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October 2009

Dentsu America and Zoic Studios Unite to Produce Eddie Wise for Nissin

Recently, audiences were introduced to Eddie, a unique, animated spokesperson for Nissin Chow Mein who was brought to digital life via a rich collaboration between advertising agency Dentsu America and digital production company Zoic Studios. The commercial features the voice of preeminent actor James Hong (Blade Runner, Mulan, Kung Fu Panda).

Dentsu America approached Zoic Studios as a creative partner to develop the animated Eddie character and oversee the commercial’s production as a whole. Working from the agency’s written character biography and general photo references, Zoic Studios hired key designers who produced distinctly different pencil sketch approaches that were then honed in collaboration with Dentsu America’s creative team.

Once the general look and feel of Eddie was decided, digital production began. Zoic Studios VFX Supervisor Les Ekker attended the voice-over performance by James Hong and video was taken of the session so that Image Metrics (Benjamin Button) could extract the facial animation thereby providing an organic and realistic baseline from which to build authentic looking lip synch and delivery. Hong’s face, neck and hands were photographed using a custom camera with a polarized lighting rig built by Zoic’s Ekker and CG Supervisor Andy Wilkoff to capture the incredible detail and texture needed to produce surface and subsurface texture for realistic, lifelike skin. Other key details, like hair and clothing movement and aesthetics were created with simulations held up to rigorous scrutiny and exacting production standards.

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Season One of “Important Things With Demetri Martin” on DVD; Features Graphics & Animation by Phoenix Productions

Comedy Central’s “Important Things with Demetri Martin” is out on DVD. The show, a smash hit with audiences and critics, marks the third collaboration between Busboy Productions and design & branding studio Phoenix Productions, which delivered a complete graphics package for the show.

In addition to the Show Open, Logo treatment, Bumpers, Interstitials and Lower Thirds, Phoenix Productions provided the majority of the in-show animation, working closely with the production team and Martin during each episode's taping.

"Important Things with Demetri Martin" is a stream-of-consciousness sketch and variety show from comedian Demetri Martin. Each episode focuses on a single topic through the prism of Demetri's unique point of view, whether it's apples or the afterlife.

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Venice Arts Collaborates with Teenage Filmmaker on Film Short “Mozambique”

Venice Arts recently presented “Mozambique” at a special pre-screening reception in Los Angeles, CA at the Writer’s Boot Camp. This moving film short, directed by Mozambican teen Alcides Soares, tells the story of Alcides' search for family after being orphaned by AIDS.

“Mozambique” is a 17-minute cut of Mozambican teenager Alcides Soares' documentary about being orphaned by AIDS is one of 10 finalists in the Manhattan Shorts festival. It tells the story of Alcides and his friends as they come to terms with the loss of their parents and seek to create new family bonds, sometimes with other children, sometimes with caring adults willing to take them in. Produced by ByKids, with the collaboration and support of Venice Arts, the film was shot in Mozambique in 2007 during The House Is Small But The Welcome Is Big: Mozambique.

To learn how to take action on this issue visit:
http://joinipe.org/action/ and http://www.venice-arts.org/

More Info: Venice Arts