Live Action
From table top to top tier talent.
Live action shoots require a particular skill set: meticulous preparation, decision making under pressure, and flexibility at (prop) gun point.
Building sets for high-concept spots or working with A-list talent, we love stepping away from the computer to capture magic in-camera.
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Every great execution starts with a great idea. We articulate those ideas through the most appropriate form: concepts, scripts or storyboards.
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Whether it’s managing a crew of dozens or picking up a camera by ourselves, we work with experienced line producers that make sure we stay on task, time and budget.
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We like to stay in control of the final phase whenever possible, be it editing, color correction or VFX integration. This assures the final product lives up to our high expectations.
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MARVEL // Find Your Power
We conceived and executed the Find Your Power campaign as a global rallying cry, inspiring fans to unleash their inner hero, to have a blast as they revel in that boost of confidence they get every time they step into the Marvel Universe.
ESPN US Open // Waterfront Murals
Filmed at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY
In a unique concept that combines an event with complex live-action shoot on a waterfront pier, we imagined an experience people could interact with by putting up murals in the most cinematic of places –Brooklyn Bridge Park – and turned that experience into a series of promotional spots.
“BLACKLIGHT”
HLN’s // Forensic Files II
Filmed at Westchester County Department of Labs and Research
“OMG”
To capture the mood of this cult series, we could think of no better place to film than an actual crime lab. Complete with tools, machines and… fluids of the trade.
CNN’s // The Windsors
Filmed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
A private plane. LAX. And, of course, corgis. We had fun with a pack of the late Queen’s beloved breed to craft this teaser spot for THE WINDSORS, an inside look of the Royal dynasty.
FX’s // The Americans
Filmed in suburban New Jersey
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL”
“SCHOOL’S OUT”
If you’re a Russian undercover agent embedded in American suburbia, your job is to be aware of, but never surprised by, assignments, developments, or fighter jets.
CNN’s // The Seventies
Filmed in New York, NY
“LET’S GET IT ON”
In 1972, Polaroid launched the camera that revolutionized photography. To capture the magic of this transformative technology, we enhanced slow motion footage with high-end VFX to create a set of hypnotic spots for CNN’s The SEVENTIES.
“I WILL SURVIVE”
“DREAM ON”
PROMAX 2019 // Conference Titles
Filmed in Brooklyn, NY
As part of our comprehensive rebrand for PROMAX, we created the opening titles for its global conference in Los Angeles. We explored the idea of creative play by combining a high-end VFX shoot with the graphic DNA of the new brand.
A+E Networks // Shining A Light
Filmed in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta
With this moving piece promoting a concert examining race relations in America, we shine a light on the multitude of conversations that need to be had across the political spectrum.
WGN’s // Outsiders
Filmed in North Carolina
“CHICKEN”
In this spot for OUTSIDERS, the story of the Farrell clan and their struggle for power and control in the hills of Appalachia, we bear witness to an epic game of chicken between clan members and their nemesis, personified by the local police chief.
Gillette // How does Superman shave?
w/The Mythbusters
w/Kevin Smith
A humorous way to promote MAN OF STEEL, we let a select group of scientist (Bill Nye, The Mythbusters), science-educated (Mayim Bialik) and science-curious (Kevin Smith) celebrities explain their theories on the shaving practices of Superman.
A&E’s The Returned // Title Sequence
Filmed in Vancouver, BC and Brooklyn, NY
A&E’s THE RETURNED is set in a small town that is changed forever when a seemingly random collection of deceased locals suddenly reappear. We projected clips into water to provide glimpses of characters and to introduce what would turn out to be a major character in the narrative: the nearby lake.
A&E’s The Returned // Character Tableaus
Filmed in Vancouver, BC
We scripted, staged and shot pivotal scenes for all the main characters of this supernatural thriller. Each vignette brings to life an interaction between a villager and one of their returning family members.
A&E’s // Bates Motel
Filmed in Vancouver, BC
Over the first 2 seasons of Bates Motel, we shot a number of creepy spots that explored both characters and settings. At the heart of both campaigns were Norman and Norma, the relationship between each other and themselves.
“NORMAN”
“NORMA”
CNN’s // Searching for Italy
Filmed in New York
SEARCHING FOR ITALY with Stanley Tucci is all about the Italy’s diversity. Therefore, we needed a simple unifying hook to express this idea quickly. For the launch spot, our journey is anchored by the plate at the center of the composition. While the tease spots gave us the opportunity to put our own stamp on Italy’s iconic foods.
// House at the End of the Street > Main Titles
Filmed in New York, NY
Before Jennifer Lawrence was, well, Jennifer Lawrence, she made a series of smaller films. One such film was HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET, a psychological thriller film directed by Mark Tonderai. We shot this dark title sequence with little budget in our office “garage”.
STARZ’s // Party Down
Filmed in Los Angeles, CA
Serving as the launch pad for some of today’s most beloved actors, PARTY DOWN was one of television’s most critically acclaimed comedies. We worked with that cast on this irreverent launch spot for season 2.
“PYRE”
AMC’s // The Walking Dead
Filmed in Atlanta, GA
“MARKING TIME”
We shot a batch of tease spots for one of the most successful shows on television on set in Atlanta, GA. Both characters and locations starred in these creepy snippets.
VICELAND
Filmed in New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Colorado, Saskatchewan, CA, Baghdad, Iraq, Kabul, Afghanistan.
VICE Media has a history of doing things differently. For the launch of VICELAND, we kept things unexpectedly simple: locked-off shots of physical billboards in cinematic locations, equally exotic and mundane.
A&E // Show Promos
Filmed in New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA
MANHUNTER
HOARDERS
A&E // Brand Spots
Filmed in New York, NY and Albuquerque, NM
CNN’s // American Style
Filmed in Brooklyn, NY
We brought mannequins center stage in custom window displays to showcase the history of style and how it has mirrored the political, social and economic climate of our nation. American Style is a modern look book for American histor; by understanding what we wore, we understand who we are – then and now.
ABC Family // Upfront Spot
Filmed in Los Angeles, CA
A&E’s // The Cleaner > Main Titles
Filmed in New York, NY