Cuppa Coffee/Spin TCM opener

Toronto’s Cuppa Coffee and Spin Productions brought their respective talents to an earth-moving opening for Turner Classic Movies which creates a strange world and captures another era.

The spot opens the Friday Classic Movie Imports program on Atlanta-based Turner Network and features a handful of beefy workers pushing an 18-foot bronze globe through a moody, shadowy space. The look is embellished Russian industrial and evokes 1930s cinema.

The spot’s director, Cuppa’s Julian Grey, says a 14-inch metal globe stood in for the real thing and a ‘gizmo’ was constructed to simulate the action of men pushing against a large structure. Live action was shot on 35mm in the Cuppa studio, which, with the benefit of smoke, light and shadow, was made to look like a fathomless space.

To achieve a ‘jittery’ look, Grey says every third frame of the live sequences was scanned, printed and cut out, to be set up with the globe and shot with stop motion. These shots were composited courtesy of Spin’s Paul Cormack and Discreet Logic’s Inferno.

Grey says the spot was complicated in that it required a degree of realism to balance the illusion created, which was where Cormack and the Inferno were indispensable. Cormack says by color correcting, adding smoke and shadows, and meshing actors into multiple layers, Inferno lent the necessary realism. ‘There are 25 layers in this piece. Inferno is ideal for a job as complex as this one.’

The opener was produced by Cuppa’s Adam Shaheen and shot by Chris Romeike. Turner creative directors were Shannon David-Forsythe and Glen Kesner.

Tattersall deluxe

Prompted by a business expansion and requirement for larger facilities, Toronto’s Tattersall Sound has formed a strategic alliance with post giant deluxe toronto.

Tattersall Sound, headed by Jane Tattersall, has relocated its staff of six and sound studios to deluxe’s Adelaide Street facility. The sound shop will retain its independence from deluxe, which is owned by the Rank Organization. Tattersall says the arrangement will provide clients of both companies with additional expertise and resources.

DVCPRO infiltrations

The National Film Board has bought into digital video and Panasonic’s dvcpro technology with the purchase of an AJ-D700 camcorder and an AJ-D750 studio vtr. The technology will be used primarily for documentaries and time-sensitive productions, with footage archived for editing and stock footage purposes.

Ottawa’s Corel Centre, home of the Senators, has become the world’s first user of Panasonic’s dvcpro for non-broadcast purposes, using the technology to record and edit stadium events.

Warner Bros.’ how-to site

Warner Bros. has launched a Web site to showcase the company’s projects and characters as well as provide a look at the nuts and bolts of the animation process.

In addition to accessing programming information, games and contests, users can visit Animation 101 to gain perspective on the making of Warner Bros. cartoons like Animaniacs and Batman: The Animated Series. The area provides explanations and examples of each stage of production, including conceptualization and scripting to storyboard layout, character design, voice recording, music and sound effects.

Techno-jocks

Edmonton’s Aquila Productions has assembled 30 minutes of broadcast Betacam footage showcasing the usage of Chyron’s codi sketchpad, made famous by the televised gesticulations of nfl commentator John Madden. The video demonstrates Edmonton Oilers coaches’ usage of the sketchpad as a teaching tool as well as their use of Avid’s Media Composer, Sony videotape recorders and Iris switchers.

Early Xmas for Niagara

Rogers Communications has donated a $70,000 Avid Media Composer nonlinear editing system to Welland Ont.’s Niagara College for use in the Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program.