Imaginary Forces creates Magic for The Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies feature film, “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” has now opened nationwide. Based on the beloved best-selling series of fantasy adventure books, the film opens with a riveting prologue created and produced by entertainment and design company Imaginary Forces (IF).
Filmmakers also tapped IF to produce two key flashback sequences in the film, the whimsical end titles, as well as the teaser trailer. The prologue, flashback sequences and end titles were designed and directed by IF Creative Director Ahmet Ahmet. They were produced by IF’s Kathy Kelehan.
“I can’t imagine ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ without the incredible contribution Imaginary Forces made to three crucial sequences,” says Director Mark Waters. “Ahmet [Ahmet] and Kathy [Kelehan] and their team added texture and nuance and mystery in a way that really sucks the audience into the world of Spiderwick.”
“Imaginary Forces definitely lived up to its name,” adds Producer Kathleen Kennedy. “Between crafting a lush and lyrical title sequence and shaping the look and style of segments within the film itself, their creative contributions to ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ really helped to elevate the story’s magical realism. I look forward to collaborating with them again on future projects.”
The suspenseful opening sequence takes viewers back 80 years to the secret study of Arthur Spiderwick. For the two-day prologue shoot at Paramount, Ahmet collaborated with renowned Director of Photography Caleb Deschanel.
“Ahmet and the team from Imaginary Forces brought great ideas and a wonderful visual and rhythmic sense to all the sequences they created for Spiderwick,” comments Deschanel. “They worked with Mark Waters to develop the storylines, then found powerful visuals to get those ideas across. They were a delight to work with, and the results of their work made everyone involved in Spiderwick excited and proud. Ahmet’s end titles make you want to stay to very last note of the movie – clever and fun. I look forward to getting a chance to work with them again.”
“Working with this team of talented filmmakers enhanced the entire process,” concludes Ahmet. “There was a level of dialogue that allowed us to hone our ideas, and focus on the storytelling and creative content within the sequences to produce something quite unique. The sequences, while imbued with magic and mystery, are set in a tangible scientific world. Spiderwick’s meticulous documentation of scientific discoveries in his field guide, coupled with the macro photography of collected specimens, lab jars and collaged book pages, helped to propel the narrative and convey his obsessive character.”
About Imaginary Forces
IMAGINARY FORCES (IF) is a production company based in Hollywood and New York. Its award-winning work spans the diverse industries of feature film production, entertainment marketing and promotion, corporate branding, architecture, advertising and interactive media. IF’s recent work includes identity packages for USA Network, Lifetime, Animal Planet and MTV, as well as effective and compelling broadcast advertising for Nike, Sears, Toyota, Pontiac, Smirnoff and Lexus. In entertainment and media marketing, IF created campaigns for such films as Transformers, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Stepford Wives, and both Men in Black films. The company also designed and produced main title sequences for Number 23, Charlotte’s Web, Ray, Mad Men, Chuck, Band of Brothers, Spider-Man, and Seven, and produced the highly successful Blade trilogy. Most recently, the company designed the media installations for the new HBO retail store in Manhattan, outdoor multimedia experiences for Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau, and created projections for the “Bubbles in the Wine” exhibit at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. For more information on IF’s services, contact Danixa Diaz, Director of Business Development.
CREDITS
Studio: Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies
Production Company: The Kennedy/Marshall Company & Mark Canton
Director: Mark Waters
Post Production Supervisor (Paramount): Ben Rosenblatt
Editor: Michael Kahn
Director of Photography: Caleb Deschanel
Executive Producers: Julia Pistor, Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black
Producers: Mark Canton, Larry Franco, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Karey Kirkpatrick
Project: The Spiderwick Chronicles – Prologue, Footlocker and Lucinda Flashbacks
Designed & Produced by: Imaginary Forces (IF)
Creative Director: Peter Frankfurt
Director/Art Director: Ahmet Ahmet
Editor: Jeff Consiglio
Producer: Kathy Kelehan
Designers: Ahmet Ahmet, Karin Fong
2D/3D Animators: Gary Hebert, Charles Khoury, Juan Monasterio, Ben Lopez
Storyboard Artist: Wayne Coe
Lead Inferno Artist: Rod Basham
Inferno Artist: Matt Spencer
Coordinator: Heather Dennis
Head of Production: Ben Apley
Project: The Spiderwick Chronicles – Main On End Title Sequence
Designed & Produced by: Imaginary Forces (IF)
Creative Director: Peter Frankfurt
Art Director: Ahmet Ahmet
Producer: Kathy Kelehan
Designers: Ahmet Ahmet, Jason Walker, Brett Krauss
2D/3D Animators: Sal Rangel, Nate Homan, Juan Monasterio, Miguel Lee, Orlando Costa, Stan Lim, Greg Reynard, Tom Allain, Chris Villa, Don Phillips
Editors: Justine Gerenstein, Jeff Consiglio
Inferno Artist: Andy Dill
Coordinator: Heather Dennis
Head of Production: Ben Apley
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