Final Cut Editor Akiko Iwakawa just completed a whimsical and imaginative spot for LG’s Steam Washer, directed by Partizan’s Nagi Noda and created by BBH NY. “World of Steam” opens on an enchanted white landscape of mountains and trees made from fabric.
A sad crinkled moon turns smooth from the spray of a jet stream before falling onto a sleeping, wrinkly white bear. He jumps to his feet and de-crinkles nearby trees with his steaming ears. A steam train dashes through the crumpled terrain, smoothing out the mountains along the way. The spot concludes with the motion graphics, “Wrinkles are overpowered in the world of steam.”
For Iwakawa, the project was an opportunity to team up with Director Nagi Noda again. The two had previously worked together on a music video for Cut Copy’s “Heart’s on Fire.” Noda, based in Tokyo, contacted Iwakawa early on in the process for help with the treatment.
“I’m a huge fan of Nagi’s work and was excited that she was directing this spot,” says Iwakawa. “She is crafty and has a huge imagination. The concept here is whimsical and wild at the same time. There is a child-like and hand-made quality to the spot, which worked beautifully.”
Noda wanted as many elements as possible to be captured in-camera. While the spot includes composite elements such as backgrounds, skies, clouds and trees, the director wanted it to feel organic and analog. Flame Artist Daniel Morris from Absolute Post provided on-set supervision, and worked very closely with Iwakawa during the editing process.
“This spot is rhythmically edited,” concludes Iwakawa, “how each shot keeps a certain pace visually and how it interacts with the music. Because of the compositing and post work involved, I felt it was important to get the post company on board as soon as possible. We were then able to work on the spot in tandem. The artists needed to lay the VFX elements in a way that was believable, and I needed to maintain the right flow. I think BBH and Nagi delivered a great spot for the client.”
Credits:
Spot Title/Airdate: “World of Steam” / June 15, 2008
Agency: BBH/New York
Executive Creative Director: Kevin Roddy
Creative Director: Paul Foulkes
Art Directors: Dylan Bernd and Kris Wixom
Copywriters: Susan Corbo and Alisa Wixom
Senior Producer: Lisa Setten
Production Company: Partizan/Los Angeles
Director: Nagi Noda
DP: Peter Suschitzky
Executive Producer: Sheila Stepanek
Producer: Lori Stonebraker
Where shot: Shanghai, China
Editorial Company: Final Cut/New York
Editor: Akiko Iwakawa
Producer: Wade Weliever
Assistant Editor: Georgia Dodson
Executive Producer: Rana Martin
VFX Company: Absolute NY
VFX Producers: Nirad ‘Bugs’ Russell, Wendy Garfinkle
Flame Artists: Daniel Morris, Dirk Greene
3D: Vania Alba-Zapata
Combustion: James ‘Krispy’ Cornwell
Music Company: Human
Audio Post Company: Sound Lounge
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