Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/137897
appears after the show's first act. "The biggest trend in network branding is that there is less brand time," he notes. "It's diminishing.". HOUSE OF SALT House of Salt (www.houseofsalt.com) in Culver City opened in 2003 under the name Salt, offering design and editing services. The company's services grew over time, and recently they rebranded themselves to a name that better encapsulates their range of offerings. Creative director/partner Ian Douglass says Salt began as a small shop that worked with a core group of clients.Their goal was to deliver the best work, while being flexible and nimble, and limiting overhead. "It worked well," says Douglass. "Clients started hiring us for more than design, titles and graphics. We picked up work on the television show Numbers, doing graphics and visual effects until it finished, and got to work with Ridley and Tony Scott. [Our growth] continues to blossom." The studio's work has also extended into commercials, and today Douglas says House of Salt acts "more as a client creative partner" than as a service provider. "We provide concepting, shooting, editing, graphics, color and audio," Douglass explains. "We're more of a creative studio and are bigger than we started out as. We're doing a lot more directing and production, and we're House of Salt partners (L-R): Eric Fulford, Ian Douglass and Cari Chadwick. focusing our energy on content creation across all mediums: interactive, Web everything — short stories, little films — and partnering with interactive companies." He's sees the expansion as a requirement in today's business climate. "Broadcast design has to evolve. It's definitely not dead, and it goes backwards some time," he adds, noting trends that lean on stop motion and live action. "I think broadcast design companies are aware of no longer just designing 16x9. We better understand mobile. Everything is blending.The same content is being delivered at different sizes, ratios and bandwidths. We want to make sure we are relevant." House of Salt creative director/partner Eric Fulford echoes Douglass' beliefs. "Broadcast is certainly not dead," he says. "Every year, someone is pushing the envelope. There are more disciplines than the season before." The studio was recently called on by Fox Sports Australia to create a comprehensive broadcast package. The network has been on the air for some time, but never had an official look, so the package could be considered somewhere between a launch and a rebrand. "It's been our approach that has set us apart," says Douglass of securing the job. The studio is known for its use of live-action elements. "Everything is not created on a computer," he notes. "We're not only one doing it, but we ensure that some aspect is live action." The project reunited the House of Salt team with past client and creative director Mark Simmons, who recently transferred over to Fox Sports Australia. "We have a long working relationship," says Douglass. "He gave Eric and I our first stab at directing a commercial." "Mark is familiar with our process of using live action and getting stuff in-cam- era," adds Fulford. House of Salt created a promo toolkit for the network that included well over 100 elements that could be used week in and week out. They also created eight IDs that brand the network and reveal its personality. "It was a huge package for company of their size in terms of throughput, note the duo. The Fox project had a number of interesting angles, notes Douglass. Fox Sports Australia is as big, if not bigger, than its counterpart here in the US. In addition, its doesn't have competition from the likes of ESPN and CBS Sports. The strategy was to create a modular, robust and evergreen package that reflected the look of a modern operating system viewers are familiar with. Douglass says the team found a videowall in Japan that it used as a reference for the desired style they were going for. "The wall held numbers, but what it if held footage?" he asks. "How would it go in motion?" The studio initially tried to shoot the eight moving panels as live action, using ¼-scale glass on motors. They shot elements on their stage using Red's Epic. Going through the physical process, they say, forced them to make decisions on how the tiles would rotate and animate. While they hoped to use most of the live-action elements, the final product was actually combination of Maya and After Effects elements. House of Salt calls on both Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro for editing. The studio spent between three and four months on the project and provided assets that would be used for mobile delivery too. www.postmagazine.com House of Salt's work for Fox Sports Australia is a combination launch/ rebrand, and includes a glass videowall that displays footage. Post • June 2013 25