Ingenuity Engine Transforms Chris Brown in ‘I Can Transform Ya’ Music Video Directed by Joseph Kahn

Raz Public Relations November 11th, 2009

Boutique visual effects studio Ingenuity Engine has collaborated once again with director Joseph Kahn on a futuristic new music video for R&B singer Chris Brown’s track “I Can Transform Ya,” the first single off his forthcoming album Graffiti (due Dec. 8). Ingenuity Engine created a VFX-intensive and hyper-stylized world for the video, which premiered Oct. 27th and features Chris Brown, producer Swizz Beatz and rapper Lil Wayne as they deconstruct and shapeshift into sports cars, armored tanks, helicopters and other objects.

Ingenuity Engine has had a longstanding relationship with Kahn, having previously worked with the director on the Chris Brown music videos “Crawl” (the next single off Graffiti) and “Forever,” as well as numerous television commercial projects. Ingenuity Engine’s ability to work in “short hand” with the director, along with the nimbleness and multi-disciplinary make-up of its team, enabled the studio to complete the music video with a team of 10 in just a week-and-a-half from start to finish.

The “I Can Transform Ya” music video opens as a jet-black sports car careens across the screen. It morphs into Chris Brown, armed with a can of spray paint and tagging the name of the title track on the wall. Set against an entirely all-white backdrop, the clip highlights Brown’s dance moves, which he performs alongside a ninja-outfitted crew. Ingenuity Engine contributed numerous signature effects, including shape-shifting Brown and company into tanks, motorcycles and other fantasy toys, which the team modeled and animated by hand in Autodesk 3ds Max, building a particle system comprised of engine parts to fill the interiors of the various vehicles. Ingenuity Engine also custom developed a transition effect in which the performers morph into clusters of CGI ribbons, and contributed CG extensions to a robot-enhanced suit worn by a voluptuous biker babe.

“The music video production industry today requires a creative team to be agile because our turnaround times are shrinking down to mere days,” said David Lebensfeld, founder and lead artist, Ingenuity Engine. “But we’re still held to high creative standards to produce engaging content that can live across MTV, YouTube and mobile devices. Fortunately, because we do a large volume of visual effects work for commercials, we’re able to apply those production-proven workflows to our music video projects. We’ve also culled together a very well rounded team that aren’t just 3D artists, but equally skilled compositors, animators and motion graphics artists.”

Ingenuity Engine used a software package consisting of Autodesk 3ds Max for 3D modeling, Prime Focus Software’s Krakatoa for particle rendering, with all compositing done in Nuke. In its first hour of release, the “I Can Transform Ya” music video was downloaded over 500 times and went on to be viewed over 750,000 times. It premiered Oct. 27th on MTV Hits, MTV Jams, and MTV.com. Ingenuity Engine is currently completing VFX work on Chris Brown’s “Crawl” music video, which is also directed by Kahn and is slated to premiere on Nov. 13th.

About Ingenuity Engine

Ingenuity Engine is an award-winning visual effects boutique based in Hollywood, Calif. With a reputation for nimbleness and creative experimentation, Ingenuity Engine provides VFX and creative post for music videos, commercials, television episodics and feature film projects. The company works with directors including Paul Hunter, Francis Lawrence, Wayne Isham, Joseph Kahn, Marc Webb and Matthew Rolston on music videos for Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Green Day, Chris Brown, Weezer, Kiss and Madonna, and has been nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards. The company’s commercial projects include spots for Asics, Mazda, Travelers Insurance, Sears, Georgia State Lottery and Coca Cola’s Oasis. www.ievfx.com

Production Credits:

Title: “I Can Transform Ya” music video

Artist: Chris Brown

Label: Jive Records

Director: Joseph Kahn

Production Company: HSI Productions

Producer: MaryAnn Tanedo

Editor: Joseph Kahn

Visual Effects Company: Ingenuity Engine / Hollywood, CA

Visual Effects Supervisor: David Lebensfeld

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Matthew Poliquin

VFX coordinator: Michael Lebensfeld

Lead CG: Grant Miller

Lead Compositor: Nicholas Sorenson

CG Artist: Kris Cabrera

Compositor: Daniel Raschko

CG Artist: Tom Wilson

Animator: AJ Gillespie

Junior Compositor: Travis Button

Junior Compositor: Kyle Andal

Junior Compositor: Gerard Andal