Replacing our old menu system is our latest and greatest feature so far ~ our new filter box! You can now see all our categories in one quick, easy glance. This should make it much easier to immediately hide everything irrelevant and keep browsing focused and simple. We’ve also added a couple of brand new options…

The first is a keyword search, based on job title, agency and client. This is a really quick way of finding a job you’ve seen before or to check any work by a particular agency. Try typing in ‘Nissan’!

The next option came about through our MD’s penchant for organising jobs by colour. “Why not let the user do this?” we thought, so we did. Now you can choose a colour from the filter box and voilà! You are presented with a glorious page of blue jobs, perfect for creating mood-boards.

If you have any other comments or suggestions that would make our site easier to use, please contact us on info@taylorjames.com

Chosen for Lürzer’s prestigious ‘Ad of the week’  award, our Pretty Polly campaign has been making waves all over the country. From animated displays to nationwide billboards. See it in pride of place on Lürzer’s website or find out more information about the job right here!

The concept has been developed by agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay, to promote designs by fashion label, House of Holland, for its latest range of tights. The campaign is being widely featured in fashion and lifestyle publications and online, including Grazia, Glamour, Heat, Sugar, Harpers, Nylon, MTV, Daily Mail, as well as outdoor billboards and digital OOH displays nationwide. The campaign is running for 6 months.

Our team of artists integrated the photography of fashion photographer, Jolly, with Computer Generated Imagery to create 3 stylised executions with versions for moving image and print. It is this ability to seamlessly transform still images into motion that makes the studio stand out as a complete creative production house, able to control an integrated production under one roof. worked closely with Jolly on set at the photography shoot, to ensure the necessary shots were captured to be integrated with the CGI environment. The attention to detail and involvement of the studio even at this first stage in the production was essential in ensuring the combination into 3D and motion was successful. Head of Retouch, Josh Rogers, says “Knowing the print ads were to be adapted for animation meant ensuring we had sufficient parallax to accommodate the camera moves. Our key consideration when building the city background was ensuring we had enough ‘reveal’ on our sky and building elements, so that as the camera moved down the street all the buildings had subtle realistic parallax within our comic book world.”

This campaign is another strong example of the use of limited assets to produce a holistic campaign across still and moving image. With rapid developments in advertising technology, such as the use of digital billboards and the rising number of digital magazines for portable devices, this elegant and cost-effective solution is at the height of demand. Our expertise and ability to work flexibly with diverse techniques across print and motion enabled this campaign to come to life.

We’re really honored to accept this award, we’d like to thank Aitken Jolly (photographer), Beattie McGuinness Bungay (agency), our families, friends, our dog, God, the universe, everyone who believed in us.

Our Founder, Glen Taylor, is in NYC now working with existing & new clients to bring a bit of British style to the American advertising industry!

Glen will be available to personally work with the local advertising agencies and partners. He said: “The US is such an important market for us and New York is the perfect entry point to base the initial office. Ideally we would have made the move sooner but we’ve been working hard to build a production studio that’s ahead of the industry curve. Our recent success is based on our ability to package solutions that combine all services, delivering the highest quality of work in-house.  Across print, digital and broadcast, creative inspiration and innovation is always at the heart of everything we do; being based in New York will drive a lot of positive change for us, working even closer with our clients in the US.”

Glen Taylor continues “I want people to know how passionate and committed to each and every job we are, in a constantly evolving industry it’s often difficult for production studios to marry creativity with technical proficiency. Taylor James is here to show that those things aren’t mutually exclusive; whatever the brief, we’ll deliver the solution that ticks all the boxes”.

Keep up-to-date with the move by following us on Twitter & Facebook.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.”

The Davey Awards is judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 200+ member organisation of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts, dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.

Staying true to theme, the day unfolded with the attendance of some interesting outfits. Some TJ’ers went all out and donned some of their scariest and, umm…interesting costumes. Everyone took part in the pumpkin carve-off and creations varied from good to bad and to the very scary. The winner, our newest retouch lady, Louise, took home some lovely bubbly. Surely enough, the evening unravelled and an impromptu TJ party ensued with everyone heading to our local for a drink, making for a very memorable evening!

Visit the awards site for more information.

To learn more about the project please click here or go Behind the Scenes for an exclusive look at how we made it.