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July 2002

ELEMENT'S JAMES O'BRIEN CONTRIBUTES TO THE FEATURE SCORE OF "THE GOOD GIRL"

Element's James O'Brien contributed to the feature of "The Good Girl," written by Mike White and directed by Miguel Arteta (Chuck & Buck), which will enjoy its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film is the first time O'Brien has contributed to the score of a feature. Other artists contributing to the score are Joey Warnker, Tony Maxwell and Mark Orton. O'Brien, known for his successful tenure as front man for the band Redfish and for composing music for the infamous BMW Films project, was thrilled to be a part of this exciting film. "The Good Girl" stars Jennifer Aniston, John C. Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zooey Deschanel and Mike White. O'Brien is founder of Element Music + Soundesign.

O'Brien came to the project via a mutual friend of Director Arteta. Working with an incredibly tight turn-around of three weeks, O'Brien literally worked around the clock composing, recording and mixing the compelling score. "The music, like Justine, spends its time trying to make up its mind," says O'Brien describing his composition. "Constantly something awry, you feel the uncertainty, the unrest."

"James' compositions go to the heart of the characters," comments Director Arteta. "You're able to take in the characters' plight without feeling that any agendas are being pushed. James is a wonderful composer."

PAC-MAN LIVES AT SUPER 78 IN HOLLYWOOD

Led by Creative Director Brent Young and Executive Producer Dina Benadon, Super 78 in Hollywood has just completed animated cinematics for videogame titles "Pac-Man Party" and "Pac-Man World 2" for Namco and game developer Mass Media. Released next month, the titles feature extensive animation by Super 78 with some of the game's most popular characters including the winning couple Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man.

Relying on the diverse pool of talent available at Super 78, the "Pac-Man Party" and "Pac-Man World 2" videogame titles put the company's creative philosophy and methodology to the test. Producing 8 1/2 minutes of eye-popping animation in just a few short months, the Super 78 team answered the call of Mass Media and Namco's creative vision.

"Super 78 was a pleasure to work with," says Namco Producer Chris Esaki. "They were able to deal with changes quickly and come up with creative, practical solutions to problems encountered during the entire production process. Nothing but the best."

According to Super 78's Benadon and Young, their experience in producing a variety of film, television, commercial and game projects has given them the creative know-how needed in order to work with the tight deadlines and high expectations of videogame clients. This was accomplished under the leadership of a videogame connoisseur - Creative Director Brent Young.

"Dina and I have developed an eye for quality over the years," explains Super 78's Brent Young. "Our producing and communication skills enable us to provide clients with what they are looking for from the beginning."

"Brent took great care in creating storylines that gamers would enjoy because he too grew up on early titles like 'Pac-Man,'" says Executive Producer Dina Benadon. "He is a true gamer, and it shows on projects like these."

HI-WIRE'S CASSIE SCROGGINS TAKES FLIGHT WITH DRAGONFLYTV

In an energetic open for DragonflyTV, a new PBS children's program created by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), HI-WIRE Digital Effects Designer Cassie Scroggins captures the fun of science through eye-popping graphics and striking colors.

Geared towards children ages 9-12, DragonflyTV is based on the successful children's magazine Dragonfly and features ordinary children and their own science investigations. The mission of DragonflyTV is to empower its viewers to explore, question and learn using the process of science. Scroggins and the talented artists at HI-WIRE were responsible for creating a complete visual identity for the program, including a new logo, program open, interstitials and graphical interface to generate interest in the subject matter.

The show's focus, real kids doing real science, is highlighted in the :30 open with multiple layers of vibrant colors and graphics composited over footage of kids participating in science projects. The shades of blue, green and orange used in the open are representative of the show's logo, which consists of abstract, geometric shapes that form a dragonfly.

"For this project, our goal was to show children experiencing science in everyday life, not just in a science environment or classroom," remarks Cassie Scroggins. "[TPT Co-Producer] Gloria Bremer wanted the open to have an abstract look; one that was funky enough to relate to today's kids who are technologically savvy and sophisticated viewers."

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