TEAK Moves in on Sony E3 Project
To get the gaming world psyched for the release of its new motion-sensing controller PlayStation Move, electronics giant Sony teamed up with San Francisco-based creative studio TEAK to concept, produce and handle post-production on “Move”, a three-minute film that premiered at the annual E3 video game conference this past June.
The short combines original 3D modeling, live action and videogame footage to show how gamers of all ages can use the motion joystick to experience the console’s immersive onscreen worlds. TEAK Creative Director/Director Greg Rowan came up with the original idea for “Move” and with the support of motion designers Frank Glinski and Josh Miller, crafted the concept from inception to completion.
“We pride ourselves not only on our technical prowess, but in being equally adept at the creative process that precedes and enhances those capabilities,” said EP Greg Martinez. “Greg is in many ways the prototype for a TEAK director: incredibly innovative, technically sound, and absolutely brimming with ideas at every stage of production.”
On working with TEAK, Sony Video Assets Manager/Producer Michael Brynteson adds, “We brought TEAK in to partner with us on this project based on their ability to handle all aspects of the production from concepting to finish. It hard to integrate live action and gameplay well, but they did an amazing job as usual, pulling it all together into a fun and cohesive piece.”
Rowan shot actors playing with the joystick over two days on a three-walled green screen in Los Angeles using a high-speed Phantom camera and a techno crane to capture the action at creative angles. The animation team then built original 3D environments in Maya and keyed in the live action footage.
Shots begin by focusing on a character from an overhead or far-off view and then spiral down to show them gripping solid controllers surrounded by wire-frame weapons, paintbrushes, golf clubs or boxing gloves.
“All of the transitions and environments were created from scratch,” said Producer Emily van Nierop, who oversaw the project from pre-pro to delivery. “Figuring out camera movements that worked with the CG and game capture required a strong DP and post-supervisor on set who could provide continuity for every step in the process.”
TEAK also worked closely with Sony’s ad agency, Deustch LA, to ensure the E3 teaser complemented PlayStation Move’s overall ‘This Changes Everything’ campaign. “They gave us considerable creative latitude, and the final product I think really appealed to the diverse crowd at what is really the premiere showcase for the gaming world,” said Rowan.
This is the second E3 launch film that TEAK has handled for Sony in as many years; it was also responsible for the brand’s Home project in 2009.
Credits
Client: Sony
Title: Move
Launch Date: June 2010
Prod Company: TEAK
Director: Greg Rowan
EP: Greg Martinez
Producer: Emily van Nierop
Post/Effects: TEAK
Concept Design: Joshua Miller, Frank Glinski
3D Animator: Joshua Miller
Motion Graphics: Frank Glinski, Ken Ackerman, Brian Rulapaugh
Post Supervisor / Smoke Artist: Mark Everson
Editor: Danny Figueroa
Smoke Asst.: Jeremy Huff
EP: Jan Frei
Producer: Emily van Nierop
Mixer: DJ Craze
About TEAK
TEAK is a San Francisco-based collective of film, editorial, animation and interactive content creators whose medium is everything digital. The dynamic full-service production, post-production, motion graphics, and interactive media studio features a roster of directors, editors, VFX artists, designers, animators web developers who form a creative think tank of talent that crafts unique viral campaigns, commercials, and branded entertainment. TEAK strives to deliver a complete online brand experience with a custom-built integrated digital development center, where they do digital planning and front and back-end site building, and create branded content, including video shooting, editing, and animating. TEAK’s clients include major ad agencies and direct-to-client relationships with brands such as Google and Sony.
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