[CGnews]

Asylum VFX, via Arnold, created two vibrantly animated Hershey’s spots, directed by Kommitted’s Nathan McGuinness, the latest in a string of projects that the companies have collaborated on for the chocolate-making giant.

The two :15s are set in the now-familiar elaborate, glimmering CG Hershey’s factory, with anthropomorphic Hershey’s Kisses running about. Checklist features a Kiss moving along a conveyor belt as quality-control personnel examine the candy to see that is has sufficient levels of “delicious,” “shine,” and “one of a kind” before it is catapulted out into the live-action world, where a mother and daughter smile over their newfound treat.

Timid features a Kiss who’s frightened to board the catapult. A fellow Kiss comes to the rescue, offering the timid Kiss encouragement, and the two are hurdled out of the factory and into a live-action setting, where a young boy shares the chocolate treats with his grinning parents.

“We’re really pleased to put out another pair of spots for this popular campaign,” noted Asylum EP Mike Pardee. “Asylum and Arnold have always been strong collaborators and I think it reflects not only in this campaign, but the previous as well.”

Asylum is a premier visual effects and design company, handling high-profile features, commercials, music videos, and emerging media content for web and mobile platforms. Asylum’s team is currently working on Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a feature slated to premier July 2010.

Past feature projects include films such as Terminator Salvation, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pirates Of The Caribbean ll & lll, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (Academy Award and BAFTA nominated), Moulin Rouge, Minority Report, Tony Scott’s Déjà Vu, Man on Fire & Domino and Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down.

Asylum has done spot work for brands such as Halo 3:ODST, Porsche, Hershey’s, Nike, Sony Playstation, Coke, BMW, Gatorade and Apple. In addition, Asylum Design has created award winning title and graphic design work for such films as Bedtime Stories, X-Men I & II, The Island, Bad Boys II and XXX, as well as Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland.

CREDITS
Client: Hershey’s
Spots Title: Checklist, Timid
Air Date: February 2010

Agency: Arnold
Group Creative Director: Kate Murphy
Producer: Pete Scudese
Senior Art Director: Nate Guillard
Senior Copywriter: Meghan Williams

Production Company: Kommitted
Director: Nathan McGuinness
EP: Marc Siegel

Post/Effects: Asylum Visual Effects
VFX Producer: Sascha Flick
VFX Coordinator: Jennie Burnett
EP: Michael Pardee

Head of CG: Jeff Werner
Animation Director: Piotr Karwas
VFX Supervisor: Paul O’Shea
Lead Compositor: Miles Essmiller
Lead Animator: Michael Warner
Animator(s): James Parris, Larry White, Alfonso Alpuerto
Modeler(s): Lersak Bunupuradah, Greg Stuhl, Toshihiro Sakamaki
Lighter: Aaron Vest
Rigging: Rick Grandy
Rigging: Briana Hamilton
Texture: James Lee
Shading: Matthew Maude
Editor: Kosta Saric

Shoot Location: N/A

RELATED LINKS
http://www.asylumfx.com/