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Scene #1 from Cadillac "Turbulence"
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Scene #2 from Cadillac "Turbulence"
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Scene #3 from Cadillac "Turbulence"
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Scene #4 from Cadillac "Turbulence"
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Contacts:
Roger Darnell
DWA for a52
1.828.264.8898

For Immediate Release

HOLLYWOOD—Clio-winning Los Angeles visual effects and design company a52 today detailed their design, R&D and hybrid 2D/3D visual effects work for Anonymous Content and director Nic Mathieu for chemistri’s new :60 and :30 Cadillac spots entitled “Turbulence” which debuted during the Super Bowl XXXVIII broadcast on CBS and also ran during ABC’s coverage of the 76th Annual Academy Awards.

The “Turbulence” spot is a visual idea that ponders the notion of “air as water.”  Four brand new Cadillac vehicles – the CTS-V, Escalade, SRX and XLR – race toward the same desert intersection with the air as water effect applied to each car.  a52’s team was contacted by chemistri’s creative team early into the conceptual process to help them determine how the desired look could be achieved.

“a52 is a great go-to company when you have a visual effects challenge,” said Jack Nelson, chemistri’s project producer.  “I felt really confident bringing the job to them and having them finish it.”

“Our specialty in photo-real visual effects was very effective in bringing this water-like turbulence effect to life,” commented Darcy Leslie Parsons, a52’s executive producer.

According to a52’s project producer Scott Boyajan, while the project was still in the bidding stage, company creative director Simon Brewster created a test which helped move the project forward.  With the production awarded to director Nic Mathieu and his producer Aris McGarry at Anonymous Content, a52’s team then continued their collaboration, working on the effect’s look and helping to determine the live-action elements they would require for post.

“The look of the effect moved from being a gas/air substance to more of a water look,” Boyajan explained.  “Patrick Murphy, Westley Sarokin and I went to the tech scout and three day shoot.   Since we knew each shot was to have the effect, tracking marks on the car were crucial.  While we were shooting, other members of our CGI team were continuing to research and develop the look.”

“This effect presented pretty daunting challenges on paper,” admitted chemistri’s Nelson.  “a52 worked in conjunction with Nic to ultimately crack the formula to invent a new visual language using 2D and 3D.”

As the overriding creative ideas came together, the challenges presented to a52’s in-house CGI team were to give the effect certain characteristics of water while eliminating attributes like spray and droplets.  Also, the team had to consider how to make the effect dissipate in a manner consistent with the behavioral characteristics of the substance.

Ultimately, a52’s CGI team of Denis Gauthier, Craig “X-Ray” Halperin, Westley Sarokin and Jeff Willette used SideEffects Software's Houdini to create – and Pixar’s Renderman to render – the effects.  Other members of a52’s team performed extensive scene manipulation and compositing using Discreet Flame and Inferno.  The unique result is a mesmerizing, abstract blend of CGI with striking live-action cinematography.

In addition to Jack Nelson, the team for chemistri also included executive creative director/copywriter Gary Topolewski and head of production John VanOsdol. 

For this project, Scott Boyajan served as producer, Patrick Murphy, Simon Brewster and Westley Sarokin were on-set visual effects supervisors, Murphy and Brewster also contributed as Inferno artists and Marguerite Cargill was Flame artist.  Again, Gauthier, Halperin, Sarokin and Willette served as a52’s 3D animators.  Darcy Leslie Parsons served as a52’s executive producer for this project. 

Production was overseen by Anonymous Content’s executive producers Andy Traines and Dave Morrison, and also included producer Aris McGarry and director of photography Neil Shapiro.  Telecine was handled by colorist Dave Hussie at Company 3 in Santa Monica.  The editorial team from LA’s Rock Paper Scissors consisted of editor Ben Longland (credited as co-editor along with Nic Mathieu), executive producer Linda Carlson, producer Tatiana Vasquez and assistant editor Olaf Garcia. 

Music composition and remixing credits go to Junkie XL at Machine Head in Venice.  Grant Castleberry at Gold Sound Productions in Southfield, Mich., mixed the final audio.

About a52
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 design company a52 creates award-winning imagery for the world’s most visually ambitious commercial and television projects.  Having relocated to Santa Monica in 2007, the company’s work has earned AICP Show recognition for 11 consecutive years along with recent “Outstanding Commercial” Emmy, Andy, BDA, Belding, Clio, British Design and Art Direction, International Monitor, International Automotive Advertising, London International Advertising, One Show and PROMAX awards.  For more information, please call 1.310.586.0650 or visit www.a52.com.

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