Post Magazine - Student To Pro
Posted by Press 09.22.2008
GABRIEL TICK
With a memorable name and even more memorable visuals on his reel, Gabriel Tick quickly became a valuable staff member at New York's Click
3X, where he is now a junior animator/designer. An employee now for a
little over a year, Tick originally got his name in front of a Click 3X
talent scout while still at the Parsons School of Design. His focus at
Parsons was illustration -- drawing and painting. So how does that get
you a cool job at a hot shop?
Tick likes to paint realistic figures in surreal landscapes and that
talent ultimately came to the fore in his work for a Dr. Ocatgon music
video called Trees. The artist started out as an intern after first
meeting Click 3X partner Jason Mayo at a Parsons career day. "I had a
sketch book with me and he took a look at it and said, 'Wow. I have no
idea what I'd do with you but I really like what you're doing and I'd
love for you to come into my company and we'll do some work together.'
I didn't even know what motion graphics really was." Still, Tick had
been learning Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop at school.
Tick's sketch book showed a lot of type over imagery, textures and
photographs. In addition to collage work, he did realistic drawings and
Mayo could see useful applications in computer work. Tick interned the
summer following his junior year.
"My first day as an intern I saw the place and thought the office was
amazing; it looked great and everyone was really nice," Tick recalls.
Click designers were conceptualizing the look for a new Dr. Octagon
video for the song "Trees." Mayo got Tick working with head Flame
artist Mark Szumski and Szumski loved Tick's original sketches of
character design and backgrounding for the video -- so did the
decision-makers at MTV. The video debuted in November 2006 with a lot
of Tick's background design and environments as well as the trees
visible in the piece. "A lot of the clouds you see are paintings that I
did that were animated in 3D in Flame."
That first summer, Tick's one-day-a-week internship quickly turned into
"why don't you just try and be here every day," Tick says. With that,
he was offered the same pay he was earning as a part-time assistant to
a fashion photographer to come in as a paid intern every day. "It was a
great opportunity and a dream come true," he says. "I loved getting my
hands on real world projects and getting experience. I learned so much
so quickly about the post world and motion graphics and compositing
that it inspired me to push in that direction. By them telling me what
elements I needed to animate I learned the whole pipeline."
Back at Parsons for senior year, Tick pursued his major -- painting --
but also took as many additional computer courses as he could fit in,
including After Effects, 3D, Final Cut and compositing.
Tick continues to enjoy working in pre-production, creating artwork or
elements in After Effects that are subsequently manipulated in Flame by
Click 3X artists. He doesn't feel a burning need to become a Flame
artist himself. "I'm having a lot of fun doing what I'm doing now,"
Tick says. "I just want to keep learning more and doing more
interesting things and doing more creative jobs."
Recently, in addition to more music videos and commercial spots, Tick
and co-worker Erica Gorochow contributed the opening logo treatment for
Twenty120 (www.twenty120.com) a site devoted to the work of
motion-graphic and video artists who produce one-minute-and-20-second
themed films for the site. Click 3X staffer Aaron Vasquez helped polish
Tick's After Effects work in Flame.
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Clickfire Media Stops Time for Motorola, Draftfcb, & Danica Patrick
Posted by Press 08.01.2008
New York-based ClickFire Media recently
collaborated with Click 3X and Draftfcb to create an elaborate 3D
scrolling scene for the agency's creation of a fully-interactive integrated web
experience supporting Motorola's sponsorship of Indy racer Danica Patrick. ClickFire created the immersive web-based project, which
is a combination of broadcast quality live-action and effects, directed by
Click 3X's John Budion, that will be housed at Motorola's Danica-specific
website (www.motodanica.com). The
360-degree web environments feature layers-upon-layers of visual elements, with
clickable interactive hot-spots, sound effects, and minutely detailed displays
revealing three clock-stopping moments in the life of an Indy superstar.
Visitors can scroll through and interact with the revolving 3D scenes depicting Danica
captured in time at a backyard barbeque, a film set, and a meeting with fans
and paparazzi. At the scene are friends, a dog frozen in mid-air, and Danica's
Motorola-sponsored race car neatly parked in the suburban driveway. Patrick,
famous for both her racing talent and her star-quality looks and charisma,
recently became the first woman in the history of open-wheel racing to win a
major event, securing her victory in the Indy Japan 300.
The interactive experience, which launched in May, combines detailed frame-by-frame
live action shots and VFX into a visually-stimulating and engaging
point-in-time environment. Beginning with storyboards, the teams at Click were
able to map out the entire project step-by-step. With only one day to shoot and
six hours with Danica, they relied on extensive planning and meticulous attention
to detail. Director John Budion notes, "In the frozen world everything
essentially becomes a prop, including talent. Yet, I really wanted all of the
elements to also add to the story and the unveiling of each scene. Because this
lives on the web, we needed a really interactive atmosphere where you can
scroll around each setup and catch something new going on visually, something
that you may have missed before." Budion prepared a comprehensive
treatment to help the client visualize the concept, as well as to detail the
intricate specifics of each of the shoot environments. The two weeks of
pre-production enabled the team to execute quickly on the set, using their
precise, elaborate 3D previs as a detailed map for the shoot.
To generate the revolving motion effects, Click developed a huge turntable, twenty feet in
diameter, to function as a base for the scene. To offset the movement and
eliminate motion blur, they employed an HDx900 camera, working all the way
through in HD to ensure sharp and crisp delivery. Anything outside the core
diameter was shot alone and centered at a slower speed, then manipulated to
gain the right speed and angle, and incorporated into the shot. The Click 3X
team took simultaneously stills for 3D modeling and textures, as well as adding
details such as camera flashes, heat distortion, liquids, and reflections for
another level of realism during finishing process.
Budion, who also directed the VFX,describes the post-production process, "We really took advantage of our studio's technology to complete everything in just three weeks. The delivery size was 970x405, which allowed me to work in HD, but render out in Proxy, cutting significant time off of each render. Maximizing the 3D capabilities of
Flame, I was able to take the original green screen, 3D track it, use that track to create 3D backgrounds, particles, and depth blurring passes, and do final compositing and lighting all in one setup. The ability to quickly and accurately work in one setup from greenscreen to final composite, without having to wait for any CG renders, expedited workflow and really facilitated the crunch of a 3-week deadline." The team also added additional, elements in Maya to create the right look and feel.
Draftfcb originally approached ClickFire because of their ability to leverage and
combine their interactive expertise with Click 3X's ability to integrate traditional broadcast elements. Commenting on the final output, ClickFire EP Conner Swegle notes, "There is certainly a growing demand for broadcast-quality experiences online and we were able to really leverage our strengths to create something totally unique for the web. We worked closely together with John (Budion) to create and combine intensely detailed frozen visual imagery with really cool and functional interactivity. It's pretty exciting to be able to
output so much intricacy and bring this type of rich-media quality to the web."
Click 3X Partner/EP Jason Mayo notes, "The project really shows off the vast creative
capabilities accessible when we collaborate. The great relationship really pushed the limits throughout the process, from the detailed pre-production that saved significant time and money, to the quick and easy transition between effects and programming, and ultimately to the creation of a fun visual online environment to showcase Motorola's involvement with Danica." The firms were able to seamlessly work together to deliver something that far exceeded client expectations, creating something that is unique and really has never been seen before. Mayo continues, "We think this project really showcases how much can be done online and we're very enthusiastic about extending this partnership to more and more integrated media ventures in the future." Since the launch of ClickFire in 2007, the company has collaborated on a series of successful effects, design, and live action integrated campaigns, including for The Boards Summit and Verizon Fios My Home 2.0
The Creds:
Client: Motorola
Title: MotoDanica
Launch: May 2008
EVP/ECD: Luke Bailey
Broadcast Producer: Chris Klein
Production: Click 3X
Director: John J. Budion
DP: Matthew Santo
Director of VFX: John Budion
VFX Artist(s): John Budion, Tom Hurburt
EP: Jason Mayo
Producer: Carson Hood
Interactive: ClickFire Media
EP: Connor Swegle
Sound Design: Sound Lounge Music & Sound Design
Sound Designer: Marshall Grupp
Click 3X Launches Music Video Division Haunt, Showcasing Solange Song
Posted by webmaster 07.09.2008

New York-based design and animation studio Click 3X recently launched Haunt, (
www.Click3x.com/haunt),
a division that specializes in cutting-edge motion design for music
videos, virals, and installations. Through the years, Click 3X has
cultivated partnerships with both directors and artists, uniting to
create visually powerful music video projects-the launch of Haunt,
which will be headed by lead VFX artist Mark Szumski, is indicative of
this collection of work. The group's latest project, now showcased on
the Haunt site, is the highly-acclaimed music video for
I Decided
by Solange Knowles-the first major release from Beyonce's younger
sister. Click recognizes that these types of stylistic works require a
distinct, intensively collaborative approach and a commitment to this
unique visual style led to the development, and ultimate launch of the
new division. In addition to the recent work with Solange, Haunt's
rapidly expanding body of work has fused innovative directors including
Timothy Saccenti, Floria Sigismondi, Georgie Greville (until recently
with MTV) and Epoch's Matt Lenski with successful artists such as Jamie
Lidell, Zero7, Mark Ronson, and Fallout Boy.
Their latest historic visual voyage, I Decided, is the video for the first single off Solange's new album, SoL-AngeL and The Hadley St. Dreams,
set to be released in August. With the help of Haunt's artists and VFX
talent, Solange is transported across a kaleidoscopic journey through
the decades in a fantastical montage of politics and pop culture. In the foreground of a flurry of multi-colored newsreels, iconic symbols,
bright lights, and glitter, Solange performs in the styles of the
times-vintage clothing, hairstyles and dances included. Haunt artists worked with director Melina of RSA to create the series of intricate
and imaginative media environments. On working with Szumski, Melina
muses, "Since the piece jumps through different decades it was
important that the style of the artwork and visuals mirrored the
artistic trends of that era, incorporating the political aspects of the
archival footage while maintaining the pop feel of the song. Not only
was the artwork informed by the decades, but so was the look of the
actual film--the 80s filled with video footage and television static
while the 70s portion had a more grainy feel, like it was 16mm.
Overall, it was a tremendously difficult balance to capture, but Mark
consistently was able to develop new looks that were all equally as
amazing as the ones before."
Also commenting on the making of the video, Nicole Ehrlich, Director
of Creative Services and Broadcast Media (video commissioner) at
Interscope/geffen/a&m, notes, "The Click 3X team was the integral
part of bringing this Solange video - I Decided - Pt. 1 and I Decided - Pt. 2
- to the next level. They not only went above and beyond the treatment
and call of duty, but blew my mind and expectations on the end
product...more like an art piece. It was musical and visual and super
cutting-edge, while throwing back to classic styles. I wish they had
time to work with me on everything! They get aesthetic and really
understand all genres and ideas. They make dreams a reality! Best of
all they are listeners, but have great opinions, making them easy to
work with and flexible. They just want to make dope stuff!"
Click 3X artists worked primarily in Flame, Maya, as well as liquid
light and cloud chamber film plates actually from the 60s and 70s, to
create all the design environments, paper textures, and color
treatments. Commenting on the breadth of the process, Szumski explains,
"The work for
I Decided is the most effects shots weve ever
done for one project-nearly every frame was designed and the project
ended up with over 300 effects shots! Collaborating with Melina before,
during, and after the shoot allowed us to get so many great shots as
quickly as possible and really elevate the artistry of the
decade-by-decade creative tour." Achieving immediate success, the
recently-released video has already garnered over half-a-million hits
across popular video-sharing and media sites, and another 200,000 views
on celebrity blog PerezHilton.com. Szumski also adds, "We have created
a really powerful and diverse body of work across the entire music
spectrumwith really different visual and design environments, from
Animal Collective to Solange. The entire team here, as well as at RSA
and the label, was truly thrilled with how the
I Decided turned out and the acclaim it has already received since it released."
The Haunt team draws on all the creative resources of both Click 3X
and ClickFire Media to continue to produce ground-breaking visual
solutions. While the company has always worked with music videos, the
official launch of Haunt only reinforces the team's cooperative,
creative focus, and significant collection of work. Clicks Founder
Peter Corbett elaborates, "We wanted to build an environment to
showcase some really cool and innovative work in music videos, both
historically and several recent projects that really highlight our
range." Partner/MD Jason Mayo adds, "The last several years have been
great for our growth; we have been able to build up our resources and
talent pool and the launch of both ClickFire Media and now Haunt really
display our depth and ability to work across channels and on the entire
spectrum of projects." In addition to Solange, the Haunt site displays
the divisions wide range of music video projects, including:
- Fallout Boy "We're Going Down", with over 3 million web views
- Jamie Lidell "Another Day", a YouTube featured video four times internationally
- Animal Collective "Peacebone", with over 700,000 YouTube views
- Doctor Octagon "Trees", an environmentally-conscious, musical PSA with over 300,000 views
- Suga Pop "Suga Pop Viral"
- Living Things "Bom Bom Bom"
- Zero Seven "Throw It All Away"
- The Giraffes "Having Fun"
- Mark Ronson "Stop Me"
- MetalBallz "Metal Method"
Haunt takes pride in enthusiastically embracing the unique risks and
opportunities that characterize music videos, while also establishing
powerful creative partnerships across the industry. The entire Click 3X
family employs the same philosophy, as they develop compelling visual
solutions across advertising, interactive, and broadcast. By pushing
the limits of creative possibility, Click 3X remains at the forefront
of cutting-edge integrated media properties across platforms. In
addition to the range of design, animation, and effects for music
videos at Haunt, their talented creative team continues to deliver
innovative solutions in advertising, recently working on projects for
brands including Motorola, Ford, Verizon, Coca-Cola, and Time Warner.
Click 3X and ClickFire Media Enlist Reelize Reps
Posted by webmaster 04.28.2008
New York-based Click 3X and ClickFire Media recently signed the
Reelize representation team to handle sales duties for the Midwest
territory. Reps Marci Miles, Kristina Kovacevic, and Julie Ford aligned
with the quickly growing Click companies based on shared standards and
values, and they are already working collectively to change the
creative landscape. Head of Sales Trevor King comments, "Marci,
Kristina, and Julie will be great additions to the Click family, and
we're pleased to work with a company of their depth and experience.
Each has a great history in the industry and they are able to truly
understand and communicate our goals and involvement across the
evolving world of new media."
Marci Miles founded Reelize and has been an independent Midwest rep
since 2001. After beginning as a Media Planner, she worked extensively
as agency producer at Bozell Detroit, Y&R Detroit, FCB Detroit, and
BBDO Chicago for high-recognition companies such as Lincoln-Mercury,
Jeep, Chrysler, Wrigley, and Bayer.
Prior to joining Reelize in 2006, Kristina Kovacevic worked with
Creative Management Partners and independently, representing production
companies such as Plum, Basecamp, Strato, Czar, MJZ, H.S.I., and HKM,
as well as The Directors Bureau. She began her career in advertising as
an Account Executive, working for Ross Roy on the Chrysler
International Division.
Julie Ford's extensive background in film and television includes
experience in tabletop, commercials, music videos, documentaries,
features, and shorts. As a faculty member in the producing department
at Columbia College Chicago, her production credits include the short
film Jakob and the Angels and the documentary As Our Children Shine.
About Click 3X and ClickFire Media
New York-based Click 3X produces cutting-edge visual solutions for
commercials, feature films, television, music videos and broadcast
clients around the globe. Founded in 1993, Click 3X has become the
preeminent digital studio led by artists, yet supported by one of the
most technologically advanced studios in the industry. With
award-winning design, powerful visual effects, and a visionary
animation team, Click 3X has worked on such diverse projects as
Jonathan Demme's unconventional feature documentary on Jimmy Carter
entitled, Man From Plains; Animal Collective's Peacebone video directed by Tim Saccenti; and Time Warner.s video instillation, Home Of The Future which was showcased on the Time Warner building in NYC.
Additionally, Click 3X recently launched an interactive design
studio titled ClickFire Media. CFM is an interactive design studio
specializing in multi-platform, media-rich creative campaigns. CFM
partners with agencies and entertainment industry clients in the
conceptualization, design and development of fully-integrated,
consistently branded experiences. Through insight and innovation, CFM
combines that latest interactive technologies with the best design,
video, animation and live action skills from Click 3x to deliver
integrated solutions in the ever-developing media landscape.