott/A52.

POST Magazine, Oct., 2004
A52 wins Emmy for Carnivale's titles
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - Visual effects and design company A52 was recognized at the 56th Annual Emmy Awards for its work on HBO's original dramatic series "Carnivale." The studio garnered an Emmy for "Outstanding Main Title Design."  A52's artistic tarot card exploration combines 2D and 3D animation and visual effects. High-resolution scans of famous art was separated into foreground and background elements, then assembled into 2.5D sequences inside Side Effects' Houdini software. Motion sequences were edited to highlight historical events. The entire :90 piece was assembled in Discreet Inferno and finished in high definition.  Credits include creative director Angus Wall, executive producers Rick Hassen and Darcy Leslie Parsons, senior producer Scott Boyajan, visual effects supervisors/Inferno artists Patrick Murphy and Simon Brewster, designers Vonetta Taylor, Ryan Gibson and Jesse Monsour, and 3D animators Denis Gauthier, Westley Sarokin and Jeff Willette.

Graphic Design USA, Oct., 2004
Seen & Noted
A 30-second spot by Modernista! for the new Hummer Sport Utility Truck leans heavily on broadcast design studio A52 for a kaleidoscope montage segment. The segment shows the vehicle driving down a tree-lined road at night past a line of Aspen trees. A52 did the work for directors Arni and Kinski and visual effects supervisor Simon Scott. Modernista!’s team includes creative directors Lance Jensen and Gary Koepke, creative directors Will Uronis and Shane Hutton, and executive producer Charles Wolford.

SHOOT, Oct. 29, 2004
Terminal Doesn't Flinch For Lee Jeans Or Fallon
Set to a remix of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman," the :60 opens on a beautiful giant woman walking down a city street, wreaking havoc wherever she goes: crushing cars, scaring pedestrians and downing power lines. As she strolls down the boulevard, a poster of Lee icon Buddy Lee can be seen on one of the buildings. A young man sporting Lee Dungarees jeans and watching television in his apartment catches the woman's eye and she stops to check out her reflection in a skyscraper, adjusting her dress and fixing her hair. She then taps on the man's window, borrows a paintbrush from a stunned worker, and writes her phone number on a billboard. She gestures for the young man to call her, before walking off into the sunset. "Pretty Woman" ends with the tagline, "No matter what happens, don't flinch," and the Lee Dungarees logo.  POST/VISUAL EFFECTS:  A52, West Hollywood.  Lisa Tomei, visual effects artist; Patrick Murphy, lead Inferno artist; Scott Johnson, visual effects supervisor/artist/ online editor; Mark Tobin, executive producer; Ron Cosentino, visual effects producer.

SHOOT, Oct. 22, 2004
A52 Plays "D" For EA Sports
Two :30s introduce EA Sports' "Madden NFL 2005" video game, and feature Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. In "Here We Come," Lewis trash-talks while waiting on defense for the ball to be put in play. "Fear the D" shows the Ravens defense lining up to stop the Tennessee Titans' offense in a short-yardage situation. Amid his verbal taunts, Lewis literally pulls the yellow first-down stripe off the field and moves it back 10 yards, proclaiming, "This belongs to the defense!"  POST/VISUAL EFFECTS:  A52, Los Angeles. Mark Tobin, executive producer; Lisa Beroud, producer; Lisa Tomei, lead effects artist/online editor; Westley Sarokin, visual effects shoot supervisor; Marguerite Cargill, effects artist.

MediaPost's Out to Launch, Oct. 20, 2004
A52
...and Modernista collaborated on a recent campaign for the Hummer SUT. "Jungle" features an infrared POV traveling through a jungle, leading to the discovery of the new Hummer. "Scanner" begins with a photograph of the new SUT being photocopied, then transitions to a kaleidoscopic montage showing the SUT driving down a tree-lined road at night. 

Adweek, Oct. 18, 2004
Best Spots of September:  Lee Jeans | "Pretty Woman"
To the sounds of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman," a giant supermodel-looking woman walks through a city, stepping on cars and taking down power lines in her path. She checks her reflection in the windows of an office high-rise. She continues on her way until she spots the guy for her, who of course is wearing Lee Jeans while minding his own business in his apartment. She paints her phone number on the side of the building as Buddy Lee watches the action from a giant billboard. Call and you'll hear a message from "Natalia."  Visual effects:  A52, Los Angeles.

Design Jungle (Korea), Oct. 8, 2004
The Magnet

SHOOT, Oct. 8, 2004
Along For The Ride; Car ads are becoming more effects driven
...…A52, Los Angeles, crafted visual effects for Cadillac's "Turbulence," directed by Nic Mathieu of Anonymous out of chemistri. In the visually striking spot, four cars burst into an imaginary pocket of water from four different directions. As each car speeds along, a jet stream of water trails off of the vehicles.  "The trickiest part was getting the turbulence to work with each individual car," says Patrick Murphy, visual effects supervisor/Inferno artist on the spot. Additionally, a live-action shoot presented the challenge of getting the individual lighting for each car just right. Back at A52's offices, modeled cars were tracked onto the filmed cars. "Then the CGI would generate wave distortions that would come off of [each] car," notes Murphy.  2-D elements depicting spray and glisten were also integrated into the imagery. "Once you do CGI, it's always good to do that extra step to make it even more believable," says Murphy. "Adding real photography of water helps to sell it." Finally, the cars, the desert environment, and the skies above the scene were tweaked with 2-D tools...

Adweek, Oct. 4, 2004
Barbara Lippert's Critique: Lee Jeans Grows Up
She is plus-size but not likely to be visiting Lane Bryant in search of a maroon pantsuit any time soon. Instead, she stands, in black ankle-strap high-heeled shoes, about the size of your average high-rise convention center, and has had some trouble with birds landing on her head. She is the 90-foot woman, star of the latest Lee Jeans campaign. And I've got to say that I'm all for unexpected portrayals of enormous, powerful women, now that mindless, weightless figures like Paris Hilton dominate the culture. (Apparently, in her latest sex tape, she greets her boyfriend at the door wearing only a pore strip over her nose. Who knew Bioré could supply the latest porn?) Just as female twins are on the male cultural radar, it's nice to know that there are certain erotic possibilities to a woman who can make an entire city shake when she walks.  Visual effects:  A52, Los Angeles.

HOWdesign.com Email Update, Oct. 4, 2004
Heard it on the Street
Los Angeles visual-effects and design company A52 recently received an Emmy Award for its work on HBO's original dramatic series “Carnivale.” The award was presented during the 2003-2004 Creative Arts Primetime Emmys segment of the 56th Annual Emmy Awards presentation at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sept. 12. A52’s work on this project also earned the PROMAX Gold Award earlier this year. A52’s project credits include creative director Angus Wall, executive producers Rick Hassen and Darcy Leslie Parsons, senior producer Scott Boyajan, visual effects supervisors and Inferno artists Patrick Murphy and Simon Brewster, designers Vonetta Taylor, Ryan Gibson and Jesse Monsour, and 3D animators Denis Gauthier, Westley Sarokin and Jeff Willette. The live-action footage of the Carnivale title artwork in the sand was supervised by Patrick Murphy and Vonetta Taylor and filmed by director of photography James Glennon on location in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Millimeter, Sep., 2004
Hot Spots:  Hummer “Scanner”
The bright white flash of a photocopier mechanism, and then the Hummer SUT in flickers through a shadowy wood to the sound of LFO's “Freak.” A52 projected two loops — one in color and one high-contrast B&W — of 35mm stills of Colorado Aspen trees (transferred in 3K) onto the SUT and photographed it against a black backdrop. The kaleidoscope effect and color correction were done in Inferno. Agency: Modernista!, Boston; Production: HSI Productions, Culver City, Calif.; Director: Arni & Kinski; Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles; Editor: Adam Pertofsky; Visual Effects: A52, Hollywood; Visual Effects Supervisor/Lead Inferno Artist: Simon Scott; Sound Design: Lime Studios, Santa Monica, Calif.

Adweek, Sep. 17, 2004
Best Spots of August:  Nike | "Piano"
When a young pianist in China (22-year-old Yundi Le) oversleeps, he fears he will be late for his concert, especially after hearing the opening notes of the piece he's scheduled to perform. As the musician tries to find transportation, he transforms into Lance Armstrong on a bike, speeding through the crowded streets of Beijing, until he reaches the concert site. Lance walks onto the stage, still sporting his white biking outfit and helmet. Sitting down at the piano, he becomes Yundi once again. Tagline: "You're faster than you think."  Lead Flame Artist: Patrick Murphy/A52; Inferno Artists: Simon Brewster, Marguerite Cargill; Online Editor/Inferno Artist: Ben Looram/A52.

Pluginz.com, Sep. 15, 2004
A52 earns Emmy for HBO Carnivale main titles
A52's artistic tarot exploration united 2D/3D design, visual effects and High-Definition finishing.  High-resolution scans of famous artworks were separated into foreground and background elements, then assembled into "2.5D" sequences inside SideEffects Software's Houdini.  Motion sequences were carefully edited to highlight historical events, and the entire :90 was assembled in Discreet Inferno.  "When we saw the finished product, we were blown away," said Carnivàle co-producer and post-production producer Todd London.... 

SIGGRAPH News, Sep. 15, 2004
A52 Earns Emmy for HBO Carnivàle Main Titles
A52's project credits include creative director Angus Wall, executive producers Rick Hassen and Darcy Leslie Parsons, senior producer Scott Boyajan, visual effects supervisors and Inferno artists Patrick Murphy and Simon Brewster, designers Vonetta Taylor, Ryan Gibson and Jesse Monsour, and 3D animators Denis Gauthier, Westley Sarokin and Jeff Willette.  The live action footage of the Carnivale title artwork in the sand was supervised by Patrick Murphy and Vonetta Taylor and filmed by director of photography James Glennon on location in the Santa Clarita Valley.

VFXWorld, Sep. 15, 2004
A52 Earns Emmy for Carnivàle Main Titles
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 earned an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design on HBO's CARNIVÀLE series...

CGFocus, Sep. 14, 2004
A52 Earns Emmy for HBO Carnivàle Main Titles
A52's work on this project also earned the PROMAX Gold Award in the category of Non-Promotional Animation earlier this year ...

POST Magazine, Sep. 14, 2004
A52 WINS EMMY FOR CARNIVALE'S MAIN TITLES
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - Visual effects and design company A52 was recognized at the 56th Annual Emmy Awards for its work on HBO's original dramatic series "Carnivale." The studio garnered an Emmy for "Outstanding Main Title Design."...

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Aug. 31, 2004
Member News From Around the World
One of the most compelling spots during the Olympic Games utilized many CreativeChannel members.  The ad, Piano, featured pianist Yundi Li's transformation into Lance Armstrong in order to make it to a concert on time.  Rounding it out for RSA/USA were director Jake Scott, executive producer Fran McGivern and line producer David Mitchell.  Colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld of Company 3, editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors, arranger P.J. Hanke of Spank! Music and executive producer Mark Tobin, producer Scott Boyajan, Inferno artists Simon Brewster, Marguerite Cargill and Ben Looram of A52 all lent their fantastic talents. 

CreativeChannel Newsletter, Aug. 18, 2004
Member News From Around the World
Are you ready for some football?  If that's a yes, then you'll be happy to know about two new spots - Fear the D & Here We Come from agency See: for the EA Sports Madden NFL 2005.  Directed by Josh Taft, the folks at A52 provided seamless visual effects for the dramatic vignettes.  Mark Tobin executive produced for A52 while Eric Carlson of Mad River Post took on editorial duties and colorist Steve Rodriguez weighed in for Company 3. 

Cinematographer.com, Aug. 16, 2004
Seeing Infrared: Paul Laufer Shoots For Hummer
Cinematographer Paul Laufer ("The Cell") and Clio-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 recently detailed their role in a new broadcast campaign for the Hummer SUT. The commercials titled "Jungle" and "Scanner" wer produced by HSI, directed by Arni and Kinski with Emmy-award winning visual effects supervisor Simon Scott (whose company is named Process Effects) for Modernista lending a hand. The :30 spots debuted in June....

Oceania, Aug. 16, 2004
A52's FX Empower Ray Lewis in EA Sports' Madden NFL 2005
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their role in providing seamless visual effects for a new set of broadcast spots for EA Sports' Madden NFL 2005 release from San Francisco-based agency See:. The two new spots directed by Josh Taft of HSI Productions starring Ray Lewis and featuring work from A52's team are entitled Here We Come and Fear the D....

Boards Online, June 13, 2004
Screening Room:  EA Sports - Fear the D
Baltimore Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis taunts and trash talks opponents and viewers in these spots for EA Sports' new Madden football title.  VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: A52, Los Angeles.

CREATIVITY E-mail, Aug. 13, 2004
See Holds the Line for EA's Madden NFL
San Francisco agency See -- formerly Odiorne, Wilde, Narraway & Partners -- continues to produce good work for EA Sports under Goodby vet Harry Cocciolo, who signed on as creative director late last year. In a new campaign directed by HSI's Josh Taft, we get two different takes on EA's Madden NFL 2005. In one -- backed by the Old 97's heartbreaker "Question" -- we see scenes of a young couple in love. Unfortunately, just as the love birds are about to elope, the guy catches a glimpse of a poster for the game and lets his woman leave without him. In the latest spot, the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis literally drags that yellow, computer-generated first down line further away from scrimmage. As the copy says, "Ten yards has never seemed so far." 

SHOOT, Aug. 6, 2004
Advertisers Go For The Gold During Summer Olympics
...While this information could not be confirmed, rumor has it that as of press time, director Jake Scott of bicoastal RSA USA was working on a Nike spot via Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles, and A52, Los Angeles, are said to also be collaborating on the project....

Film&Video Magazine, July, 2004
News
Los Angeles VFX and design company A52 recently completed work on Wieden + Kennedy’s Nike spot “The Magnet,” directed by Jake Scott. A52’s CGI team, led by 3D supervisor Denis Gauthier, created the opening scene’s dolphins, as well as each goose, firefly and bat. After filming world-champion cyclist Lance Armstrong on the green-screen stage at Austin Studios, Scott shot on location in San Francisco and remote areas in California with a photo double for Armstrong. The double’s face and shoulders were replaced with Armstrong’s throughout.  Leading the A52 team was VFX supervisor Patrick Murphy....

Design In Motion, July 26, 2004
Main Title Design, Commercial Emmy Noms Announced
On the morning of July 15, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) chairman and CEO Dick Askin, with Edie Falco ("The Sopranos") and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk"), announced nominations in the top categories for the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theater in North Hollywood. The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presentation telecast awarding Emmys in 28 categories before a black-tie audience will be televised by ABC on Sunday, September 19, from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium. Among this year's nominees for Outstanding Main Title Design:  "Carnivàle," HBO from 3 Arts Entertainment in association with HBO Original Programming.  Title Designer: Angus Wall, A52.  Title Designer: Patrick Murphy, A52.  Title Designer: Vonetta Taylor, A52.  (For more information, read the article on Design in Motion: A52 Masters Fate in Main Title Sequence for HBO's 'Carnivàle,' September 12, 2003)

CreativeChannel Newsletter, July 20, 2004
Member News From Around the World
Two new spots from Modernista for the new Hummer SUT debuted in June featured the combined talents of HSI directors Arni and Kinski along with Emmy-award winning visual effects supervisor Simon Scott, Rock Paper Scissors editor Adam Pertofsky and post house Company 3.  The :30 second spots, Jungle and Scanner, presented unique visual effects challenges that were overcome by the collaboration of all these talented team players. 

Adweek, Jul. 16, 2004
Best Spots of June:  The History Channel | "Berlin"
A man is crossing a busy Berlin street as he talks on his cell phone. Images of the Berlin Wall coming down start to appear in the background, showing that this was the site of that historic moment. "Know where your stand." Other spots in this campaign take place at Normandy Beach and Lakehurst, N.J., the site of the Hindenburg disaster.  Agency/Location:  Ground Zero/Los Angeles; Production Company:  A52/Beverly Hills; Director/Effects Creative Director/Flame, Inferno Artist: Patrick Murphy; Director of Photography:  Florian Hoffmeister; Editor:  Val Thrasher/Rock Paper Scissors, Beverly Hills.

CGFocus, July 14, 2004
Talents Behind New Hummer Jungle and Scanner Spots Rely on Strengths of A52 and Rock Paper Scissors
"Jungle" was photographed by Arni and Kinski and director of photography Paul Laufer on 35mm Kodak infrared film stock. Using flat-pass transfers from Company 3, Scott worked in one of A52's Inferno suites to perform extensive color-look enhancements and create a psychedelic effect in key moments in the spot.  Capturing the elements needed to complete the directors' vision for the "Scanner" spot began with shooting a photocopier and its scanner mechanism. Then, the directors traveled to Colorado to shoot 35mm stills of Aspen trees, which Scott had transferred in 3k resolution. In one of A52's Flame suites, he created two loops of Aspen tree imagery. one color and one high-contrast black-and-white. On stage at LA's Universal Studios, the SUT was photographed against black with both image loops projected onto it. Applying a wide variety of live-action cinematic techniques, the team carefully captured elements that included the tree imagery reflected on the vehicle. From there, as Scott related, "I worked with the material in the Inferno using mixed high resolutions and color depths. This allowed both a greater gamut of creative options while compositing and a richer level of color correction."...

Deathfall (Mexico), July 14, 2004
Hummer ''Jungle'' and ''Scanner'' spots
Clio-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their role in finishing a new broadcast campaign for the Hummer SUT from HSI, directors Arni and Kinski and Emmy-award winning visual effects supervisor Simon Scott for Modernista. The :30 spots entitled “Jungle” and “Scanner” debuted last week....

CGNetworks, July 11, 2004
Digital Coloring and Lighting for Hummer Spots; A52 brings together surreal VFX for new Hummer “Jungle” and “Scanner” spots
Prominent Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 detail their role in finishing a new broadcast campaign for the Hummer SUT from HSI, directors Arni and Kinski and award-winning visual effects supervisor Simon Scott (Process Effects) for advertisement specialist Modernista.  "Jungle” has the camera traveling through an effects-enhanced jungle, from an infrared point of view, and eventually discovering the new Hummer. “Scanner” begins with a photograph of the new SUT vehicle being photocopied and transitions to a kaleidoscopic montage showing the SUT driving down a tree-lined road at night. Both spots presented unique visual effects challenges for A52....

Pluginz.com, July 10, 2004
In the Spotlight:  Facility:  A52
Two new spots from Modernista for the new Hummer SUT debuted back on 6/16, featuring the combined talents of HSI directors Arni and Kinski, Emmy-award winning visual effects supervisor Simon Scott, Rock Paper Scissors editor Adam Pertofsky and other teammembers from A52, RPS, Company 3 and Lime Studios. Our complete story below details the approaches and A52's role in bringing these two unique spots together. 

BikeBiz.com (UK), July 9, 2004
Lance cheated...
The 90-second ad was directed by award-winning music video and commercial director Jake Scott for Wieden+Kennedy, Nike's Portland-based ad agency. The clever visual effects - digital animation known as CGI - were created by A52 of West Hollywood, California. Even the opening scene’s crashing waves were enhanced by A52's CGI team. For tech-buffs, they used 3Dequalizer by Science-D-Visions to track the live-action footage, then created the CG water in the finished scene using Side Effects Software’s Houdini.  The dolphins - like the other animals in the ad - were created using Houdini and Deep Paint 3D, rendered with Pixar’s Renderman (think ToyStory) and composited in Silicon Grail Chalice....

Design In Motion, July 9, 2004
A52, Rock Paper Scissors Craft Hummer Spots
A52 finished a two-spot broadcast campaign for the Hummer SUT from HSI, directors Arni & Kinski and visual effects supervisor Simon Scott for Modernista!. The :30 spots, "Jungle" and "Scanner," debuted June 16. (Includes QuickTimes)

Digital Producer, July 9, 2004
A52 and Rock Paper Scissors Head for Jungles; New Hummer spots rely on post houses strengths
Clio-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their role in finishing a new broadcast campaign for the Hummer SUT from HSI, directors Arni and Kinski and Emmy-award winning visual effects supervisor Simon Scott for Modernista. The :30 spots entitled "Jungle" and "Scanner" debuted last week...

CGChannel, July 9, 2004
TALENTS BEHIND NEW HUMMER “JUNGLE” AND “SCANNER” SPOTS RELY ON STRENGTHS OF A52
“Jungle” features an effects-enhanced infrared POV traveling through a jungle, leading to the discovery of the new Hummer. 

Design In Motion, July 6, 2004
A52 Provides Effects for Nike 'Magnet' with Lance Armstrong
A52 provided visual effects and design work for RSA USA director Jake Scott for Wieden+Kennedy's Nike spot entitled "The Magnet." The :90/:60/:30 spot had its broadcast debut during the NBA Playoffs on May 19 and ran nationwide in theaters before screenings of "Spider-Man 2." (Includes QuickTime)

MediaPost's Out to Launch, June 30, 2004
Since late May
Nike has been airing a spot from Wieden+Kennedy featuring Lance Armstrong on a high-speed training ride. "The Magnet" is set to run nationwide in theatres before screenings of Spiderman 2 and on TV nationally. The spot begins with Armstrong cycling along on a high-speed training ride. Outpacing a passenger train, Armstrong's magnetism soon attracts a flock of geese, a gang of bikers, kids inside a hospital and - back on a remote road - a herd of buffalo. Armstrong pushes on through a rainstorm, amidst flocks of fireflies and bats, before arriving in San Francisco where amateur racers literally fills the streets behind him. A52 provided the visual effects and design work.

CREATIVITY E-Mail, June 29, 2004
Hummer: Scanner & Jungle
Take a closer look.

SHOOT, June 25, 2004
Top Spot of the Week:  Dir. Jake Scott Takes A Spin With Lance Armstrong 
Meanwhile, there was also a desire to keep the visual effects subtle. Praising the work of the visual effects crew at A52, Los Angeles, Scott said, "Actually, I don't even think most people will even consider that there are effects in it."

BDA, June 25, 2004
PROMAX NORTH AMERICA WINNERS
Gold : 19 : Art Direction & Design: Topical Promo, for "College Football "Foil""
Gold : 20 : Art Direction & Design: Image Promo, for "College Football "Foil""
Gold : 48 : Art Direction & Design: Topical Promo, for "College Football "Foil""
Gold : 91 : Best Collaborative Effort , for " College Football "Foil"
Silver : 50 : Art Direction & Design: Special Event Promo, for "College Football "Foil""
Silver : 52 : Art Direction & Design: Image Promo, for "College Football "Foil""
Bronze : 50 : Art Direction & Design: Special Event Promo, for "Fox Sports "2003 College Football""

PROMAX, June 25, 2004
PROMAX NORTH AMERICA WINNERS
Gold:  Non-Promotional Animation for HBO "Carnivale" Main Title Sequence

SHOOT, June 18, 2004
SPECIAL REPORT:  Good Cuts:  Agency creatives discuss what they look for in an editor
For this week's special report on editors, SHOOT canvassed agency creatives to get a sense of what they are looking for in the editor/director equation. Each answered the following questions: When working on a project, do you solicit the opinion of a director about the choice of editor? What do you think of the European approach to editing, whereby a director remains involved in the spot through an edit? Do you often work with editors who have strong working relationships with directors? Does that help a project? What are some recent projects you've worked on that have turned out well, from an editorial standpoint? Have you worked on any recent projects where an editor contributed to the spot beyond the edit?  Charlie Hopper, Creative director, Young & Larramore, Indianapolis:  The most obvious examples are three special effects-heavy spots we did for Galyan's with Rock Paper Scissors and A52, [Los Angeles], where the editing was very intricate from both a storytelling (there were no on-camera lines and no announcer voiceovers until the end on any of the spots) and a technical perspective. [...]  In the Galyan's spots, Ben Longland of Rock Paper Scissors brought a lot of subtlety and depth to the stories. He and Patrick Murphy helped keep the flow natural and not "effect-y."

SHOOT, June 11, 2004
Lexus ES 330 and RX 330
PRODUCTION CO.:  Anonymous Content, Culver City, Calif.  Andrew Douglas, director/DP; Andy Traines, executive producer; Aris McGarry, producer. Shot on location in Los Angeles.  AGENCY:  Team One Advertising, El Segundo, Calif.  Chris Graves, executive creative director; James Dalthorp, group creative director, and art director for "One Percent"; Jon Pearce, group creative director, and copywriter for "One Percent"; Jack Epsteen, executive producer/producer/music producer; Robert Prins, art director, "Custom Fit"; Jeff Spiegel, copywriter, "Custom Fit."  EDITORIAL:  The Whitehouse, Santa Monica.  Marc Langley, editor; Sue Dawson, executive producer.  POST/VISUAL EFFECTS:  A52, Los Angeles.  Patrick Murphy, Inferno artist.

CreativeChannel Newsletter, June 16, 2004
Member News From Around the World
News news news from A52!  Former Method producer Mark Tobin has taken over the reins of A52 as managing director and executive producer.  Tobin experience speaks volumes with credits that include clients such as Intel, Nike, Nissan and Microsoft.  Also in from A52 is the continuing running of the :90, :60, and :30-second versions of the Nike Magnet spot via Wieden + Kennedy and starring Lance Armstrong.  Visually compelling, the spot just never gets too old to watch.  The talents behind the camera included director Jake Scott of RSA USA, editing company Rock Paper Scissors, music company Elias Arts, sound company 740 Sound Design and visual effects company A52.

CG Focus, June 9, 2004
New Nike ad attracts A52's visual magic
Clio-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 today detailed their visual effects and design work for RSA USA and award-winning film, music video and commercial director Jake Scott for Wieden+Kennedy's new Nike spot...

VFXNewswire, June 9, 2004
A52 Creates VFX for Nike "Magnet"
New Industry Resources Posted This Week

Animation FLASH, June 8, 2004
NIKE SPOT ATTRACTS A52
The spot begins with a panoramic scene off the northern California coastline moving in over jumping dolphins and waves to discover 
five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong cycling along on a high-speed training ride. Outpacing a passenger train, Armstrong's magnetism soon attracts a flock of geese, a gang of bikers, kids inside a hospital and back on a remote road a herd of buffalo. Armstrong pushes on through a rainstorm, amidst flocks of fireflies and bats, before arriving in San Francisco where a throng of amateur racers fills the streets behind him. At last, momentarily solo again, the champ's attractive force helps a young boy on his BMX close the gap between them....

Deathfall (Mexico), June 8, 2004
Magnet - TV Spot
Nike Ad "Magnet" from Director Jake Scott attracts magical CGI & VFX from A52...

Digital Producer, June 8, 2004
A52 Provides CGI and VFX For Nike 'Magnet' Spot; Wieden+Kennedy's new Nike ad from director Jake Scott