WEST HOLLYWOOD - Visual effects and design company A52 (www.a52.com) recently completed effects work for the new Goodyear campaign, including the :30 screw, which follows a two-inch steel screw as it positions itself in the path of an oncoming car.
The spot via Goodby, Silverstein & Partners/San Francisco and directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks opens on a screw atop the roof of a skyscraper. The screw rolls itself off the roof, plummeting to the street then pulling itself upright as a car approaches. The car runs right over the screw and continues on as the announcer says, "Sharp steel is no match for smart rubber. Tires with run-flat technology... On the Wings of Goodyear."
A52's CGI team used Side Effects Software's Houdini to create the steel screw in every single shot and Discreet inferno for compositing. Renderman was used to render the animated elements. A52's creative director Simon Brewster served as visual effects supervisor and Inferno artist on the campaign. A52's managing director is Rick Hassen, executive producer is Darcy Leslie Parsons and the producer for this project was Ron Cosentino. Along with Simon Brewster, their project team also included 3D animators Denis Gauthier, Westley Sarokin, Jeff Willette and David Burton. Sarokin and Cosentino also served as on-set visual effects supervisors.
The editorial team from New York's Bikini Edit was led by editor Avi Oron and executive producer Gina Pagano. Sound design and final mix were handled by Reinhard Denke at Stimmüng and Jason Johnson composed the original music tag for Stimmüng.