universal positive » Communications

Experience media from Spinifex Group

Roger Darnell — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:10:41 +0000

I’m very proud to be working with the phenomenal Sydney-based creative communications company Spinifex Group, which is made up of authentic leaders in creating and delivering experience media.

With recent projects ranging from immersive interactive experiences to global broadcast events and epic big screen corporate communications extravaganzas, they have resolved some of the most ambitious and complex storytelling challenges of our times, with historical results. Below, I’ve organized summary notes on some of their latest projects, which as you’ll see, include numerous mesmerizing ceremonies and pavilions at the Shanghai World Expo, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Ceremonies, the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Ceremonies, and many others.

A true concept-to-completion creative group, Spinifex nurtures original ideas from production to delivery in an environment of innovation and uncompromising integrity, combining time-honored storytelling traditions with the tools of the digital age (mainly, ones made by Apple). Last month, they provided spectacular experience support to Electronic Arts at E3 as you can see in the video above, or the story here.

Diverse, inventive, and often entrusted with stories of cultures not their own, the creative interpretations of Spinifex Group continue to be celebrated by local and international audiences alike. It will be my pleasure to hear from you regarding Spinifex Group, and to help answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, thank you very much for your interest.

Shanghai World Expo 2010 Opening Ceremony
Creative: 10-minute “Dream Cube Spectacular” — ran every night of the Expo, hourly.
Historical: Uses world’s largest outdoor LED screen.

Cisco Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010
Creative: Intense dramatic film with top Chinese actors, filmed in multiple locations. Shot in Shanghai, directed by Yang Qingsheng. Design, modeling, compositing… Multi-screens, 3:1 aspect ratio.
Fascinating: Had to present the future; rendered Shanghai in 3D with data.

Shanghai Corporate Pavilion Opening Ceremony at Shanghai World Expo 2010
Creative: 10 minute 3D interpretive animation scored by orchestra.
Fascinating: Used a Macbook to solve a giant logistical problem.

Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010
Shanghai Corporate Pavilion – Theatre
Shanghai Corporate Pavilion – Dream Path
Creative: Responsible for all media on all surfaces throughout the pavilion. Digital creativity from the inside out. Wrote and developed interactive apps that provided the playful and “collaborative” elements of the pavilion.
Fascinating: Wrote and developed lots of cool interactive apps with clap detection, computer-vision based motion tracking, computer synch/control messaging system. Developed a detailed animatic to previs live-action for Theatre video production. Created a 360-degree previs screen in Spinifex offices with iMacs.
Historical: Produced 360-degree HD production, featuring first commercial use of imaging system.

Hong Kong Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010
Creative: Interactive wall, images transformed upon coming into ‘contact’ with visitors.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics Ceremonies
Creative: Created the unforgettable multimedia “Whales” experience, and all other sections of the Opening Ceremonies: “Green Cathedral” content stylized to match Emily Carr; “Field of Dreams” boy flying, interactive film on stadium floor; “Peaks” 360-degree mountain screen, huge matte paintings, motion graphics moved up stadium floor, moved up mountain with epic audiovisual show at the climax of the Opening Ceremony. Produced amazing “white ceremony” artistic film to play on floor and circular ceiling screens wihle Garou performed.
Fascinating: Viewing audience had 360-degree views of experience, beginning at floor level, projection extended upwards 30 metres, featuring six vertical screens, to reach three circular screens at the ceiling of stadium. Spinifex Group created over 60 minutes of visual storytelling content.
Historical: The Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics relied more heavily on screen content than any other Olympic ceremony, and featured the first use of full video projection on a stadium floor.

Beijing 2008 Olympics Ceremonies
Creative: Working closely with Directors Zhang Yimou, Han Lixun and Yang Qingsheng, and Media Producer Yvonne Ho, Spinifex played an important role in the visual success of the ceremonies.
Fascinating: Handled all media feeds to 63 HD Moving Head Projectors, 120 meter horizontal LED Screen and Pigi projection, plus content for broadcast, Piri, projection and LED formats simultaneously. To help with design and creation of specific sections awarded, Spinifex produced a detailed animatic, and coordinated extensive amazing international technical support to version/share latest content throughout project, through a proprietary, user friendly media management system.
Historical: Spinifex was the only non-Chinese production company involved in the Ceremonies for media and content.

Brand New School designs a winning AICP outing Earlier this week, creative design and production studio Brand New...
Designing characters, stories and more with Shilo’s Jose Gomez If you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good”...
Proven social media marketing strategies, tactics and breakthrough ideas for the ad and film industries This week I had the pleasure of attending a webinar...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nathan Love wows TV and online viewers worldwide

Roger Darnell — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:35:41 +0000

Record numbers of television and online viewers worldwide continue to experience the artistry of New York City animation studio Nathan Love and its illustrious clientele. The latest releases include commercial collaborations with director Willis Wong, Lunar Films and Hopr for J. Walter Thompson Shanghai promoting China’s popular online game Fantasy Westward Journey, and with advertising agency 22squared for Baskin-Robbins’ nationwide summer advertising campaign. Nathan Love is online at www.nathanlove.com, on Facebook here, and on Linkedin here.

All good for rising NYC animation studio Nathan Love Break out the crayons and beer, because Nathan Love is...
“Free Realms” Earns Outstanding Marketing Campaign Honors at MI6 2010 Global creative agency ATTIK is proud to announce that its...
Scion debuts online reality series “Reinvent The Wheels” It’s my sincere pleasure to share global creative agency ATTIK’s...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Brilliant directors: Shilo’s Evan Dennis

Roger Darnell — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:57:10 +0000

Director Evan Dennis and his fellow filmmakers from U.S. creative production company Shilo recently detailed their artistry in creating this engaging new broadcast/web spot for Mountain Dew’s new Green Label Art Shop Series campaign. For this all-star project, Evan worked in close collaboration with creative director David Hohman, art director Campbell Hooper and their colleagues from integrated marketing agency TracyLocke to create compelling content authentically supporting Mountain Dew’s innovative campaign and the phenomenal talents assembled.

Originally hailing from Philadelphia, Evan is an originator, an idealist and a craftsman. His ultra contemporary perspective influences how he meticulously combines illustration, typography, and animation with pristine live-action filmmaking, while his prolific design sensibility draws upon his extensive background in fine art, illustration, and graffiti. Evan’s passion and expertise are also reflected in exemplary Shilo assignments for clients including Scion, Cartoon Network, and the City of Dubai.

The new :30 broadcast/web spot above promotes Mountain Dew’s new signature product design from professional skater, actor and artist Paul Rodriguez and famed artist Don Pendleton. Artfully crafted by Evan and the other artists of the Emmy-winning Shilo, the spot artfully blends stunning, street skateboarding cinematography with mesmerizing animation brought to life from Pendleton and Rodriguez’s original designs. Now appearing on broadcast media outlets across the U.S., and during the 2010 Dew Tour’s Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships, the spot invites viewers to vote for one of 35 label designs online at www.greenlabelart.com, where the most popular design will appear nationwide later this summer. Shilo’s full story on this project is available here.

Shilo’s global recognition and evolution The 2008 “Burma Viral” project produced by U.S. creative production...
Designing characters, stories and more with Shilo’s Jose Gomez If you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good”...
Creative collaborations: ATTIK and Shilo for Scion Over the past several years, global creative agency ATTIK has...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Brand New School designs a winning AICP outing

Roger Darnell — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:43:51 +0000

Earlier this week, creative design and production studio Brand New School (BNS, www.BrandNewSchool.com) proudly announced their role in designing and producing numerous elements which debuted at the 2010 AICP Show, The Art & Technique of the American Commercial, and the 2010 Next Awards, a featured presentation of the AICP Show. The annual program, hosted by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) had its premiere Tuesday evening at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and will soon travel on to high-profile venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, and Richmond. Original works created by BNS for 2010 include the above Sponsor Reel Sequence for the AICP Show itself, and for the Next Awards, which honor and examine the best in marketing communications across all channels featuring moving image media, the visual identity system, presentation graphics, and (together with McCann Systems) a dynamic Next Awards video installation that lit up MoMA’s Sculpture Garden. During the prestigious Next Awards presentation, BNS earned top honors in the Experiential category for their innovative project promoting Monday Night Football on ESPN produced for leading advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. The full story is available online here.

Related posts:
Brilliant Directors: Brand New School With studios in New York and Los Angeles, Brand New...

Cross-platform Brizo experiences from Brand New School The artists and producers from U.S. creative production studio Brand...

We Are Plus relaunches, drives positive brand movement worldwide Since first launching Plus et Plus in New York City...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

PepsiCo Refresh Project 101

Roger Darnell — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:43:59 +0000

There’s a lot to love about PepsiCo’s commitment in America to the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is set to give away more than $20 million in 2010 to “refresh the world, one idea at a time.” PepsiCo has vowed to award over $1 million in grants each month to U.S.-based ideas with the most public votes, with up to 1,000 new ideas accepted each month. I was just asked to look into making a submission, and in doing some homework, I’ve gained a lot of admiration for this thoughtful initiative, inviting Americans to plead the case for a real-world need — or even a dream — with seemingly a very real opportunity to win financial support on some level. While hoping this might eventually become more of an international effort, I invite those now eligible to join me every day in visiting the site and using our 10 daily votes to help along our favorite ideas.

As for the ideas themselves, we can fire away, seeking $5k up to $250k for one idea per month, where you can change your monthly submission even after submitting, and if you don’t win this month, you can resubmit next month. There are five categories: Health, Arts and Culture, Food and Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education.

The official website www.refresheverything.com provides this toolkit for developing your idea, along with a wealth of information, including key dates, what to expect and how to follow-up before, during and after submitting, and many other inspiring case studies of ideas submitted to date. You may also be interested in this April story detailing the latest winners, as well as the project’s blog.

Related posts:
Joining iParticipate.org in honoring Veterans today and tomorrow… In my humble opinion, iParticipate.org has been doing an outstanding...

The 2010 (Women’s) Effect: The 100th Annual International Women’s Day I am joining with legions of others around the world...

Earth Island Institute asks tomorrow’s leaders, “What would Dave do?” What would Dave do? The question is, what will you...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Shilo’s global recognition and evolution

Roger Darnell — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:42:49 +0000

The 2008 “Burma Viral” project produced by U.S. creative production company Shilo, together with Carl Le Blond, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam, John Jackson, Director of Social Responsibility, MTV Networks, Suki Dusanj, Founder of The Burma Arts Board, activist Sam Roddick and others, is featured within the pages of “For A Good Cause,” a new collection of the world’s best socially conscious design. Recently released by Barcelona-based publisher Index Book, the book was conceived and authored by Cactus Disseny, and is now available through major booksellers worldwide. In other news, on Shilo’s recently updated website at www.shilo.tv, the company is now individually showcasing its directorial talents. Among the newest works presented are the powerful Under Armour “Protect This House. I Will.” films, and the FELA! project, all directed by Andre Stringer, with concept and writing credits going to Shilo’s sibling creative company, WMIG. In this story detailing Shilo’s latest developments, partner and EP Tracy Chandler explains that individually crediting directors Stringer, Jose Gomez, Noah Conopask and Evan Dennis, along with the growing importance of WMIG in much of their project work, are key components of the company’s successful evolution.

Related posts:
Designing characters, stories and more with Shilo’s Jose Gomez If you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good”...

Shilo goes theatrical in new film for “FELA!” Theatrical industry new media advertising/marketing company Art Meets Commerce recently...

Webby recognition for Ralph’s BIMA-Winner “Walt’s Warning” The immersive “Walt’s Warning” AMC “Breaking Bad” promotional project produced...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Stop-Motion Brand Film from We Are Plus Illustrates Powers of SMART Board

Roger Darnell — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:04:58 +0000

Jeremy Hollister, Judy Wellfare and their colleagues at NYC-based strategic creative ideas studio We Are Plus are very proud to reveal their latest project, produced in collaboration with Toronto-based Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG. This creative, stop-motion brand film showcasing the category-leading SMART Board interactive whiteboard from SMART Technologies is being distributed internationally in seven languages via viral seeding and Facebook, and will also be featured in other applications and materials by SMART’s marketing team. The story from We Are Plus, including complete project credits, is available here. For more information on SMART Technologies, please visit www.smarttech.com, or check out to learn more about the new Love of Learning campaign.

Related posts:
Proven social media marketing strategies, tactics and breakthrough ideas for the ad and film industries This week I had the pleasure of attending a webinar...

Designing characters, stories and more with Shilo’s Jose Gomez If you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good”...

Inside Ralph’s “Kick-Ass” promotion for Lionsgate… The principals of award-winning digital creative agency Ralph (www.ralphandco.com) are...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“Free Realms” Earns Outstanding Marketing Campaign Honors at MI6 2010

Roger Darnell — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:53:54 +0000

Global creative agency ATTIK is proud to announce that its collaboration with marketing executives from videogame powerhouse Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) promoting the family-friendly hit online game “Free Realms”(R) has earned the Gold Award in the Casual Game category for Outstanding Overall Marketing Campaign at the MI6 Conference. The fifth annual conference for MI6, an association dedicated to supporting marketing, promotion and advertising professionals in the video game and interactive entertainment community, was recently held in San Francisco, where “Free Realms” also brought home a Bronze Award for Best Online Advertising Campaign in the same category. For more information on this story, please visit this link.

Related posts:
Behind the lens with ATTIK’s Simon Needham As the co-founder of global creative agency ATTIK, and the...

Designing characters, stories and more with Shilo’s Jose Gomez If you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good”...

I’m all about learning, friending at the 2009 Boards Summit Calendar year 2009 has been a constant challenge for me,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Earth Day 2010 and beyond… onward and upward!

Roger Darnell — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:35:00 +0000

Huge thanks to Earth Day LA‘s Jim Stewart, Ph.D., for these insights for continuing to make positive impacts through our day-to-day activities… and to my inspirational buddy Kacy Palmieri, who has worked with Earth Day LA for the past several years, for passing along Jim’s sage advice.
1. Become carbon neutral: Use this carbon calculator, fill in the form with your energy use at home and on the road, and sign up to fund measures that will neutralize your carbon output.
2. Drive Less, Take Transit or Bike or Walk: A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline—cutting pollution and saving money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take walk, bike, or ride public transit.
3. Write your leaders now to urge them to use existing technology to raise fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon — the single biggest step we can take to curb global warming. This step can save nearly 4 million barrels of oil a day… and save you personally up to $2,000 at the pump over the life of your car.
4. Sign up for Green Power: Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants, the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States. If you live in Los Angeles, call LADWP (800-473-3652) and sign up for Green Power. Some other municipal utilities offer it as well; ask yours.
5. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, especially those that burn the longest each day. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use 1/4 of the electricity and last 10X as long.
6. Save energy at home: Start with caulking and weather-stripping on doorways and windows, then adjust your thermostat and start saving. For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your energy bills by 3 percent. To save on heating bills see www.socalgas.com. Finally, ask your utility company to do a free energy audit of your home to show you how to save even more.
7. Become a smart water consumer: Install low-flow showerheads and faucets, then turn your hot water heater down to 120ºF and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50%.
8. Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances: Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model saves electricity bills and cuts global warming. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances or visit www.energystar.gov. Get rebates: See www.ladwp.com for details or call 1 800 246 0441 for free pick up service, or check your own utility’s website for home appliance rebates.
9. Plant a Tree / Protect a Forest. Planting shade trees around your house absorbs CO2, and reduces air-conditioning bills. In Los Angeles, call LADWP to have FREE shade trees delivered to your home: 800-473-3652.
10. Reduce + Reuse + Recycle! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70-90% of the energy and pollution, including CO2, that result when products come from virgin materials. And by all means, buy recycled products!
11. Mount a local campaign against global warming: Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Support measures at the national, state, and local level that make automobiles go further per gallon of gas; accelerate the use of clean, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power; increase energy efficiency and conservation; and preserve forests around the world.
12. Buy less: Consumerism is a pattern of behavior that helps to destroy our environment, personal financial health, and human institutions. See www.verdant.net for information on how to reduce consumerism.
13. Grow your own food, and buy local produce to save transportation fuel. Also, compost your food scraps….
14. Install solar panels.
15. Get Connected! Sign up for regular updates, such as the Sierra Club’s global warming action network: www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/e-newsletter/
16. Educate your business, church and school about how they can save money and the planet by becoming carbon neutral through the Climate Neutral Network: www.climateneutral.com.

Related posts:
Earth Island Institute asks tomorrow’s leaders, “What would Dave do?” What would Dave do? The question is, what will you...

The 2010 (Women’s) Effect: The 100th Annual International Women’s Day I am joining with legions of others around the world...

Moving forward: World Water Day 2010 In honor of World Water Day, it’s my pleasure to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The 2010 (Women’s) Effect: The 100th Annual International Women’s Day

Roger Darnell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:08:17 +0000

I am joining with legions of others around the world today to honor women for all they are and all they do as the greatest and most powerful force on Planet Earth. Mine will not be a lengthy tribute, but I do want to point up some of the amazing resources I’ve found that are providing different perspectives on the achievements of women, and some of the biggest challenges faced by many of them.

Last week, in honor of today’s global event celebrating women, CARE presented its “Half the Sky” event, a one-night-only event in movie theatres nationwide (www.halftheskylive.com). Inspired by the bestselling book from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, it was an exciting night of musical performances, celebrity commentary and uplifting stories about women and girls overcoming tremendous obstacles, and featured the nationwide premiere of “Woineshet,” a powerful short film by Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. The presenter, CARE, is a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities. Please visit www.care.org to learn more.

In “Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” authors Kristof and WuDunn focused on three major problems facing women: sex trafficking, maternal mortality and violence against women. Their book argues that empowering women is the key to alleviating poverty and uplifting communities in developing countries. This article, featuring an excerpt from the book, appeared last August in The New York Times Magazine, and a new New York Times Op-Ed piece from Mr. Kristof ran today, in which he reassesses the priorities. Embracing initiatives to foster the education of girls, to support deworming and micronutrient education and aid programs, and to help women start new businesses, Kristof’s current article also points up many organizations that are championing and driving these vital causes.

In the meantime, here in the U.S., the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is successfully propelling female entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. Their website is online at www.nawbo.org.

And finally, I also encourage you to visit the website behind the video showcased above, which lives online at www.girleffect.org, and is based upon the wholehearted belief that powerful social and economic changes are possible when girls have full opportunities to participate.

Related posts:
Cause Marketing Case Study: MTV Networks International’s “Burma Viral” Cyclone Nargis hit Burma on May 3, 2008, dramatically increasing...

Joining iParticipate.org in honoring Veterans today and tomorrow… In my humble opinion, iParticipate.org has been doing an outstanding...

Love clicks, in the true spirit of the season…. We’ve reached the time of year when I invite you...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.