Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/137897
Loyalkaspar created the tease and launch campaign for the new A&E series Bates Motel. The studio also created the show's :10 open. Luis Martinez is the head of design at 2C Media in Miami. He's seeing a simplicity being implemented into today's design, including a focus on typography that works across all platforms. Chris Sloan, creative director/president/owner of 2C Media, echoes Martinez's statement on simplicity, adding there is a move toward a cleaner and more organized, European design. "At the same time," says Sloan,"you see a post modern industrial pop and Japanese aesthetic. There's a lot of bling out there too. Nobody says they want that, but it's there and it's cool." Daniel Dörnemann is the creative director/lead animator at Loyalkaspar in New York, and like many of those interviewed in this month's feature, is seeing an increased call for the use of live action in broadcast design projects. "Live action is the most straightforward in being able to tell a story," he says. "It depends on the project and on the budget when you do live action. Look at USA — they have branded the entire station around a very distinct live-action package. In the end, it's always a question of what is appropriate?" Dörnemann adds that another trend he's witnessed is the diminishing of brand time. "Network IDs and image spots are making room for things that are straight up commercials, or that are elements that allow them to promote the show and the network. If you do IDs, you want to connect the network to the show." 2C MEDIA North Miami's 2C Media opened eight years ago as a third-party production company for two court shows that appeared on Fox. They also contributed to AOL's IntoTV, where online viewers could watch classic TV show. About six years ago, 2C Media moved into on-air promo work, in addition to original series production. The studio produces Airport 24/7 and Swamp Wars, as well as other programs, and president/ owner/creative director Chris Sloan says diversity is what helps the studio stay successful. "We have to be diverse, when you are outside of New York, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and the Atlanta core," says Sloan, noting that his market is often associated with Latin American work. 2C Media is home to 14 edit bays and four designers. The shows it produces can employ anywhere from 30 to 40 people at a time. The studio handles design for all of the shows it produces, and even works on outside productions that compete with its original pro- gramming. Sloan points to graphics 2C Media created for Swamp People as an example. "We give it 110 percent," he says. The studio recently teamed up with The Weather Channel out of Atlanta on promos for two shows. As a former weatherman himself, Sloan says he had a particular affinity for the project. "I have a passion for weather," he says, adding that the studio has worked with The Weather Channel a number of times in the past. The promos for Hacking the Planet and Deadliest Space Weather have very different looks. Hacking the Planet asks viewers to think about how the weather can be controlled? The show has more of a light-hearted feel and suggests that weather-controlling techniques will put "Mother Nature on notice!" Luis Martinez and says that particular promo reflects the feel of the show. "We were trying to accomplish a very unique feel," he explains. "We wanted to use a different technique that would complement the show itself. It's very happy and somewhat nerdy in a way. We wanted to use iconography and mixed media to promote the show." The studio will normally develop two to three different concepts and directions that it feels could work, but for this project, Martinez says, "We designed one set of boards because we felt that was it and the right direction." The spot took less than two weeks to turn around, which includes developing the idea, writing the script, creating the boards and animation. The spot's paper textures were captured using a Canon 7D. 3D techniques were used for the vacuum cleaner, and hand animation was employed in some cases too. Adobe's After Effects was used to create 2.5D animation. For the Deadliest Space Weather promo, Martinez says the creative team had to match the detailed in-show graphics. "These guys had been working on it for months," he says of the show's producers, "and our quality had to match their quality." He points to several scenes, such as one in which the Eiffel Tower is showing effects of acid rain, and another featuring meteor showers and high-speed wind. "We created two spots and the only scene we were given was the Eiffel Tower," says Martinez. "Everything else we created from scratch. It was about a week-and-a-half turnaround." Maxon's Cinema 4D was used as the main 3D program. After Effects was called on for compositing. "Compared to ads, we work at a much faster clip," says Sloan, referring to the aforementioned turnarounds. www.postmagazine.com Post • June 2013 23