Thursday, November 06, 2008

Blackginger Website

The Blackginger website has had an overhaul. Now contains some "making of" and "showcase" spots. Looking better...

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Bakers - the making of...

Today I have some photos from the shoot of Bakers "Precious Biscuits"
As well as "the making of" that Shy the Sun put together for us. Be warned the video is 12 minutes and 112MB...

Making of -->download
Lo Res 49MB
Hi Res 112MB


Kids on location at Vergelegen wine estate. There were three locations within the forest where we shot the three parts, the beginning live action, animation plates and ending live action.




Shoot Day 1


Shoot Day 1 - CAB Films', Bruce and Charles direct the children


Location 1, day 1 - Steady cam, cast and Bruce Paynter (director) crouching


Location 2, day 1 - the set where all the animation will take place.
Darrin, Ree and Nina


The full set on the 1st shoot day - before the rains came


Detail of Polly's Kettle and the tiny door.


Humpty's house and the mice door. Bottom left is Peter's nook.


And the rains came down... the shoot was called off at this stage.
Jannes, Ree and Nina


Nina and Darrin talk on the left, Jannes and Bruce discuss matters.


Nina and Jannes listen in as Bruce discusses the next shot.


The trio of Shy the Sun looking jubilant as Day 2 (weather day) draws to a close.


The end... for now!

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CNN uses holograms

Say what?



Thanks to ENGADGET for the pics and original story.

This was how CNN decided to cover the elections - with cheese!
Yellin 6MB
The first clip Jessica Yellin explains how the setup is working, multiple cameras shooting her at all angles in another studio, "35 HD-cameras in a ring around me... transmits what looks like an entire person" to the studio in New York. " The cameras here talk to the cameras in NY... moving here as they move there". (or something like that)

Basically what happens next is she gets keyed off the background, probably very well with the keying technology out there. They then degrade the footage and add BACK the blue halo. Breaking up the footage with a bit of noise they then overlay it on the camera feed from the studio in NY before sending it to TV sets all around the world.
Unfortunately she slips and slides off her "Projector" at around 55" in. Oh the shame.
So it looks like a hologram but it isn't one, so why say it is?

Wolf ends with "you're a terrific hologram." He then explains to everybody that "she was not there but it looked like she was.. and it is pretty amazing technology".
Wolf lying? Certainly not!
CNN lying to us? NEVER!!!
Thanks Wolf, much appreciated!

Next clip, please!
Will.I.am 12MB
This is the best. Respectable journalist Anderson Cooper starts off, "we are joined via (vee-a) hologram by Will.I.Am (cue dramatic drums). Then a cheesy beam-me-up-scotty effect takes place. "Lets see if we can beam him in?"
Blerrghhh number 1

In this clip he isnt standing on his mark so his foot is off the projector. He also slides around a bit when they try the risky camera moves.

Will carries on "...all this technology, I am being beamed to you like its Star Wars and stuff."
Blerrghhh number 2
quickly followed by Anderson "yeah it looks exactly like in Star Trek when they would beam people down"
Blerrghhh number 3
Good grief... starting to feel ill!



Good for a laugh and probably better than FOX. Maybe.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Its Art Mag article

Precious Biscuits is featured at ItsArtmag.com in and article with yours truly...

Its Art mag

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tumbling like the Rand

Shame poor guy... hear the loud crack half way through... then OUCH!

Live on SABC2 -->download
Chairperson Tumble 4MB

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Bakers hits websites

Wow! I am gobsmacked by the response.
Bakers is really being splashed across the internet today.

Motionographer

No Fat Clips

Vfx/Spot

Feed

Boards

Monday, October 20, 2008

Bakers "Precious Biscuits"





This is what has kept me busy for the last twelve weeks, supervising this commercial for Bakers' Biscuits. The characters were designed by Ree Treweek and directed by Jannes Hendrikz of Shy the Sun for Ogilvy, Johannesburg. There was a total of eighteen people from Blackginger that worked on this with an average of five people on it at any one time over the twelve weeks.
The twenty odd characters, many with cloth and fur were a huge challenge for a very young team but the dedication of each animator, modeler, rigger and texture artist shows in the final product.




Bakers "Precious Biscuits" from Darrin Hofmeyr on Vimeo.

Precious Biscuits -->download
Lo Res 8MB
Hi Res 27MB

CREDITS

Client: Bakers
Agency: Ogilvy, Johannesburg
Creative Director: Bridget Johnson
Art Director: Monique Kaplan
Copywriter: Amy Auret
Producer: Lisa Jaffee

Creative: Shy the Sun
Animation Direction: Ree Treweek and Jannes Hendrikz
Designs: Ree Treweek
Compositing: Jannes Hendrikz
Producer: Nina Pfeiffer

Production House: Blackginger
Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Animation Supervisor: Darrin Hofmeyr
VFX Supervisor: Marc Horsfield
Modeling: Francois Conradie, Hayden Barnett,
Rigging: Sandy Sutherland
Animation: Richard Clarke, Andre de Villiers, JC Phillips
Textures: Sasha Perdigao, Lani Greenhill, Kirsten Beets
Fur: Suzanne van Niekerk, Jason Slabber
Lighting and look dev: William Harley
s.ystems developer: Neilan Naicker
Matte Painting and Flint: Rob Muir
Assistant compositor: Monika Vermuelen

Live Action: CAB films
Director: Bruce Paynter
Producer: Charles Galagher

Sound Design/Mix: Alun Richards

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