Ray Di Carlo, executive producer at Bent Image Lab, knows climate change is the most important issue facing the planet. That's why he didn't hesitate to throw the studio's animation capabilities behind Deep Green, a stunning environmental documentary that premiered recently in Portland, Oregon.
Press Release from BENT
Ray Di Carlo, executive producer at Bent Image Lab, knows climate change is the most important issue facing the planet. That's why he didn't hesitate to throw the studio's animation capabilities behind Deep Green, a stunning environmental documentary that premiered recently in Portland, Oregon.
"As we've seen with films like An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary can be a powerful medium for informing the world about global warming, but what really drew us to Deep Green was the film's focus on attainable solutions," said Di Carlo. The studio created several animated segments woven into the live action of the film, along with two accompanying shorts, the documentary's promotional poster, images for the DVD cover, and a few extra features for the Deep Green website.
Deep Green is the first documentary devoted entirely to showing the world how we can stop climate change. First-time filmmaker Matt Briggs takes audiences to nine countries, including China, to speak with the people with the best ideas, technologies and restorative solutions to end our dependence on fossil fuels and avoid the disastrous consequences of global warming.
Animation plays a key part in the mostly live action film, explains Briggs. "We used animation because it is fun and can simplify a problem and a solution so people remember it."
The documentary features several distinctive explanatory and interstitial animations by BENT:
GreenagraphicsDirector Pascal Campion lent his signature stick figure line-art style to the Deep Green project for "Greenagraphics," an accessible motion graphics piece explaining the importance of conservation in the home. The Flash animation offers visual representations of ways everyone can cut back on energy use, including telecommuting instead of driving to save fossil fuels, using energy efficient appliances and unplugging "vampire electronics" around the house.
Earth Faces"Earth Faces," directed by Chel White and Brian Kinkley, is a series of animated segments that provide different views of the Earth combined with images of human faces depicted in clouds. Ranging from ten seconds to half a minute, these short segments serve as transitions between the film's stories, locations and solutions. The striking images are a seamless combination of 3D CGI, live action and still photography. As White explains, "these faces metaphorically represent our relationship to the Earth, implying that planet stewardship begins with each one of us."
The Portland studio also created the two animated shorts that accompany the film. Written by Clark Taylor and voiced by talent including Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants), these animations take a comedic approach to explain the most serious manmade problems facing our planet's forests and oceans.
TreesDirected by Randy Wakerlin, "Trees" offers a humorous yet urgent warning about the effects of deforestation. Rendered in gorgeous woodcut-inspired 2D, the work stars two talking trees, "green-collar guys" voiced by Kenny. As the characters candidly explain the importance of trees to the Earth's climate and the devastating environmental consequences of cutting them down, the animation gradually transitions from a lush, diverse rainforest to a brown, overgrazed plain.
The Krill is GoneDirector Jeffery Bosts' "The Krill is Gone" highlights the devastating effects of global warming on Earth's fragile ocean ecosystems. The story, a mix of 3D CGI and 2D After Effects animation, features a comedic cast of marine life voiced by Tom Kenny and Jill Taley. It begins at the microscopic scale with a Robin Leach-like plankton and moves up the food-chain, exploring various deadly problems facing marine life. At last the camera breaks the surface to reveal the planet-wide cause of the sea creatures' misery.
Asked to sum up the role of animation in his film, Briggs said, "Ultimately, the animation melded into the film, giving it a sense of summary in the 'Greenagraphics,' of pause and reflection in 'Earth Faces,' and a gradual but ultimately iconic introduction to the film with 'Trees' and 'The Krill is Gone.' [With BENT] we met our match in wild, creative, fun people who could produce and push the curve just as we did. I love the final work."
The Creds:THE KRILL IS GONEProduced by Deep Green Films Limited in association with Bent Image Lab
Producer: Matt BriggsWriters: Clark Taylor, Matt Briggs
ANIMATIONProduction Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab, Portland, ORDirector: Jeffrey BostExecutive Producers/Partners: Ray Di Carlo, Chel White, David DanielsSenior Producer: Tsui Ling ToomerProducer: Tanya SmithCharacter Voices: Tom Kenny, Jill TalleyPrincipal Animator: Jeffrey BostAdditional Animators: Dennis Rivera, Eric A. UrbanCharacter Design: Huy VuSet Design/City: Dave ManuelTechnical Director: AJ DeflaminisCG Modelers: Trystin D. Stratton, Devon A. Myron, Shirak D. Agresta, Eric T. DuranteRigging: John P. LallyProduction Assistants: Evan R. Stewart, Patricia L. Hall, Charles G. James
POSTEditorial Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab, Portland, ORComposite Artists (After Effects): Orland G. Nutt, Roland E. Gauthier2D Composite/Clean-Up Artist: Traci Cook
AUDIOSound Design Company/City/State: Digital One, Portland, OREngineer: Eric StolbergSpecial Thanks: Randall D. Wakerlin, Tarn Fox, Brian Kinkley, Heavywood Music, Lake Oswego, ORComposer: Randy Porter
TREESProduced by Deep Green Films Limited in association with Bent Image Lab
Producer: Matt BriggsWriters: Clark Taylor, Matt Briggs
ANIMATIONProduction Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab, Portland, ORDirector: Randall D. WakerlinExecutive Producers/Partners: Ray Di Carlo, Chel White, David DanielsSenior Producer: Tsui Ling ToomerProducer: Tanya SmithCharacter Voices: Tom KennyArt Director: Huy N. VuArt Department: Kaplowitz, Kimberly ACharacter Design: Huy N. VuAdditional Character Illustration: Kenneth M. Nguyen, Traci CookLayout Artists: Ashley Burke, Dave ManuelPrincipal Animators: Randall D. WakerlinProduction Assistants: Evan R. Stewart, Patricia L. Hall
POSTColorist: Tarn FoxComposite Artists (After Effects): Tarn Fox
AUDIOSound Design Company/city/state: Digital One, Portland, OREngineer: Eric Stolberg
Music Production Company/City/State: Heavywood Music, Lake Oswego, ORComposer: Randy Porter
PASCAL GREENAGRAPHICSProduced by Deep Green Films Limited in association with Bent Image Lab
Producer: Matt BriggsWriter: Matt Briggs
ANIMATIONProduction Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab, Portland, ORDirector: Pascal CampionExecutive Producers/Partners: Ray Di Carlo, Chel White, David DanielsSenior Producer: Tsui Ling ToomerProducer: Tanya SmithVoiceover: Matt BriggsPrincipal Animator: Pascal Campion
POSTEditorial Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab, Portland, ORComposite Artists (After Effects): Kevin Ang2D Composite/Clean-Up Artist: Ben Burch
AUDIOSound Design Company/City/State: Digital One, Portland, OREngineer: Eric Stolberg
Music Production Company/City/State: Heavywood Music, Lake Oswego, ORComposer: Randy Porter
EARTH FACESProduced by Deep Green Films Limited in association with Bent Image Lab
Producer: Matt BriggsWriter: Matt Briggs
ANIMATIONProduction Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab, Portland, ORDirector: Chel White / Brian KinkleyExecutive Producers/Partners: Ray Di Carlo, Chel White, David DanielsSenior Producer: Tsui Ling ToomerProducer: Tanya SmithVoiceover: David SuzukiDirector of Photography: Bryce N. Fortner, James P. BirkettStoryboard Artist:: Dave ManuelSupervising TD: Fred J. RuffTechnical Director: Eric T. Durante, Trystin D. StrattonAdditional Technical Directors: Galen A. Beals, Phil GuzzoProduction Assistants: Evan R. Stewart, Patricia L. Hall
FACES: Cruz Bost, Monica Bost, Matt Briggs, Robert Briggs, Tarn Fox, Donielle Howard, Dave Manuel, Amy Rosko, Diana Saltoon, Fiona Hahm, Jun seo Hahm, Huy N. Vu
POSTEditorial Company/City/State: Bent Image Lab. Portland, ORColorist: Tarn FoxComposite Artists (After Effects): Brian Kinkley, Tarn Fox
About Bent Image LabBent Image Lab is a Portland Oregon-based production company and creative laboratory, known for melding art, design and storytelling. It is a place where the brightest ideas are driven with an artist's passion and realized through the use of cutting edge technology.
Established in 2002, BENT specializes in wildly creative spots and videos that range from the frenetic to the deeply moving. Saturday Night Live, Coca-Cola, Zune, Lux Soap, Aflac, Budweiser, FOX, Guitar Hero, HP, PBS, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Live Earth, and film directors Todd Haynes and Gus Van Sant, are just a few of the high-profile clients that have called on BENT for some of their quirky, highly-original work. BENT's long list of spots, music videos, animated films and promos has earned impressive recognition from top film festivals and industry shows, including SXSW, the Clios, Cannes, Sundance, the Chicago Film Festival, AICP/MoMA, the Rosey awards, the Broadcast Design Awards, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Rotterdam Film Festival and the Florida Film Festival. BENT's principals are, David Daniels, Chel White, Ray Di Carlo, and Tsui Ling Toomer.
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