This week, I thought I’d share with you a few of the commercial projects we’ve done. Whether it’s a 30-second spot or a huge multi-format ad campaign, commercial work gives us a chance to play in many styles and focus our creative chops. We love variety and our advertising work includes everything from stop-motion, live action mix, classic 2D animation, 3D CGI and everything in between.

Looking back at some of the ads we did, I found that some of them have a very particular – and now, popular – aesthetic, which demonstrates a trend that has been apparent in advertising over the last couple of years: infographics!

This ad was produced for TomTom [...]]]> As promised, we bring you Part 2 of our #GMrestrospective blog series (read Part 1 if you missed it), commemorating some of the hard work our team has completed over the last year.

This week, I thought I’d share with you a few of the commercial projects we’ve done. Whether it’s a 30-second spot or a huge multi-format ad campaign, commercial work gives us a chance to play in many styles and focus our creative chops. We love variety and our advertising work includes everything from stop-motion, live action mix, classic 2D animation, 3D CGI and everything in between.

Looking back at some of the ads we did, I found that some of them have a very particular – and now, popular – aesthetic, which demonstrates a trend that has been apparent in advertising over the last couple of years: infographics!

Have a look for yourself:

1. TomTom Live

This ad was produced for TomTom using Cinema 4D and After Affects to produce a clear info-exploration shot on TomTom’s new HD Traffic service. (Inspired by Francois Marc Baillet.)

2. OTS

This spot was part of the Ontario Tire Stewardship‘s marketing campaign advocating responsible tire disposal and consumer awareness of recycled tire products. (Credit for illustrations goes to The Goggles – check out some of their other projects here.)

Dry? Not when the style is SO FINE!

3. BC Jobs

As part of a big campaign by the Government of British Columbia, this spot helped raise public awareness about a complicated tax referendum. (I personally really dig the music timing and the guy’s little murmur!)

So there it is folks – a small sampling of ads we’ve done recently that navigate viewers through an idea using an infographic kind of approach. Stay tuned for more as we look back at our work and reflect.

Tidbit: Some infographic mavens worth checking out: Cognitive Media (the company behind RSA Animate) – or, just get your daily dose of infographics here.

Stay in the loop with #GMretrospective on Twitter and follow us at @GlobalMechanic!

Edge.org was inspired by intellectual clubs like the Invisible College of the 17th century, the Royal Society, The Lunar Society and The Reality Club, which consisted of leading intellectuals from a wide array of disciplines. Scientists like Robert Boyle and John Wallis, cultural figures like James Watt, Benjamin Franklin, and Erasmus Darwin, would come together to build on their knowledge through conversation and experimental investigation.

Some of the clubs were informal gatherings, with members meeting in random locations, from Chinese restaurants and artist lofts to investment firms and board rooms at world renown universities. Today, that venue is the web.

A living document 16 years in the making, Edge.org is comprised of discussions on hot-button issues between many of the world’s smartest people. Every year, the best question is chosen and [...]]]> Recently, our Associate Editor, Ally, sent me a lovely link that her dad forwarded to her (oh how information trickles down to me!)

Edge.org was inspired by intellectual clubs like the Invisible College of the 17th century, the Royal Society, The Lunar Society and The Reality Club, which consisted of leading intellectuals from a wide array of disciplines. Scientists like Robert Boyle and John Wallis, cultural figures like James Watt, Benjamin Franklin, and Erasmus Darwin, would come together to build on their knowledge through conversation and experimental investigation.

Some of the clubs were informal gatherings, with members meeting in random locations, from Chinese restaurants and artist lofts to investment firms and board rooms at world renown universities.
Today, that venue is the web.

A living document 16 years in the making, Edge.org is comprised of discussions on hot-button issues between many of the world’s smartest people. Every year, the best question is chosen and promoted.

And in the spirit of our #GMretrospective and looking back, I thought I’d share 201o’s annual question, one I found quite relevant to production work and creative processes:

How is the internet changing the way you think?

This got me thinking about what online tools we use at Global Mechanic when producing our creative work.
While I am not an animator, (as a social media coordinator, I can only admit to knowing my way around Photoshop and InDesign), I nevertheless can appreciate the amount of process I see around the office as my coworkers rig, animate, conceptualize, sketch, record, and produce!

Inquisitive as I am, I’ve asked everyone at the office – and as many people we can reach on Facebook – the following question:

What’s your style when it comes to brainstorming and sketching new designs and concepts? Have a favourite tool you love to use?

Michael, Ken and Cliff gave me a glimpse into their world and it looked something like this:

I was a bit surprised to find, however, that when talking to them, the good ol’ sketch pad and HB pencil were a favourite.

What do you think? I invite you to share your thoughts with us on Facebook.

Sketches from Impromptu, a 3D animated short currently in production

Sir Bit, an ASCII quest game for the iOS platform. Full version coming soon.

The year has started off with a full bang: We’ve signed on new ad campaigns; we’re in production of Impromptu, our first 3D animated short and co-production with the NFB; we’re preparing to develop our first ebook; and our developer, Cliff, is putting the final touches on the full version of Sir Bit, an ASCII-style iOS game.

Yet, while we prepare for what’s in the works for 2012, we’ve also had a bit of time to really think about all the work we’ve done over the past year.

As part of a special blog series, I thought we’d highlight 10 intriguing Global Mechanic projects of 2011, a retrospective, if [...]]]> With January almost done, we’re already used to saying it’s 2012. But 2011 is still relatively fresh in our minds.

Sketches from Impromptu, a 3D animated short currently in production

Sir Bit, an ASCII quest game for the iOS platform. Full version coming soon.

The year has started off with a full bang: We’ve signed on new ad campaigns; we’re in production of Impromptu, our first 3D animated short and co-production with the NFB; we’re preparing to develop our first ebook; and our developer, Cliff, is putting the final touches on the full version of Sir Bit, an ASCII-style iOS game.

Yet, while we prepare for what’s in the works for 2012, we’ve also had a bit of time to really think about all the work we’ve done over the past year.

As part of a special blog series, I thought we’d highlight 10 intriguing Global Mechanic projects of 2011, a retrospective, if you will, that may even give us a good sense of what’s in store in the coming year.
In our office discussions, we’ve observed how our design decisions, style and aesthetic reflect many of the trends happening a broad range of industries, from animation to design in general.

GM emphasizes a revival of handmade, physical media in the digital environment. We’re into experimental, old school techniques and aim to produce high-quality work, from films and digital products to all kinds of uncategorizable “stuff“. As many professionals who work using such an aesthetic know, this kind of work oscillates between the seemingly instantaneous (animated!) product, and very hard work.

Producing this type of stylized animation requires meticulous and time-consuming preparation and production, long hours, and a lot of heart. Please join us as we feature some of the unique projects Global Mechanic has produced over the past year and draw common threads between them. You may find that these threads will weave themselves into a poignant commentary on what informs and inspires not only us – but others in the creative industry today.

With that, I invite you to visit us over the coming weeks as we feature intermittent entries that will coalesce in a kind of Global Mechanic retrospective. Please check back with us or feel free to search the series up on Twitter at #GMretrospective. Enjoy!

Have a look!

For more sketchbook pages from our talented staff, see sketches #007, #008, #009.

Impromptu is a co-production between the NFB and Global Mechanic. The short film focuses on a modern man named Chuck, who’s experience of a dinner party he’s throwing acts as a metaphor of something we can all relate to: the experience of our external world, which can often be chaotic, but which can still lead to poignantly beautiful resolutions inside ourselves.

In the words of the film’s director, our one and only, Bruce:

“The film is about how Chuck sees and feels about his world. Like the piano impromptu from which the piece takes its name, it’s an account of thoughts and visions spurred by the spirit of the moment. It’s a metaphor for the inner redemptive eurekas of life, the ones that carry us forward even when no-one else knows they’ve happened.”

The film will be produced using stereoscopic 3D, which lends itself very well to the film, especially in scenes where Chuck [...]]]>

Impromptu is a co-production between the NFB and Global Mechanic. The short film focuses on a modern man named Chuck, who’s experience of a dinner party he’s throwing acts as a metaphor of something we can all relate to:
the experience of our external world, which can often be chaotic, but which can still lead to poignantly beautiful resolutions inside ourselves.

In the words of the film’s director, our one and only, Bruce:

“The film is about how Chuck sees and feels about his world. Like the piano impromptu from which the piece takes its name, it’s an account of thoughts and visions spurred by the spirit of the moment. It’s a metaphor for the inner redemptive eurekas of life, the ones that carry us forward even when no-one else knows they’ve happened.”

The film will be produced using stereoscopic 3D, which lends itself very well to the film, especially in scenes where Chuck is at his most detached from reality and removed from the crowd, but very emotionally and imaginatively charged inside.

Here are a few (current) sketches of the dinner party guests (inspired by Matisse and Javier Mariscal). Enjoy!

Meet Sylvie, Chuck’s wife:

…and Jeff, Chuck’s best friend:

This is Hester, Sylvie’s friend (whom Chuck really dislikes):

..and Adele, a flirty fan of Chuck’s:

You’ll have to wait to meet Chuck though… Stay tuned for more…

We recently got a sweet 47″ 3D (flicker-free!) TV in our office, along with an XBox Kinect and a Playstation 3.But it’s not all for just fun and games. Sure, we went through some melee training and fought some gladiators in Medieval Moves, but it’s all part of the artistic process (really!)

You see, we’re about to start production for Impromptu, a 3D short that Global Mechanic is co-producing with the NFB. We posted some preliminary character sketches a while ago – stay tuned for more next week- to give you a sneak peek at what the movie is going to look like (you’ll notice Matisse and Javier Mariscal are a huge inspiration). 

It’s funny though, ever since 3D made its way into our office on a more physical level, I’ve been noticing all [...]]]>

Jimmy Rigger + XBox Kinect come together. (That's Philip, one of our animators, moving the smiling Mr. Jimmy)

We recently got a sweet 47″ 3D (flicker-free!) TV in our office, along with an XBox Kinect and a Playstation 3.But it’s not all for just fun and games. Sure, we went through some melee training and fought some gladiators in Medieval Moves, but it’s all part of the artistic process (really!)

You see, we’re about to start production for Impromptu, a 3D short that Global Mechanic is co-producing with the NFB. We posted some preliminary character sketches a while ago – stay tuned for more next week- to give you a sneak peek at what the movie is going to look like (you’ll notice Matisse and Javier Mariscal are a huge inspiration). 

It’s funny though, ever since 3D made its way into our office on a more physical level, I’ve been noticing all kinds of cool 3D-related stuff being discussed in the interwebs. For example, data visualization project by designer Odaibe lets you visualize drum beats in 3D (on a related note, we’ve also seen paint droplets dance to music). Sensor Based Display Environment may also take Smartphones to a new level (maybe even the iPhone 5!), with possibilities of motion control.

We’re really excited to be taking on a 3D project and aligning this technique to our creative vision.

Pretty neat world we live in, I’d say.

Tidbit: The 3D TV is also really unlike the theatre experience- you’re looking into a window with a 3D plane on the other side, rather than having seemingly random objects and people’s noses poke out at you from the screen. It’s a much more interesting experience.

I know we’ve finally arrived to “the future” when we can make colour dance.

Dentsu London just launched a project in collaboration with photographer/biochemist, Linden Gledhill, to reinvigorate the Canon brand and promote the PIXMA colour range printer. The project “brings colour to life” through “sound sculptures” made of paint droplets captured in vivid detail as they “dance” in response to sound waves.

Using a high-speed camera – the Canon 5D Mark II, to be exact (with a  100mm lens) – Gledhill will be capturing more mesmerizing formations of vibrant water-based paints. When you see it on video, it really looks like rigged animation, but it’s not; what you see, is really what happened in real life.

How do they do it? Dentsu explains on its blog: “The ‘colour sculptures’ were created by stretching a balloon over a speaker to form a membrane.  A few drops of paint [...]]]>

Sound sculptures by Linden Gledhill.

I know we’ve finally arrived to “the future” when we can make colour dance.

Dentsu London just launched a project in collaboration with photographer/biochemist, Linden Gledhill, to reinvigorate the Canon brand and promote the PIXMA colour range printer. The project “brings colour to life” through “sound sculptures” made of paint droplets captured in vivid detail as they “dance” in response to sound waves.

Using a high-speed camera – the Canon 5D Mark II, to be exact (with a  100mm lens) – Gledhill will be capturing more mesmerizing formations of vibrant water-based paints. When you see it on video, it really looks like rigged animation, but it’s not; what you see, is really what happened in real life.

How do they do it? Dentsu explains on its blog: “The ‘colour sculptures’ were created by stretching a balloon over a speaker to form a membrane.  A few drops of paint were then placed in the centre of the balloon and a single sharp note was played through the speaker, causing the paint to erupt for just a fraction of a second.” You better believe it!

Tidbit: Want to see more? Take a look at Gledhill’s Water Figures project.

The NFB has been collaborating with Pattison Onestop and Art4Commuters on a project that’s been turning heads (1.3 million to be exact) on subway platforms in Toronto all month. This is one of two installations that are part of NFB’s multi-year HIGHRISE project, a documentary experiment developed by Sharon Switzer, which is now being adapted into public art.

The web documentary that inspired all of this, aptly named “One Millionth Tower”, can be viewed in 59 stations across the subway network in a series of 30-second animated videos – but only until the end of February.

And if you’re not in Toronto, watch the full documentary, and discover how cinema, architecture, and the magic of HTML5 are re-imagining the urban landscape: Using the power of animation, One Millionth Tower transforms a deteriorated highrise neighbourhood into [...]]]>

The NFB's One Millionth Tower project gives life to ideas that could inspire positive change in urban communities.

The NFB has been collaborating with Pattison Onestop and Art4Commuters on a project that’s been turning heads (1.3 million to be exact) on subway platforms in Toronto all month. This is one of two installations that are part of NFB’s multi-year HIGHRISE project, a documentary experiment developed by Sharon Switzer, which is now being adapted into public art.

The web documentary that inspired all of this, aptly named “One Millionth Tower”, can be viewed in 59 stations across the subway network in a series of 30-second animated videos – but only until the end of February.

And if you’re not in Toronto, watch the full documentary, and discover how cinema, architecture, and the magic of HTML5 are re-imagining the urban landscape: Using the power of animation, One Millionth Tower transforms a deteriorated highrise neighbourhood into a vibrant community using the ideas of its local residents.

As I’m no art connoisseur, I was pleasantly surprised to find how influential colour development through the ages was on art as we know it (did you know that until the late 19th century, artists lacked vivid greens and purples?) There’s lots to explore about colour – and even if you’re an expert, the interactivity features of the exhibit are quite captivating.

See which pigments stood the test of time and what different colours symbolize and why. You can shed layers of a single painting to [...]]]>
We came across a pretty neat webpage, or rather an entire web exhibit, entitled Pigments Through the Ages. The site gives visitors an entire history of manufacture and use of different pigments. Whether you’re a colour nerd or not, there’s lots to discover without feeling bogged down by chemistry or unexplained jargon. (I discovered what egg tempera is and the difference between violet and purple! Cool!)

As I’m no art connoisseur, I was pleasantly surprised to find how influential colour development through the ages was on art as we know it (did you know that until the late 19th century, artists lacked vivid greens and purples?) There’s lots to explore about colour – and even if you’re an expert, the interactivity features of the exhibit are quite captivating.

See which pigments stood the test of time and what different colours symbolize and why. You can shed layers of a single painting to see differences between paint techniques, compare colours in 3D, or see The Adoration of the Magi under ultraviolet light!

Have a look and you’ll find out who pioneered chrome yellow, where Van Dyke brown got its name, and how veridian helped researchers date and authenticate paintings.

Tidbit: Read about how our own Bruce Alcock designed screens for the play I Send You This Cadmium Red to help bring
colours to life.