Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney had his Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief debut on HBO on March 29. And opening the documentary was a title sequence from New York-based VFX studio Artjail. Gibney and Jigsaw Productions enlisted Art Jail to work on different aspects of the documentary. The opening sequence drew viewers right into the mysterious inner world of Scientology by depicting its peculiar “auditing” process. Artjail shot live-action footage and created the type design for the sequence.
“Working closely with Alex and his team, Artjail was responsible for giving vision to the filmmaker’s ideas,” said Arthur Portnoy, executive producer at Artjail. “We created a simple, elegant visual language for a film featuring a complex story spanning many years, many themes and many characters, both famous and not. There was a lot of collaboration in terms of how the type, graphics and animations looked and worked in the film until everyone was satisfied we had hit the right notes. In the end, it was well worth the effort.”
Using stock footage, CG and 2D elements, Artjail also created the animations for the film’s “Myth of Creation” sequence, which is narrated by Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard himself. The animated footage is layered, creating a surreal and bizarre set of images that serve as a visual interpretation of Hubbard’s sci-fi explanation for how the world was created. Impressionistic imagery was used throughout different parts of the film to illustrate some of the strange rituals and circumstances in which featured church members found themselves. These shots were filmed by Artjail creative director Steve Mottershead over a two-day shoot using Phantom and Bolex cameras.
Artjail also worked on additional short animations, titles and graphics found throughout the film, as well as treating a number of archival still photographs. All in all, the studio executed 80 shots in the film, helping provide the work with its unified look and feel.
CreditsClient Jigsaw Productions/Alex Gibney’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Production/Design Studio Artjail Steve Mottershead, Tamir Sapir, creative directors; Andy Grieve, editor; Lee Towndrow, main titles DP; Chris Monaco, designer/animator; Jade Milan, motion designer; Arthur Portnoy, exec producer; Lisa Starace, producer; Ben Vaccaro, Flame artist; Delano Samuels, VFX assistant.
CarMax, The Martin Agency, Director Ulf Johansson Take Us To Car Dealership Run By Beetlejuice
CarMax, the used car retailer known for promoting “the way car buying should be,” understands that sometimes the best way to appreciate doing things the right way is by showcasing the wrong way. In collaboration with the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice team--which is elated given that the movie topped this weekend’s North American box office--CarMax is taking a playful approach to show what car buying shouldn’t be. Showing a family’s nightmarish car-buying experience by turning a character from the movie into possibly the most devious car salesman ever, the campaign, titled “BeetleMax: The Way Car Buying Shouldn’t Be,” humorously illustrates what to avoid when purchasing a car, highlighting CarMax’s commitment to providing a trustworthy and enjoyable car-buying experience for the whole family.
The campaign, concepted by The Martin Agency and directed by Ulf Johansson via Smith and Jones Films--includes this hero spot depicting a car dealership, Beetlemax, run by Beetlejuice himself.
“Beetlejuice is among Warner Bros. most beloved franchises and continues to be sought out by audiences of all ages. Theatrical partnerships with brands like CarMax and their BeetleMax campaign are exciting because they allow us to extend the cinematic world for moviegoers and offer an enhanced entertainment experience. We are thrilled to be partnering with CarMax in such an innovative and immersive way for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” said Dana Nussbaum, EVP of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures.
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