New York City’s Launch describes itself as “the global leader in test commercial production.” What that means, in a nutshell, is that they develop high-end previsualizations — in both 2D and 3D — that are intended to more accurately represent creative ideas than traditional animatics can. For example, the company’s “3D Cinematics” are animated scenes that clearly represent complex editorial and directorial choices, including specific angles and camera moves, for a live-action spot. That not only allows clients to quickly try out different ideas, but streamlines production during the shoot. (To see some examples, visit Launch’s website.) Company President and ECD Joe Weil’s recent credits include work for Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Gillette, and Old Spice, all of which are considering spots for the 2011 Super Bowl broadcast. StudioDaily asked him five questions about work, technology, and inspiration.
Q: What are you working on today?
A: I’m working on a spot for the upcoming Coke Zero global charter campaign in collaboration with Ogilvy Paris and the Coca-Cola Creative Excellence team out of Atlanta.
Q: What is the best tool or innovation that has come out in the last year?
A: Groupon has impressed me the most. Though it’s actually more than a year old, I count it because it has matured as a business within the last year. Why? It’s given companies a new, more powerful way to change consumers’ behavior on a large scale. I know it’s a great company because I can’t tell if Groupon is a revolutionary idea or a painfully obvious one.
Q: What project (film, TV, commercial or music video) most impressed you in the last year? Why?
A: Kanye West’s “Power.” Why? It’s an elegant balance of opposites. The scene is infinite, yet contained. Marco Brambilla brought his normally Dante-esque imagery up into the heavens and created a somehow appropriate symphony between hip-hop and Michelangelo.
Q: What’s your favorite project that you worked on in the past year? And why?
A: My favorite was Diet Coke, “Maniac”. Why? We were using 3D animation to pre-visualize work that would ultimately be produced with puppets. It was a great challenge to figure out storytelling for puppets, a medium that we were initially unfamiliar with. Moreover, the team at [agency] Mother and The Coca-Cola Company were just cool to work with. It was a fun, freewheeling project, and we’re really proud of the end product.
Q: Name the top 4 artists on your iPod.
A: Al Green, Willie Nelson, Metallica, Serge Gainsbourg
Topics: Blog five questions General
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