Nissan Murano "Soar" still #1. Image courtesy of Stardust Studios. 300 dpi version here.  Nissan Murano "Soar" still #2. Image courtesy of Stardust Studios. 300 dpi version here. Nissan Murano "Glide" still #2. Image courtesy of Stardust Studios. 300 dpi version here.  Nissan Murano "Glide" still #4. Image courtesy of Stardust Studios. 300 dpi version here.	NEWS RELEASE (PROJECT CREDITS HERE) Media contact: Roger Darnell DWA for Stardust +1.828.264.8898 STARDUST’S TALENTS SOAR IN NISSAN MURANO CAMPAIGN FROM TBWA\CHIAT\DAY LOS ANGELES HOLLYWOOD—(Feb. 17, 2006)—Bicoastal creative production company Stardust Studios recently delivered the third spot in a high-profile broadcast campaign for the Nissan Murano and TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles.  Directed by Stardust’s founder and creative director Jake Banks, the first spot entitled “Soar” broke in Dec., “Glide” debuted just before Super Bowl XL and aired during ABC’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, and the third spot – entitled “Fly” – began airing nationally this week.  Stardust also provided design, live-action production, animation, editorial and visual effects for the campaign.  Each of the spots uses a stylized approach to showcase how smoothly the Murano's Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) operates, featuring the vehicle inside of an animated world transforming into a bird in “Soar,” a manta ray in “Glide” and a paper airplane in “Fly.”  After receiving the agency’s request for proposal, Banks and his team created a written treatment, in-depth storyboards and a series of motion tests, all of which helped to land the job.  Upon award, the team began previsualizing the camera moves for the live-action shoot, building a 3D car in Maya and moving the cameras around to match camera-car and helicopter perspectives.  Filmed with the assistance of director of photography Neil Shapiro, Banks used a camera car, a helicopter, and locked-down mounts to capture the shots and get the angles necessary to match his storyboards.  "We had to shoot the car in a way that would be in-tune with the animation that had elements of flowing, soaring and gliding," he said.  "The way we approached the project – doing extreme dynamic camera moves – allowed us to be more free with animation."  Meanwhile, Stardust’s design team used Maya to create 3D models and fluid animation of their bird, manta and airplane.  Next came the transitions from the Murano into and out of the animated sequences.  “We actually presented a lot of ideas to the agency to ensure those transitions exceeded everyone’s expectations,” Banks added.  The creative team for TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles included executive creative director Rob Schwartz, creative director Joe Shands, associate creative directors Mike Yagi and Chris Lynch, art director David Steinke, copywriter Robin Fitzgerald and producer Carrie Schaer. Along with Banks and executive producer Eileen Doherty, Stardust’s team also included editor Tony Hall, live-action producer Rich Kaylor, post producer Erin Sullivan, lead animator/VFX supervisor Shane Zucker, art director P.J. Richardson (on “Soar”), designers Kinda Akash and Neil Tsai, and animators Joseph Andrade, Chris Eckhart, Scott Signore, Ian Townsend, Ash Wagers and Moses Journey.   A complete campaign credits listing is available upon request. About Stardust Studios Stardust is an award-winning creative production company, specializing in motion design, animation, visual effects and live-action production.  Led by founder and executive creative director Jake Banks, Stardust’s Santa Monica and New York offices continually redefine creativity for commercial, on-air, music video and in-store presentations.  Their recent work – including projects for the world’s top ad agencies, brands and recording artists – has earned numerous awards and worldwide editorial exposure.  For more information, please visit www.stardust.tv. # # # - back to top -	QT for Nissan Murano "Soar" QT for Nissan Murano "Glide" QT for Nissan Murano "Fly" Nissan Murano "Fly" still #1. Image courtesy of Stardust Studios. 300 dpi version here.  Nissan Murano "Fly" still #2. Image courtesy of Stardust Studios. 300 dpi version here.