Live-action trailer promotes Ubisoft’s new Shaun White videogame
Los Angeles, CA, July 8th, 2010: Bicoastal Rabbit directing team
+ jacksonkarinja morphs an entire city into a living skate park in the new 2-minute, live-action trailer “Transform” for Ubisoft’s new Shaun White Skateboarding out of Cutwater, San Francisco. The film follows a group of pro skaters including Johnny Layton, ripping through a cityscape that shape-shifts into a series of ramps, rails and ledges. Endorsed by the famed redheaded snowboarder/skater and slated for a fall release, the buzz is already building with a dedicated website and Facebook page.
Click here to see the director’s cut: http://rabbitcontent.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=d956613abde83a21325beab61aa918ef
+ jacksonkarinja went back to their skating roots, going to great lengths to keep the film true to the culture and spirit of the sport. Says the duo, “We wanted to keep everything as organic and authentic as possible. We blended live-action and CG in a photo-real environment that stayed true to the physicality of both the skating and morphing city. It was challenging to coordinate the technical aspects of the film, including the skating, camera moves and CG, but doable with a ton of planning and a three-day shoot. We’re happy with how we pulled it off.” + jacksonkarinja also served as DPs on the film, covering everything from shooting from the roofs of moving cars, atop cranes and specially outfitted camera rigs; all to capture the size and speed of the tricks. Every stunt was performed in-camera, with visual effects done by Santa Monica-based effects studio Ring of Fire. The VFX goal was to resemble the transforming world players can create in the game.
“Transform” begins with a skater coming across a seemingly normal pedestrian bridge. After pounding his board on the walkway, the bridge begins to break in a rumbling cloud of dust to form a roll-in for an eight-stair drop. As he lands, like a concrete Transformer, the ground breaks away to create another stair set and handrail for the skater to slide. The film then follows a group of skaters through downtown Los Angeles as they hit quarter pipes breaking out of walls and sidewalks. The living terrain forms dynamic surfaces for otherwise impossible-to-pull-off tricks. After skating anything in their path, the last skater looks back at the cityscape to see that they have transformed the city into their own customized skate park. The spot concludes on the super, “The transformation begins fall 2010,” the Shaun White Skateboarding logo and website Facebook.com/ShaunWhiteGame.
In addition to Layton, the featured skaters in the film include Derrick Wilson, Jordan Vititow, Greg Crain and Matt Bennett.
About Rabbit
Throughout literature, folklore and pop culture, the Rabbit is famed as a trickster, an upstart, a lovable rogue. It is also a new model for a production company. With a talent pool extending from Manhattan to Hollywood to Silicon Valley, Rabbit defies easy categorization. Except for its mischievous nature, of course.
Credits:
Client: Ubisoft
Title: “Transformation” :120
Airdate: Currently online
Location: Downtown and East Los Angeles
Production Company: Rabbit, Bicoastal
Director/DP: + jacksonkarinja
Producer: Gian Colombo
Exec. Producers: Douglas Howell, Joby Barnhart
Advertising Agency: Cutwater, San Francisco
Executive Creative Director: Chuck McBride
Creative Director: Ali Grayeli
Art Director: Marcus Cross
Copywriter: Ray Connolly
Agency Producer: Mai Huynh
Director of Broadcast Content: Jennifer Golub
Editorial Company: Arcade, Los Angeles
Editor: Nathan Petty
Asst. Editor: Aaron Owen
Producer: Ali Reed
VFX Company: Ring of Fire, Santa Monica
Executive Producer: John Myers
VFX Supervisor/Creative Director: Jerry Spivack
VFX Producer: Casey Conroy
Asst. VFX Producer: Candace Niikura
Online Editors: Brian Shneider, Shelly Dutcher
Flame Artists: Brian Shneider, Shelly Dutcher, Trent Shumway, Brian Petras, Tony Graf, Renee Tymn
CG Artists: Andrew McMasters, Leigh Rens, Joe Langmuir
Graphics: Justin Sucara, Marvin Chua
Matchmoving: David Sudd, Paul Hopkins, PvP
Digital Matte Painter: Ron Gress
Colorists: Shelly Dutcher, Brian Shneider
Music/Sound Design: Human, Worldwide
Skaters: Matt Bennett, Greg Crain, Johnny Layton, Jordan Vititow, Derrick Wilson
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