Last month, we packed up our bags and headed to Austin for SXSW. We ate too much good BBQ, worked on some incredible projects, and enjoyed the wonderful Texan sun (sorry, Seattle!). We made friends with cows, played with drones, and had an all-around good time. We can’t wait to go back next year! Take a look at what we were up to in our behind-the-scenes video recap. Photos taken by Sean Kusanagi.
The whole Workhouse Creative team had an amazing time at SXSW this year. Alongside our talented directors Frank Danna and Hunter Harrison, we spent one of our days at SXSW working with MasterCard to follow their Priceless® Elevator Pitch, a startup contest where cardholders had an opportunity to pitch their ideas in sixty seconds or less. The winning pitch was awarded a grand prize of $15,000.
Frank and Hunter are masters of Vine, a short-form video app. They have quickly become some of the most sought-after short-form content creators in the world. Their “beard-stroking” Vine that we produced for MasterCard’s contest was named one of “6 Branded Vines You Should Watch Now” by Unruly. They commented that Frank and Hunter really “put Vine to great use.”
Check out the entire contest in the video recap we made of the event, which is featured above. We can’t wait to head back to Austin next year, and thanks to MasterCard for including us in such a fun project.
2014 was a great year for us here at Workhouse Creative. We worked on some incredible projects and are excited to announce that we have received an ADDY for one of the pieces we produced. Last week we were awarded a Silver ADDY for Branded Content more than 60 Seconds. Forza Horizon 2 (directed by Caleb Slain) received this honor. Director of Operations Eli Martin, Workhouse owner Keith Rivers, and Production Coordinator Corbin Richardson attended the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of Workhouse and Caleb (pictured below). Great job to all, and here’s to more amazing work in the future! Watch the winning piece above.
At Workhouse we have an incredible post-production team that is an essential part of our soup-to-nuts philosophy. This month, we sat down with our lead Visual Effects Artist Jacob Shroades to talk process, things that inspire him, and how he got his start.
“When I was a kid, I always loved to watch the behind the scene features on DVDs, especially Star Wars,” Jacob explains. “I was obsessed with seeing and understanding how the illusions I saw on screen were created.” This fascination led to him to begin experimenting with visual effects when he was just eight years old. He believes that exploring VFX at such a young age has been foundational to his current success and interest in the field.
Beyond the process of building visual elements piece by piece, Jacob loves the ingenuity of trying to find a new way to make magic happen. Trying to create something that no one has ever seen before simply because it is computer generated is exciting to him. The creation of visual effects is similar to solving a puzzle, which Jacob cites as another engaging aspect of the craft. “I am a very visual person,” he says. “I like aesthetics so much that the excitement of seeing something so different and challenging, and knowing that there is a new problem to solve each time I come in to work is what keeps me coming back to VFX every day.”
Visual effects are fun because they allow the creator to build whatever they want – there are no actors to direct or sets to finish. Each component is the responsibility of the artist because each element is built from scratch. Though this creative freedom exists for VFX artists, one of its challenges is that it can be tricky to get a widespread audience on board and engaged. Audiences love to see video elements that are created realistically, and Jacob believes it will take great steps to get them to see purely computer generated as engaging as traditional film — it’s another reason why he is committed to perfecting his craft.
When Jacob isn’t hard at work on Workhouse’s latest project, he is developing his own projects and sharpening his skills. He often doesn’t finish these side projects, but notes that even though some may never reach a state of completion, he is still learning something along the way. To him, personal projects are important because they allow him to learn how to do something new, and figure out how he would do something in a real situation. Some of his favorite projects to work on are animated shorts, the integration of live action into short, and video games. “Whichever one stays inspiriting to the end is the one that is finished,” he says.
We are truly lucky to have Jacob on our team and can’t wait to see what amazing piece he comes up with next.
Caleb Slain’s latest work takes a look inside the exciting world of music composition – only this music composition isn’t for anything ordinary. “Frequencies – The Music of League of Legends” explores Riot Games’ epic process of scoring orchestral music for their popular video game League of Legends. In this documentary, Caleb uncovers the passion, collaboration, and pursuit of creative harmony that the company strives to achieve in this process.
League of Legends is a multiplayer online video game that in 2012 became the most played PC game in North America and Europe. In the game, music functions in a similar way that it does in film – it provides a more immersive experience and heightens emotion. League of Legends, centered around multiplayer gameplay, doesn’t utilize a typical storyline. Music is essential to fleshing out preloaded characters and creating a more immersive experience for the player. Caleb lends his storytelling skills to Riot Games in this compelling piece, effortlessly highlighting the art, craft, and dedicated people behind the scenes.
Watch the full documentary here.
We’re getting geared up for the Seahawks to play against the Patriots in Superbowl XLIX! #GoHawks
February 2 is a Workhouse Creative paid holiday. Beyond it being an average Monday, February 2 has no special significance (unless we counter in the fact that a groundhog on the East Coast pops out of the ground and determines whether or not we’ll have to suffer through winter just a bit longer). In honor of this mysterious paid holiday, we quizzed the WHC team to see why they think Workhouse owner Keith Rivers granted them a three-day weekend.
BEST GUESSES
ANSLEY: It’s Groundhog Day!
ELI: I think it’s something Keith likes to do?
CORBIN: Because if you get caught in a time loop you don’t want to spend Groundhog Day working.
RYAN: Well, because it’s my birthday.
LIZ: Groundhog Day.
RACHEL: Superbowl recovery day, right?
JACOB: Because Keith has a heightened sense of the presence of the Groundhog Overlords. He knows that it’s smart to take the day off unlike the rest of the human race.
SEAN: For Ryan’s birthday.
THE REAL REASON?
In actuality, Keith has a long-standing tradition with his dad on Groundhog Day, which he generously extends as a paid holiday to the WHC team.
Keith wanted to experiment with hidden camera filming, so he rigged up his new Porsche Cayenne GTS with GoPros and surprised the WHC team by having each of us take it for a spin. The results are priceless. We can confidently say that we’re committed to the Cayenne.
Renato Marques is an incredibly talented director, motion designer and visual effects artist who hails from Viseu, Portugal. Known for a clean and sophisticated aesthetic, his work is visually poetic, fresh, gritty and full of texture. Renato’s impressive and stunning art-driven approach brings a unique edge to the Workhouse Creative team.
Renato approaches directing by applying design to film. He borrows from the design workflow and applies its elements to each of his projects. His passion for art-driven aesthetic doesn’t come from just anywhere: Renato aspired to be a painter before pursuing a career as a designer and cites the Bauhaus movement as one of his biggest inspirations. It always made sense to him that things should have a defined purpose and that their shapes should be a result of that defined purpose. He believes that this principle can be applied in designing an object or creating a film.That motto, to me,” Renato explains, “is the platform that allows not only the production to be objective, but also the creative to be concise.”
Although Renato initially sticks to a predefined workflow, he values making space to explore new techniques. This method allows him to discover fresh aesthetics and expand how he thinks about a project. “I find it helpful to put oneself into uncomfortable situations and let the instinct kick in,” he says. “It prevents me from repeating workflows, and therefore results.”
Beyond his experience with art-driven aesthetic, Renato’s talent in visual effects has significantly shaped his approach to directing. “It has been incredibly helpful to have worked as a motion designer and VFX artist,” says Renato. “It’s helped to sharpen the visualization of projects.”
As a VFX artist, he understood that directors normally had a clear view of the end piece and that it was up to him to help create their vision. His technical skills and understanding of how essential it is to have a clear idea have translated well to his roll as a director because he is able to articulate an incredibly clear vision no matter what he creates. His VFX background also heavily informs his style and continuously challenges him to identify a less common aesthetic in each piece he creates.
Renato’s favorite part of working on a piece is developing the style frames. “It’s when I relax from all the research and enjoy myself in creating something I love,” he explains. “I’m a sucker for finding the best way to light a scene and make it just right.”
At Workhouse we are continuously impressed with the work that Renato produces. His 2014 wrap-up video is a peak into the amazing work that he spearheads and brings to fruition. Like his work, Renato is a forward-thinking director: “The next project is always my favorite one,” he proclaims. “I feel that every project is special, but you’re just as good as your latest work.”
The making of Declaration of Human Rights
Here at Workhouse Creative we value supporting those who work hard to improve their community. We are lucky to share a building with an organization that does just that: The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. In our own effort to give back, our production coordinator Corbin Richardson and production assistant Max Magerkurth filmed a selection of spots that highlight the work Urban League does and the positive change it creates in the Seattle community. A 30 second PSA aired on Comcast in November and a short doc was played at their annual breakfast fundraiser in early December. We are incredibly proud of this piece.
Pictured: part of the WHC team at Urban League’s annual breakfast fundraiser.
