The directorial duo Mindcastle–consisting of Danielle Krieger and Casey Warren–from production house Sanctuary has teamed with effects studio a52 on a spot for Microsoft Mesh, which enables presence and shared experiences via mixed reality applications.
This resourceful technology which facilitates meaningful collaboration and connection is showcased in this client-direct commercial, aptly titled “Mesh.”
CreditsClient Microsoft David Wolfe, John Nguyen, creative directors; Dave Carleson, concept artist. Production Company Sanctuary, Culver City, Calif. Mindcastle, director; Pat Scola, DP; Noah Thomason, live-action producer; Melissa Myers, production designer; Preston Lee, founder/exec producer. VFX/Animation a52, Santa Monica, Calif. Jesse Monsour, Urs Furrer, VFX supervisors; Kirk Shintani, art director/CG supervisor; Richard Hirst, Andrew McKenna, Matt Sousa, Steven Wolf, John Valle, Michael Vaglienty, Enid Dalkoff, Flame artists; Dustin Mellum, Ariana Ziae Mohseni, Aemilia Widodo, Weiyo Sha, Bryan Cox, Josh Dyer, Jose Limon, Jade Smrz, Joe Paniagua, Mike Di Nocco, Derek Friesenborg, Joseph Chiechi, Mike Bettinardi, Christoffer Bjerre, Haram Jung, Lusine Arakelyan, 3D artists; Jeff Han, design art director; Carlo Sa, Christoffer Bjerre, designers; John Valle, online editor; Niki Love Goodwin, sr. producer; Sara Dotson, production coordinator; Stacy Kessler-Aungst, head of production; Michael Steinmann, head of CG production; Patrick Nugent, Kim Christensen, EPs; Jennifer Sofio Hall, managing director. (Toolbox: Flame, Maya, Vray, SpeedTree, Houdini, Nuke, Photoshop, Substance Painter, Cinema4D, After Effects). Color Primary, Santa Monica, Calif. Daniel De Vue, colorist; Corey Martinez, color assistant; Jenny Bright, color producer; Thatcher Peterson, exec producer. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors Ted Guard, editor; Michel Shugarman, assistant editor; Sasha Grubor, producer; Shada Shariatzadeh, exec producer; Dre Krichevsky, head of production; Eve Kornblum, managing director. Music Future Perfect John Connolly, composer/partner; Maxwell Gosling, partner; Nathalie Cordoba, producer.
Top Spot of the Week: Nike, W+K Portland, Megaforce Take Us On A “Sunshine” Run
“Winning isn’t Comfortable” is the second chapter of Nike’s “Winning isn’t for Everyone,” extended through the lens of running. It is based on true insights and the realities that runner experience when they lace up their shoes.
It adds the perspective of how hard it can be to just get out the door and go for a run. The idea that if you don’t hate running a little, you don’t love running enough. It celebrates the need and opportunity to push outside a person’s comfort zone to discover what they can accomplish, emphasizing that true victory often requires pushing through uncomfortable moments.
Each film of the series builds on the tension that every runner faces--pushing through the morning dread, the elements outside, the pain of hitting a wall, or even walking down the stairs after a run or race--juxtaposed with the feeling of elation only runners know as they push themselves beyond what they thought possible.
The irreverence of the films--directed by Megaforce via production company Iconoclast for Wieden+Kennedy Portland--is in pairing visuals showing the mundanity of everyday struggles with music that brings to life a contradictory tension. This film, the first to be released, is titled “Sunshine” and shows the inclement weather and obstacles that runners encounter to the tune of “You Are My Sunshine.”
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