Innovative New Spot from Stardust Artfully Showcases How Westchester Medical Center is Transforming Healthcare
NEW YORK and SANTA MONICA, CA.- (Aug. 28, 2008) - Bicoastal creative production company Stardust Studios (www.stardust.tv) recently produced a spot for Princeton, New Jersey-based ad agency Princeton Partners and their clients at the Westchester Medical Center, which is located in Valhalla, New York. The :30 spot directed by Stardust’s New York-based creative director Alan Bibby debuted regionally earlier this month, and is set to continue airing over the weeks ahead. Under the creative direction of agency creative director Daniel Veltri, senior art director Will Pang, copywriter Saul Katz and senior producer Maria Amato, Bibby and his colleagues set out to create a visually arresting spot combining live-action footage with animated content to artfully show the hospital and raise viewer awareness of their talents, technologies and commitments to transforming healthcare.
“Our charge was to reintroduce Westchester Medical Center as one of the region’s premier destinations for advanced care,” explained Princeton Partners’ Daniel Veltri. “We wanted to produce a spot that not only mirrored the hospital’s cutting-edge technology, but also showcased this world-class facility.”
After being awarded the project, Bibby and his team conducted extensive research on-location at the hospital, shooting live-action footage and stills that included aerial photographs, which were used to model the hospital in Stardust’s original animated content. They also shot talent and actual members of the hospital’s staff on a green-screen stage in New York. “Our challenge was to make something that was interesting and exciting to watch, while also showing off the real rooms, space and equipment, where the equipment had to be 100% accurate,” Bibby said. “Tonally, the animation had to be stylized, and at the same time, accessible to viewers.”
For the post-production workflow, the live-action elements were assembled using Final Cut Pro, and Stardust’s team then created the lavish virtual hospital in Maya and used Adobe After Effects for integrating the live-action into the animated environments.
“Being in the rooms at Westchester, meeting the doctors, techs and staff — especially in the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital — was all incredibly affecting,” Bibby added. “Hearing that everyone who appeared in the spot loved the final piece meant a lot to each of us, and we’re also very proud of the amazing job all the artists did on the piece.”
“As an agency, we’re not looking to work with people who simply deliver the story board presented, but the ones who bring fresh thinking, new ideas and enthusiasm to the project,” Velstri concluded. “Alan, Mike Eastwood and everyone at Stardust were instrumental in helping us realize this vision. At the end of the day, it’s all about working with great people who continually push each other to create the very best work possible.”
Project: Westchester Medical Center “Through the Years” :30
Advertising Agency: Princeton Partners
Creative Director: Daniel Veltri
Senior Art Director: Will Pang
Copywriter: Saul Katz
Senior Producer: Maria Amato
Production Company: Stardust Studios, New York
Executive Producer: Mike Eastwood
Director: Alan Bibby
Head of Production: Beth Vogt
Live Action Producer: Jennifer Pearlman
Director of Photography: Vance Burberry
Producer: Lindsay Yacura
Associate Producer: Ryan McCree
Art Director: Julian Bevan
Technical Director: Ryan O’Phelan
Designers: Tae Kim, Aaron Maurer
3D Animators: Cary Janks, John Karian, Christian Day
Lead Lighter: Mark Rohr
Lighting: Mirelle Underwood
Compositors: Tonya Smay, Eric Bauer
Modeler/Animator: Atsuki Hirose
Modeler: Tom Cushwa
Rotoscope: Kristian Mercado, Jess Mireau, Carlos Rosario
Music Company: Big Foote
Composer: Kari Steinert
Executive Producer: Paul Seymour
Record and Mix Company: Jonathan Helfand Music and Post
Mixer: Jonathan Helfand
Asst. Engineer: Edwin Davis
About Stardust Studios
Stardust is an award-winning, full-service creative production company, specializing in motion design, animation, visual effects and live-action production. Led by founder and 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.
