Title sequences are no longer the exclusive domain of the movies. Trade shows, festivals and events use them to introduce sponsors, guests, or speakers. These kinds of titles are made to impress. They have to be really cool because it's about conveying the right image and about prestige, but mostly it's about designing an experience for the visitors of the event. Not so much different then from creating a main title for a movie? We asked creative director and main 3D compositor Scott Wenner of the Minneapolis-based studio motion504.

"Titles for events or conferences provide a really unique opportunity in that you're not quite as bound by the narrative or style of the film that follows. You're a little more free to make a standalone piece,” explains Wenner.

Together with motion504's creative team he delivered a title sequence with “Hollywood appeal” for the annual AICP production industry show. The titles introduce the show's reception sponsors, one by one, in a truly original fashion. An  almost Spielbergian tour-de-force.

“I've always romanticized the idea of the solitary craftsman making things by hand in a workshop," Wenner tells us. "I ended up bridging that with another interest, which is a kind of vintage, pulpy science fiction - mysterious inventors and scientists ahead of their time, creating the impossible.”

“After working through this initial concept at motion504, I had a Producer friend go out on a bit of a mini location scout to look for workshop settings. We got lucky and he found a pretty ideal space at a salvage yard in Minneapolis.”

“We then put together a production crew consisting of some talented people I wanted to work with. I built a few key props and then our art department filled the space with tons of other great stuff that had no obvious time period attached. As a huge fan of films like Delicatessen and City of Lost Children, I love the aesthetic of combining elements from different time periods, mixing the old and the new," Wenner says.

“I was after a specific feel and color palette and I think in the end we achieved what had been floating around in my head.”

“On the post side, I made a library of little parts like screws, brass arms, type, moving gears, etcetera. It made building the gadgets much easier, almost like playing with Legos. We set up a little two-person pipeline in-house with Amy Schmitt doing all the matchmoving, lighting, and rendering while I did the modeling/animating and compositing.”

A lot of viewers commented on the quality of sound design in particular.
Wenner: “Yes, Carl White at Brahmstedt White Noise in Minneapolis did all the sound design. He was excited about the project and it's evident in the mix and all the great foley work. We had an initial discussion about what I had envisioned for the piece but beyond that I mostly just let him do his thing.”

How did you come up with the concept for each specific object? Some viewers were reminded of the Hellraiser puzzle box, the stop motion films of the The Quay Brothers and, personally, the self-powered kinetic devices reminded me of the inventions of Nicola Tesla.
Wenner: “I have a fascination with tiny gadgets, handcrafted boxes and the like. Whenever I start thinking about a concept for a piece, I start compiling reference folders for everything about it. Photography, books, color looks, similar animation or effects clips. You can never have too much reference material and it helps that I'm a total pack rat. The gadget building was like an exercise in product design. I had to figure out how they could actually move and accomplish their goals first, and then pretty them up and try to add some detail, complexity and a little mystery. A handful of the gadgets were directly inspired by some of the objects you mentioned. The similarities to the Lament Configuration from Hellraiser for instance, and certain Tesla-like references are not accidents.”

“The gadgets are curiously self-powered, each with a distinguished look and kinetic function. We specifically designed them to engage and encourage the audience to use their own imagination to explain how the gadgets work."

"When you have just a few minutes to tell a story in a title sequence, I think it's not unwise to sometimes use mechanisms that have a certain familiarity or make an outside connection that helps you to deliver the mood and tone you're trying to achieve."

The live action footage was shot using a RED camera with a snorkel lens. The 16 gadgets were created using Cinema 4D, and integrated seamlessly into the scene.

Minneapolis-based broadcast design and animation studio motion504 specializes in the art of motion. The company has done work for film, TV, advertising and music for clients including Discovery Channel, Best Buy, Nexxus, and artist Beyoncé Knowles. motion 504's philosophy is built upon the idea of collaboration through communication, critique and contribution amongst its artists and clients.

more about motion504

Full credits

Concept, Design & VFX
motion504

Creative Director/3D Compositor
Scott Wenner

3D/Compositor
Amy Schmitt

Executive Producer
Eric Mueller

Director
Scott Wenner

DP
Bo Hakala

Art Director
Sarah Jean Kruchowski

Producer
Todd Cobery

Editor
Joe Martin

Sound Design
BWN

Sound Designer
Carl White

Client
AICP Minnesota (Kirk Hokanson, Executive Director)

Links

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Comments (8):

15 Oct 09 • by: madani shereef

wow.... amazing stuff... :)

15 Oct 09 • by: Toufik Mekbel

realy awesom ! im ready to help you if u think that i can be useful :)

http://toufx.fr.gd

thnks

15 Oct 09 • by: enno goerlich

hey guys, this is amazing.
i really like it. once i quit creating 3D arts, no i think i have to try it one more time.

its great :)!!
thanks for adding this,

http://magicray.de

20 Oct 09 • by: kid

so cool ！！
amazing~~

23 Oct 09 • by: ilan yitzhak

HELL OF A SHOW

29 Oct 09 • by: Buzzlair Voufincci

awesome work. i wonder what is the name of the music used in that piece.

16 Dec 09 • by: charlie

I have truly enjoyed going through the stuff and I really appreciate for sharing it across, thank you

2 Feb 10 • by: ali

awesome waaw work
can i ask what the tracking software used? is there any tutorial?
thank you

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