Imaginary Forces Creative Director Jeremy Cox stirs up video game nostalgia with an action-packed ride through the retro pixels and 8-bit audio at the emergence of popular gaming to the complex adventures and winding storylines of modern games in the open for the 2015 SXSW Gaming Awards, which took place in Austin on March 14th.
From early video game incarnations like Pong, Pac Man and Frogger, 90’s favorites like Sonic the Hedgehog and GoldenEye, and modern titles like, Madden and Metal Gear: Solid, the sequence pulls viewers in with a nostalgic soundscape and allows them to create their own personal storyline individualized by their own experiences with each emblematic moment in gaming history. Cox led a team at IF to pair iconic audio references from momentous games over the years with vintage pixelated graphics, abstract but evocative of the titles and genres they were referencing. The team took a two-pronged approach by curating and crafting a wide range of audio cues while fine-tuning an abstract visual design and animation style that would engage the viewer and allow them to “create their own adventure.” Broad strokes of color and movement were paired with Zach Kilroy’s sound design, resulting in a dynamic experience for die-hard fans and occasional gamers alike. To create a truly authentic analog look, the animations that the team created were played on a range of vintage monitors – an old Black & White portable television, a standard definition TV and a modern day HD monitor – and shot practically with a Canon 7D.
“It was challenging to choose the games that we would highlight since everyone has had such a different experience growing up playing games. We wanted to cast a wide net, while not excluding any major titles or moments,” notes Cox. “We had a lot of fun throwing in some Easter Eggs to keep people guessing and get some true fans really excited!”
Credits:
Studio: SXSW Interactive
SXSW Gaming Event Director: Justin Brunham
Designed and Produced by: Imaginary Forces (IF)
Creative Director: Jeremy Cox
Executive Producer: Gabriel Marquez
Producer: Jon Hassell
Designers: Max Strizich, Kris Fortin
2D Animators: Sekani Solomon, Hayato Yamane, Henry Chang
Editor and Sound Designer: Zach Kilroy
Additional Editorial: Nate Buchik
A Product of Imaginary Forces
Top entertainment studios, global brands and A-list agencies tap Imaginary Forces (IF) to find new ways to engage and inspire audiences. IF’s diverse talent pool of artists and creative professionals bring elite conceptual design solutions to projects in commercial, digital media, feature films and film marketing, television and architectural spaces.
Underlying each endeavor is their passionate belief that no project is too large, too small or too complex to benefit from beautiful and inventive design.
The innovative studio has garnered numerous advertising industry awards as well as multiple Emmy Awards including an Emmy for their iconic titles work on AMC’s smash drama series Mad Men.