We would like to say a HUGE thank you to all our lovely friends, family and clients who helped us raise an amazing £720.99 for cancer research.

A big pat on the back and a high five to Louise, Anna, Jennifer, Laura, Liz, Simone, Deborah and Kate (pictured, left to right)

There is still time to donate retroactively, just visit http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/taylorjames

If you’re reading this, it should come as no surprise that we’re interested in imagery, of all kinds. Still, motion, digital, interactive; we turn our hand to anything and everything,in the pursuit of both business and pleasure. In 1999 when Glen Taylor first opened our doors the world was rapidly undergoing massive changes as was the way we consume images. Everything from art to advertising was opening up to people the world over with nothing more than a few clicks of a mouse. The Internet revolutionised all forms of communication, allowing people to expose themselves to whatever forms of entertainment they wished and equally allowing advertisers to reach right into peoples homes and deliver targeted adverts to relevant consumers.

Skip forward 11 years and everything is changing yet again. Mobile devices are now so prevalent in out society that a recent study performed by Google unveiled that there are now 20 million mobile Internet users in the UK, thats 1/3 of the entire population. 2010 also marked the first year where there have been more smartphone sales than PCs. Its undeniable that another huge change is underway, people want quick mobile acces to information on sites developed specifically for mobile browsers. New technologies such as HTML5 and WebGL are taking huge leaps forward in allowing people access to flash-like content without the usual trappings of high processor demand and large file size. Sites such as Vimeo and Youtube are in the process of converting their content to HTML5 to allow native support on mobile devices, the effects of this can already be seen with YouTube reaching 200 million mobile views in the past year. With the iPad, Apple essentially invented an entire new window through wich people could consume mobile content, having sold over 25 million to date thats 25 million more mobile users browsing on a format that 3 years ago did not exist.

These are all very impressive figures, and certainly proof that we are moving into a new era of mobile information but what does it mean for the creative industries? At TJ we always try to keep abreast of modern technology, from the build of our new website 2 years ago we understood that all our content must be accessible on mobile devices; we moved our entire library of videos and Step by Step guides to Vimeo, enabling us to utilise the HTML5 technologies as well as build a community of likeminded professionals to critique and interact with our work. To receive impartial feedback like this is an incredible boost for the artists who worked on the job, praise from ones peers is seldom unappreciated. We also utilise QR codes on all our print advertisements to give readers quick access to all the information surrounding a job, this allows us to show much larger, full bleed images without weighing the page down with reams of text as well as giving potential clients quick access to our contact information.

So what does the future hold? Mobile views are rising year on year, and certainly showing no signs of stopping. With only 17% of companies offering an alternative mobile website or mobile friendly content; the industry certainly has some catching up to do. Rest assured that with our creative marketing department and our research and development team, we will always be striving to push these emerging technologies forward. With our research on 3D printing, NFC and controller-free interfacing well underway, it looks like the next decade is going to be as exciting as the last!

You might recognise the image used for this blog as a modified version of our work for Citrix. Citrix are a great example of a company prepared for the future of mobile browsing, they provide desktop virtualisation across multiple mobile platforms allowing for seamless workflow between the office and remote locations.

The outdoor banner campaign combined Griffin’s outstanding photography and Taylor James’ expertise in creating impossible, yet photo-realistic imagery from multiple shots. The campaign, launched by Guinness this month, was aptly entitled ‘The Power to Lift Us All’ to represent the force of spirit and pride the Hurling game brings to the Irish nation. Such is the popularity of hurling; the 2010 final drew the biggest sports audience for RTE of any event that year!

We pulled together multiple elements of varying scale and angle to achieve this complicated retouch, utilising bespoke photography shot by Kevin Griffin and augmenting with material from their own internal stock library, to make the impossible a photorealistic reality. Taylor James’ understanding of the components and technical challenges involved when capturing photographic images enables them to provide a unique and efficient production solution when working with single frames to large-scale multi-part compositions.

Josh Rogers, Creative Lead and Head of Retouching at Taylor James said:“The image highlights Taylor James’ creative ability to expand an initial brief and develop it into an epic moment in which the unreal feels totally realistic, exceeding both the art director’s and photographer’s creative vision for the image!”

Award-winning advertising photographer, Kevin Griffin, had confidence in TJ to get the final look for this image. “I wanted to keep the Guinness work purely photographic, I therefore chose Taylor James to retouch the elements,” he said. “Josh Rogers being one of the best photographic retouchers I’ve worked with in the business, his attention to detail, understanding of a job and patience is second to none”

To see the whole job and a step by step of how it was created, click here

Winning a:
- PLATINUM award for our Illustrative/CG work for Kalbitor
- Tourism Ireland was honoured with a GOLD
- GOLD for our illustrative and 3D interpretation of an owl on the cover for Creative Review in the News and Editorial section
- SILVER for our US TV ad for Bermuda Tourism

Creativity strives to recognise the brightest and best in the design and advertising industry, and is one of the longest running independent international competitions there is. Established as a travelling exhibit in conjunction with Art Direction Magazine in the 70s, it became one of the only books to showcase a cutting-edge work from across the US and abroad. Over the years this book has grown in size and style, and now takes a comprehensive look at winners from the awards. In 2011 the travelling exhibit was brought back and together with the Awards Annual and Creativity web site. Our Platinum win for Kalbitor meant there were lots of happy TJ faces around the office, so what made it stand out?

Owner and Creative Director, Jim Nisson, said: “Medical Illustrations are normally very dry and for the most part utilitarian as opposed to creative. Your work for Kalbitor was so amazingly real, with a seamless integration of techniques, like photography and CGI, which really arrested our attention. One judge gave it a perfect score and another stated “good use of craft.” The entry has also received numerous comments of admiration from viewers of the winner’s exhibit at the design shows.”

Wow…we’re blushing! The competition is judged by a panel of advertising and design professionals who volunteer their time and knowledge. To provide fresh perspectives, new judges are selected from year to year. With such a great range of work from all over the world, it meant the package had to be just as good. The beautifully bound book was designed by Sw!tch Studios, and was inspired by an old-age saying…

“As amazing as all of the winning pieces were, we could only imagine the amount of blood, sweat and tears that went into every little detail throughout the thousands of entries! With that in mind, we used splatters to add some interesting details to the book, like the splatters changing on the different page numbers. ” says Kathleen Ritchie, Marketing Director.

Created by artist Josh Gurrie, the film transports viewers into the luxurious world of Mulberry’s Spring/Summer campaign. As the camera swoops through the various rooms of a quintessential English manor house, the models can be seen posing, oblivious to their peculiar surroundings, on a backdrop of, oh so glamorous(!), surroundings of chandeliers and velvet chairs, and some rather unconventional animals, including live foxes, owls and birds peering out from a traditional and somewhat bijou setting.

The beautiful piece was brought together by Framestore by creating loose edits of empty background plates; they were able to design and pull together the 2D elements in post-production. Using a 3D tracking process, they animated and composited them into the moving backgrounds, and then adding in the live foxes, as a narrative thread, bringing the whole piece together seamlessly.

Mulberry has described it as “altering proportion to blur the edges of reality.”

Real-environment projection mapping differs slightly from its 3D form but the principles of how it works are the same. These, like in the 19^th Century, are usually done against a flat surface and buildings, where the technique shows up best. 3D geometry is mapped with a 2D image, shining a light or video onto a surface to create the 3D effects. Shapes are set up with the same outline as elements within the image, so when the final image is projected back onto the scene the 3D shapes can catch the light from the subjects in the frame giving the ability to shift perspective slightly and creating the illusion of a 3D scene (in reality its more like 2.5D). The angles are somewhat limited, but the overall effect is pretty awesome. As you can see in the example below, the top image shows the scene through the eye of the master camera, all the textures appear correct and the scene works, if we rotate the camera away from the pre-determined path we can see the distortion in the scene as well as the true nature of some of the objects (eg, the ambulance where it was only necessary to model two sides as the top does not appear in the original image.

There are clear benefits to both: 3D can give campaigns a more stylised look, giving it a ‘super slow motion effect’ (see our work for Sungard and AT&T), and can reach a higher-level of realism without having to make an entire scene in full 3D. For campaigns running across print and motion, the assets are being shared across both, unifying the images perfectly , like our TV campaign for Derdubor, the famous Norwegian search engine. we were able to use real location photography with CG animation, allowing us to fly-through the different scenes, taking the viewers on a compelling journey. With a modest budget, we would not have been able to achieve the brief in any other way.

With real-environment, many companies and brands have jumped on the opportunity, creating staged events advertising their products. The primary benefit being that it allows dialogue between consumers, stimulating their visual perceptions of a brand. It is also a way of communicating with a captive, yet message-overloaded audience- making you stand-out amongst the noise from other advertisers. The marketing logic is the hope that the buzz will help the video go viral and boost product sales. The last year has seen a surge in this kind of projection mapping, with brands worldwide capitalising on the technique.

GlueIsobar’s award-winning work for Toyota Auris Hybrid, saw the focus shift from traditional projection on a building or flat surface to the actual car. The car was placed on a back street in Shoreditch, London, where unsuspecting passersby were treated to a magical display of blue ‘energy’ pulsating out of the car, interacting with objects around it, turning on lights, opening circuit boards and spilling coins. People’s reactions were captured along with their filming on the event via mobile devices, which later went viral in a big way.

Brands like Nokia, Samsung and BMW have all emerged victorious, displaying beautiful 3D videos on buildings around the world but the music, fashion, and theatre-arts have by no means lagged behind, producing some stellar examples of the technique. The fashion industry, faced with the constant pressure to stand-out was amongst one of the first outside of the advertising industry, to experiment with the technique. But just like fashion is cutting edge, it’s about knowing the next trends and getting ahead of those trends. Ralph Lauren staged an impressive projection on their flagship store on New Bond Street, with another similar event taking place at the same time at their Madison Avenue store in NYC. Racing horses, 50ft models, and even a scented mist, were used to complete the experience. They described it as a “collision of fashion, technology, art, commerce, and architecture.”

A recent production for Of Mice and Men saw projection mapping take a new direction and head for the theatre. Audiences were captivated by the top-down projections, showing railway tracks, speeding trans and rabbits, setting the stage alight enhancing moods and vistas. Beyonce’s performance at the 2011 Billboard Awards also left audiences enthralled. She spent a large proportion of the show interacting with projections of wings, flying spears, and dancing in perfect sync with other versions of herself. However, like 3D Stereoscopic, this is not new technology. It’s a technique in video art since the 80’s- and it works.

So what does the future hold? Well, at present, there still isn’t a lot of research showing the ROI on this technique, so it’s important that it reflects positively and is relevant to the product and brand. At the end of the day, you want the message to hit home and people to remember what it was all about in the first place. Recent examples have shown that its use has been anything but a niche-market gimmick, with various industry sectors using the technique. However, one thing is for certain, when done correctly the media attention is irrefutable, and you can never take too lightly the power of word-of-mouth.

This stunning campaign, in collaboration with DEPOfilm, ran in conjunction with a 30sec TV commercial across Europe earlier this year. Featuring Man U football players Ryan Giggs, Edwin Van Der Sar, Anderson, Ji-Sung Park and Dimitar Berbatov, with the seamless integration of photography and virtual CGI environments.

Keith explains, “Turkish Airlines is a great example of how CGI and photography can be combined to deliver stunning imagery.  Logistically, the inside of the plane would not have been easy to shoot. With such limited space, the process within the actual environment would have been time consuming and cost-prohibitive for the client. We also only had a short time allocation with each player. We therefore built a 3D environment in 3ds Max, referencing detailed blueprints of the interior of the plane provided by the client. In order to maintain continuity, we created the CGI scene setups before the shoot in Manchester, so that detailed camera, lens and scene measurements could be followed.”

“We are happy to support the 3Ds London group and see it as a great opportunity to showcase our work but to also make new contacts.  There are some very talented people who attend these meetings; it’s always good to get their feedback on the work as well.”

Members of the 3Ds Max London user group meet on the first Wednesday of every month to discuss ideas, methods and projects in a friendly and relaxed setting. Presenters include key members of the advertising, architectural, design and animation industries. To find out more or how you can attend, visit their blog http://www.3dslondon.blogspot.com/

There have been over 300 Race for Life events happening across the UK from May up  until the end of July, and we’re thrilled to be part of it all, doing ‘our bit’ to help such a great cause. Since it began an incredible 5.4 million participants across the UK raised over £362 million to fund the work of over 4,000 researchers, doctors and nurses dedicated to helping more people beat cancer.

In order to make this run a success however, we are completely reliant on your support in raising as much money as we can. To donate as much or as little as possible, please visit our fundraising page!

SPONSOR US!

“I was thrilled at the chance to be on set with the rest of our photography team, and Saatchi & Saatchi Health’s creative team. It was all hands on deck from the start- so I had no other choice but to the get stuck in!

“TJ was asked to create an image that would promote the image of a healthy heart. By using 6 Hand Models, each with different ethnic backgrounds, the objective of the day was to capture each shade of each individual’s natural skin pigmentation and/or colour. With the right shots, the ultimate goal would be to retouch the images and bring the hands together (various fingers of each Hand Model) to create an illusion that would form the sacred shape of a heart.

”The day began with setting up the equipment; two of the most important pieces to the puzzle were setting up the proper backdrop and solid lighting. The set up, at first, seemed to appear quite complex but after closer inspection, I came to find that it was kept quite simple. Having our own internal photographer present, and having commissioned LJ Hopkinson for the shoot, once on set, we got to work on pulling together the backdrop. We placed 2 C-Stands (held down with 2 sandbags) about 6 to 8 feet apart from each other in the darker and more secluded end of the studio. Tightened to the C-Stands was a rectangular frame that would be used as the backdrop. Once tightened into position, a black fabric was draped over it, cutting a couple of slits through the material, allowing for the model hands to be poked through.

“LJ set up the camera, which was tethered to her laptop, allowing the team and the client to give instant approval or position changes from the shots taken. Kate, our Lead Retoucher, also set up a space for comping the various elements together. This allowed the rest of the team and client to see how it might look as a final piece and if it matched the brief.

“Before the six chosen hand models arrived, we had to run some very important tests. To set up the right angles/lighting, LJ used a couple of us already on set as hand model mimics. Snapping photo after photo, LJ moved the lighting around to bring out the finer details of our hands and fingers. By this point, I had been given a Canon 5D to take “Behind the Scenes” photos for the website.

“Each model took up to 30 minutes to shoot; conducting their hands in various positions poked through the hole in the backdrop. We cycled through each model quite smoothly, calling them back if needed. Once we had photos of each set of hands, we began to double up sets of hands, having different combinations of models hold their hands together through the backdrop. This enabled Kate to compare the different proportions and shapes of each hand that she would be able to work with.

“Soon enough, after a long photo processing session, Kate was given some shots to play with to help give Saatchi Health an idea of what the end project may look like. Our client was happy with all of the final shots!  After 6 ½ hours of shooting, it was time to break down the set and handover to retouch- where they would be comping the images together, giving the different fingers a seamless and refined look in the shape of a heart; picture perfect.”

See what our clients had to say about our services, visit the ‘Heart Hands’ project page.

Our latest healthcare feature for PMLive (pharmaceutical marketing) has been published, head on over to their site and read it.  To see more of our pharmaceutical/healthcare work, visit our All Work page.

In the 1950s mathematician Roger Penrose described the ‘Penrose Triangle’ as “impossibility in its purest form”. M.C.Escher used the shape as a basis for his lithograph ‘waterfall’, showing flowing water in a perpetual motion. This was our inspiration.

Starting with three Penrose triangles, we designed a maze that can be viewed from multiple angles to create new paths and doorways that seemingly appear out of nowhere as the magazine is rotated through various orientations. We were careful to keep the shape looking impossible at a glance; the extra layers of impossibility are uncovered as the user navigates deeper into the maze. We  included two Taylor James mascots, the ant and gummy bear, to mark the beginning and end point of the maze, adding some character and to encourage reader interaction. The longer you look, the impossibility of this maze is revealed.

Using CGI was both an interesting challenge and a huge timesaver; once the concept was developed, the test came in making this highly complex object exist in a real 3D space. Once the technical issues were solved by our R&D team, we had creative freedom to play with shape, style, material, colour and all the usual flexibilities of CGI.  The final fantastical image stays true to the brief and acts as the perfect labyrinth. Penrose would be proud.

Can you find a way round our maze?  Will Bear and Ant ever be reunited!? Let us know…comment below.

After twenty-six successful years in the industry The Knowledge commissioned us to create the cover and dividers for their 2011 installment of their renowned directory, used by over 24,000 TV and film production professionals along with 300,000 online visitors a year. The shots have also been used as inspiration for their summer 2011 website re-launch!

The images feature some instantly recognizable objects from within the film and production industry, formed in 3D letters to make subtle but identifiable words. Our team’s collective passion for film-making and story-telling meant we were instantly drawn to this unexpected project, and wanted to create images that accurately reflected the industry. The Knowledge is all about the day-to-day functions of film and TV production and the hurdles you may come upon whilst on set. I wanted to create common scenes that looked incidental, as if you had just come upon the objects in a real-life environment. It would’ve been simpler to have placed the objects against a studio backdrop but for me it was important that we took photographs that would serve as a backdrop and suited the perspective of our shots.

We created the objects for each scene with CGI, integrated these with the backgrounds shot by our photographic department and brought the elements together with focus effects and colour grading by our retouching team. Having all of our services under one roof means we can control the production efficiently and ensure consistency in the quality of our work.

Due to time-constraints, we had our dedicated team of R&D technicians write a bespoke script and software plug-in that would automatically cover the shapes with lettering. Giving the images that ‘incidental’ feeling of coming across the objects in their natural state also meant extra time was invested in creating unique shaders for each object, allowing the hat, sandwich, and scissors to take on a feel of their real-life counterparts.

Edward Canavan, Associate Publisher at The Knowledge, said:

“We were so impressed with both the quality of the work you did for us and the professionalism of everyone involved. As one of London’s leading creative studios, we knew they would be the perfect fit with The Knowledge’s values of quality and creativity.

“The designs are stunning representations of real production environments on set, beautifully lit and rendered in amazing detail. We couldn’t be happier with the finished work and are confident our subscribers will love the design Taylor James created for the 2011 edition.”

ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE

The Knowledge is the UK’s leading production industry directory, used by over 24,000 production staff within UK production companies.  First published in 1985, The Knowledge has become the first port of call for production professionals to find crew, facilities, studios, production services, and location suppliers, for their productions. The Knowledge contains over 18,000 companies and crew, and is recognised by the industry as being the most accurate source of contacts available. The Knowledge is also accessible online via www.TheKnowledgeOnline.com

Birrs is an ex- Art Director and Copywriter with over 17 years experience working for some of the world’s biggest advertising agencies, including: Ogilvy One, Poke and McCann Erickson. He is also a member of the IPA Taskforce for Behavioural Economics and works with various industry awards.

Since, he has founded education company Additive (http://getadditive.com/) where they help “traditional agencies understand how to use technology in a way to better engage with consumers.”

To listen to the podcast in in full, click here!

Or to skip to glens section click here!

Recently shot projects in the brand-new studio, includes: Desperados, our print and digital campaign for Chameleon, and the award-winning, Kalbitor. See these works and many more in our dedicated Photography category.  

Melinda Estey, VP, Manager, Sr. Art & Broadcast Producer at Young and Rubicam, San Francisco, sent us along some pictures of her and the rest of the team indulging in the little  delicacies.

If you’d like the chance to receive a box of TJ cupcakes, please let us know in the comments why you deserve them and how you would capture the moment?

Clients love the videos, as many have varying experiences working with CGI and they often act as a reference point visually and the general file structuring involved in creating our work. The Step by Steps have also proved a hit with our high student following.

Having started life as a photographic retouch house, attention to detail is fundamental in every part of the work that we do, and so are accustomed to working to the highest quality and resolution for stills; as our standards are maintained throughout everything that we do, we have nothing to hide.  Allowing our clients to see our skills laid bare means they can always trust us to do a great job and meet the brief every time.

Take a look at one of our earlier and most iconic prints for British Airways, ‘More Beds’.

Technically, hair is one of the most challenging FX to create in CGI. Mark Knowles, lead CGI Artist on this project, explains the steps to achieving a great mane- find out how on our blog, just click here.

“Off-the-shelf plug-ins generally doesn’t give you the level of control nor speed needed to produce a realistic look and feel. However, we have recently been using Hairfarm which has changed the way we both model and style hair on our CG characters.”

It is these modelling tools that bring a new approach to styling allowing for quick iterative styling changes, which is great for both the TJ team and our client. Knowles continues, “Its speed and efficiency is unparalleled in comparison to other off the shelf plug-ins. It integrates into our workflow well and allows us all the control needed in compositing/retouch to finesse the final look.

“The texturing and shading of the hair is driven by texture maps. If you imagine a lion without fur and took just its base skin colour that would be the map we use to drive the colour of the fur. The fine styling such as “Frizz”, “Kink”, and “Clustering” effects are controlled by modifiers and again those modifiers can be driven by what we term “distribution maps” to control how much of the effect appears on certain parts of the lion. Obviously you want a really long mane but very short hair on the back so it’s important to be able to isolate these characteristics.”

On this particular job, it was difficult to rely on lights and shadows to create the overall look and feel o f the lion as the fur is in an atmospheric effect. This meant going back to ‘old school’ methods of production and simulating global illumination with GI light domes, rim lighting, key lighting and fill lights by placing numerous lights selectively by hand. Knowles continues:

“It’s important to be aware of what each and every light is contributing to your scene. Thus, we built our lighting rig one light at a time, comparing the before and after renders to see what it had added to the overall look. Hair generally is very sensitive to rim lighting and it’s easy to blow out the hair which makes pulling it back in comp impossible, so it’s important not to over light your scene. It’s better to be darker and brighten in compositing than to be too overblown and not be able to rescue it. Fewer lights also make for quicker renders.”

The key to making great looking hair is to observe the subtleties of real-life in terms of lighting and colour and to then integrate those into a render. With all of our work, the initial stages of creative development and R&D are crucial in bringing a concept to life. We were fortunate to acquire some great reference from our in-house photography stock library which helped us to analyse the anatomy of a lion and recreate it realistically.

This month I was interviewed for Warc about the recent surge in brand’s use of AR. I’ve written about this subject before when I looked at how packaging would benefit from AR integration. A second chance to speak about the subject prompted me to think more about the wider commercial applications for the technology and address the main question, “How can AR evolve from being just a short-term gimmick?”

One of the areas where I foresee the largest growth in the next two years is the retail industry. For e-commerce in particular, AR can yield an extra dimension to the experience allowing customers to explore products they are interested in, in a more personalised way. When deployed well it can shorten the gap between discovery and purchase.

The fashion industry has taken some of the biggest strides forward. Recently Taiwan technology company Ya de Li Technology worked with the Citizen watch brand, to deploy software that allowed customers to virtually try on watches. This could be done via a piece of downloadable software and a webcam at home or at dedicated kiosks in department stores. The resulting images could then be shared on Facebook, bringing all important social validation into the mix, exposing the brand to more people and allowing Citizen to capture use data for future marketing activities. Despite less than perfect visual quality it’s easy to see the direct value of this technology, especially for driving purchase intent online. Citizen declared the campaign a success; after two weeks more than 36,000 had used the service and 3,000 shared pictures on Facebook, although no sales figures have been released.

Some technology companies have even grander ambitions. Swivel, a platform developed by FaceCake, launched at the DEMO 2011 conference. Essentially it is a while label virtual fitting room solution that can be used by clothing retailers to recreate the in-store fitting-room experience for those purchasing online.

Unfortunately, it is at this point where the wheels start to fall off. As can be seen in the video, the outfit overlay is crude and no amount of improvement in visual quality will address the bigger issue; trying to fit a virtual garment to the nuances of people’s body size is near impossible with current technology, particularly when dealing with the limited hardware of the average consumer’s PC. Jennifer Van Grove makes this point in her review of the technology on Mashable. In a comment on the article Matt Szymczyk, CEO of a similar platform Zagura, was quick to point out that these platforms are intended as a “visualization tool to help determine style and colour – not fit.” However for online retailers who are keen to find ways to lower the rate of returns, this isn’t a selling point likely to get them excited.

Also worth considering is the use of AR in experiential marketing. Delivered via kiosks with customised graphic setups, a much higher visual quality can be achieved. A recent example is the campaign run by Lynx in the UK. A marker was placed on the floor of London Victoria train station which encouraged people to look up at the big screen above. When they did an angel would appear alongside them on the screen and would interact with them as they moved around. While simple and perhaps still quite gimmicky, as a concept this sort of activity stops people in their tracks and encourages them to talk to each other, something that brand reps on the ground can take advantage of. In some cases, footage of the event can be incorporated into subsequent TV adverts increasing the scope of a campaign and reducing overall costs. A great example of this, albeit minus the AR, is the recent T-Mobile flash-mob campaign.

Another interesting variation of this model is using AR to create virtual shopping locations. An example of this comes from Y&R New York who created ‘invisible’ pop-up shops for Airwalk shoes. Like a traditional scavenger hunt, consumers travelled to predefined locations and were able to view a pair of trainers at a set destination, via an app downloaded to their smartphone. Taking a photo of these trainers gave them instant access to a discount voucher to be redeemed at the Airwalk online store. The campaign was a success and they reported their busiest weekend for visitors to their online store.

Popup stores in major cities are a popular choice for a number of high-end brands at the moment but costs and availability of space can be a major limiting factor. GoldRun, the technology company that worked with Y&R on the Airwalk campaign, provide a solution that allows brands to recreate some of the pop-up experience. What’s also interesting is that these campaigns tap into another marketing trend which is gaining popularity; location-based gaming. By encouraging users to collect items and interact virtually with brands in exchange for rewards there is an added thrill to taking part. If users can be encouraged to share this activity on their social graph brands benefit in the same way as Citizen; increased brand exposure, social validation and the ability to collect user data.

Like any broad new technology medium it will take some time and a lot of experimentation to find the correct balance between providing a meaningful experience and developing ways to make money from it. An explosion in the number of companies and applications being created to take advantage of AR and heightened venture capital interest, to the tune of $5.5 million in the case of AR technology company Total Immersion, could be taken as a sign of an impending gold rush. In a fight for market share we will almost certainly see increased collaborations between the companies that develop the hardware and software and the studios that deliver the creative solutions in an effort to mature the technology. If advertising agencies continue to take risks and experiment on behalf of their clients it would not surprise me if in 18 months AR features as regularly in brands marketing mix as iPhone/iPad apps is today.

As CGI experts, Taylor James, is investing in R&D to be able deliver creative material that takes quality and interactivity onto new levels and we look forward to working both internally and with our clients to deliver some fantastic campaigns.

You can read the article in full next month on www.warc.com/

How did AllCity come about?

My business partner, Pete Hanson, and I formed AllCity (www.allcitymedia.com) in 2000 after becoming frustrated in our present positions working for other people. Pete came from a film design background, and so we decided early on to focus on the independent film sector. We also knew we wouldn’t compete with the larger film-based agencies who were working on studio productions, so we targeted the indie and foreign language releases which were about to increase in popularity in the UK. In turn, this part of the film market allowed us to be more creative as it wasn’t constrained by studio obligations and rules, and our clients (the distributors) were able to be more free-thinking and ground-breaking.

What is the creed that AllCity lives life by and what makes you stand out from other media design agencies?

Ideas come first- design second. We believe our USP is being the ‘alternative thinking’ creative agency.

How do you come up with the concept for a movie poster- do you get given an exact brief or do you take inspiration from the film itself? If the latter, do you get special film screenings before anyone else?

We work with the client to form the brief, and if possible see the film prior to initial meetings. But we work on films in all their stages of production, from script through to finished product. We work from sketch-up rather than mac-visuals, so our presentations are based around ideas visualised as sketches with reference for style / finish. This means the client is drawn to the idea rather than the poster. From there we concentrate on one or two routes to visualise further before preparing the final artwork.

You recently worked on the poster for the King’s Speech- how was working on such a high-profile film and has it had a notable impact on the demand for All City’s creative services?

We were commissioned by the international sales agent to produce the Key Art. It was a very smoothly run project, managed by our Creative Developer, Charlie Loft. It had the potential to be a banana skin due to the sudden explosion of interest in the film, but the producers were delighted with the result. It’s good to be associated with such a film, and perhaps it has raised our profile, but it’s difficult to say if it has had a direct impact on work coming in.

What’s your favourite movie campaign / poster of all time?

I would say from the distant past, Metropolis was an incredible image and has had some great variations over the years. When I was growing up in the 70/80′s I remember Rocky, ET, Ghostbusters, Rambo, Alien, Terminator, Close Encounters… there seems to be so many classic images from that period.  Recently, there’s been a few stand-outs in terms of film marketing, such as Trainspotting, Blair Witch, 12 Monkeys and Cloverfield; and of course our own creations, such as Control, I Am Love and Moon.

AllCity has been around for over a decade now, what’s the secret?
A belief in what we do and how we do it, coupled with the privilege of having worked on some great products. There are a few competitors in our sector, but we have invested heavily in our infrastructure including our premises to ensure stability, and always employ the right people.

Do you have any career or personal aspirations you’d like to achieve in the next five years?

Part of our attraction to clients is that we are a boutique agency; so we will always look to manage the growth of the company accordingly and build steadily but we are also forging relationships with specialist suppliers whereby we can offer a more comprehensive package to our clients, which includes AV and CGI. This means we can achieve an integrated campaign, without the strain of running those departments internally. Clients are happier with not spending too much with one agency, but they also see we can manage the branding to ensure it achieves consistency across all platforms. Long-term we are planning on exporting our business model to alternative territories, such as the US.

And finally, what inspires you to get out of bed in the morning?

I enjoy work, I like the people we work with, I enjoy (mostly) the day to day of running a company, and most days throw-up new challenges and opportunities. Its inspiring building up your company and it’s satisfying to see the fruits of your labour, knowing you’re doing something right.

I took my seat in a lecture room on the Creative Arts Campus at the University of West England. It’s my second week at Taylor James so as well as helping Keith give a lecture to students from multiple courses on the current state of the creative production industry, it’s a good chance for me to learn more about it too.

“How many of you watch TV?” was Keith’s opening question. The point he was making is that increasingly programs are watched on phones and on platforms such as YouTube and iPlayer. People choose what they want to watch and when and can do it without sitting through long advert breaks.

With hardware getting better and internet speeds getting faster it is possible to deliver rich visual content right into people’s hands. It’s these interactive experiences that will replace the traditional advert break in the future.  And therein lies one of Taylor James’ strengths and key differentials; the ability to deliver CG assets that are of a high enough quality that they can be reused across print, TV and interactive. Keith took the students through our work on the ‘Nissan Qasqhai’ campaign as a good example of a print campaign extended across into a commercial and ‘Motorola City’ as an example of a print piece extended into a fully interactive microsite.

Keith spent time explained how Taylor James has deliberately geared itself this way. Our background for a start, as photographic retouchers, has been an advantage. The move into CGI 6 years ago was done with a team experienced in delivering high quality, photo-realistic work for print ads. This photo-realism when applied to moving image work leaves people unable to tell whether it was captured in camera or CGI. In practice it is often a careful mix of both and as Keith emphasised “our designers are doing their job properly when people can’t tell the difference”.

Today’s students will graduate into an industry where CGI is developed enough to make it a cost effective alternative to a photographic or live action shoot. Location scouting, prop hire and transportation, crew costs and travel all eat into a client’s budget and can all be reduced when using CGI. Further savings are achieved as the client receives a library of CG assets and environments that can be reutilised should they want to extend or update the campaign in the future.

Our work on the ‘Turkish Airlines’ advert is a perfect example. With no access to a plane and only a small window of time with the players, the scene had to be created in CGI. When the day of the shoot came camera angles and lighting had already been approved and we were able to position the Manchester United players exactly as required. The photos of the players were then blended into the CGI environment and expert retouching gave the whole layout a photo-realistic quality.

At university students benefit from a great deal of creative excellence and input from tutors but it is important they also make an effort understand the commercial environment when picking their career route.

Keith concluded with some parting advice for the students. Most important is to collaborate with the best people whenever possible and specialise on the areas in which you have an interest. Also important is to research an agency’s particular strength and tailor their portfolio accordingly, keep showreels short and be honest about your involvement in collaborative pieces and finally to follow key players at their favourite agencies but to not let this turn into stalking! All in all a great day out and hopefully a good insight into creative production industry for many entering the creative sector.

Jim Campbell, Senior Lecturer Visual Culture & Programme Leader BA Photography, had this to say “I just wanted to thank you and Taylor James once again for your lecture last week. There were some valuable lessons about the nature of the creative industries and I know the students really enjoyed and learnt a great deal from the experience. I’ve just been reading a piece by David Baldwin (NYC advertising guru) talking about media integration– which I think is the main thing that stuck with me about your pitch last week.”