BL:ND News

Newport Beach Film Festival 08

noreply@blind.com — Sat, 5 Apr 2008 00:40:26 -0700

Where do movies come from?The Newport Beach Film Festival is back, bringing together a diverse selection of films from all over the globe. Creative Director Tom Koh and the Blind team jumped in for a third year to direct, design and animate the commercial to promote the festival. This years spot focuses on what happens when you dim the lights on a filmmaker and an idea.

Russell Athletic

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 3 Apr 2008 01:02:03 -0700

If you could see and hear an athleteâs intensity, what would it look like? What would it sound like? There are few more dramatic moments in football than fourth and inches. The entire game can turn on this one single play which in turn can hinge on the actions of just one player. All of the training and preparation comes down to this moment, and itâs the perfect setting for these new spots for Russell Athletic.

A Better Place

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:22:54 -0700

Making the world a better place, one battery-powered electric vehicle at a time. Blind recently partnered with Addis Creson to create an opening animation for the Better Place web site to help spread the Better Place vision for sustainable, zero-emission transportation as a service.

To learn more about the Better Place plan or to get involved in the ongoing effort to help people live free from oil, visit the web site. http://www.betterplace.com/

Blind Gets Ride Ready

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 2 Jun 2008 20:08:32 -0700

Fasten your seatbelt and take a rough and tumble trip inside the new Honda Pilot ! Our friends at RPA interactive enlisted the Blind team to bring this rugged ride to life on the web. This solid steel SUV is tricked out with tech gadgets and safety features galore, giving our animators plenty of places to play with typography and animation. The team also created two distinctive 3d introductions to the tour in a short amount of time, proving that they, like the Pilot, are forged of solid stuff. Visit the interactive siteÂ to check it out!

Symbicort

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 9 Apr 2008 00:51:57 -0700

Early this year Creative Director Tom Koh teamed up with our NY office to launch a fresh new brand spot for Astra Zenecaâs pharmaceutical product, Symbicort. It being the products first broadcast ad campaign, the expectation was for these spots to not only establish a memorable image for the brand but to set them apart from the competition. Expanding on the existing brand element of the human silhouette, Blind created a world rich with color and dimension to bring the spot to life.

April 2008

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 3 Apr 2008 18:16:34 -0700

We are pleased to announce our new East Coast rep, Carolyn Hill! In her life outside of finding crazy cool work for Blind, Carolyn is a respected poet whose work has been published by a number of reputable literary reviews. Carolynâs poetry was most recently seen in The Mississippi Review, and we are thrilled to have her many talents on our team!

In a move befitting his long history with Blind, Sakona Kong has signed on to provide creative leadership as Art Director. A former Blind intern and student of Chris Do at the Otis College of Art and Design, Sakona spent time freelancing around town, contributing his skills in design, illustration and animation to a number of high profile campaigns including Scion, Spike, Electronic Arts, Apple, Target, Budweiser, Fox and Kyocera. Having come full circle, we are thrilled to have Sakona back in the fold!

Itâs standing room only in Blindâs trophy cabinet these days, thanks to a recent influx of little silver and bronze men. The 2007 Telly Awards honored Blind with 11 statues, recognizing our teamâs hard work and artistry in a variety of categories.

âVending Machine,â Blindâs innovative promo package for NFL on Fox, garnered a coveted silver award in the Sports/Sporting Events category and also snagged a bronze for Use of Animation.

Justin Timberlakeâs music video âLoveStoned,â Cellular South spot âBus Clubâ and the XBox 360 campaign were honored with two Tellys each, bringing home bronze statues in the music video, graphics and animation categories.

Other Blind winners included LA Times âSunglassesâ and Newport Beach Film Festival promo âElves in Outer Space.â Congratulations to all our winners!

OB

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 2 Apr 2008 19:10:31 -0700

Gap: Sound of Color

noreply@blind.com — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:30:00 -0800

What do black and white sound like? To promote their colorful spring and summer collections, Gap enlisted Chris Do and the Blind team to create a video for Danish post-punk duo Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, better known as The Raveonettes. With only three weeks to conceive and complete the project, the team executed an edgy and elegant exploration of the contradictory forces that black and white â¦ www.soundofcolor.com

EA “Need For Speed” 2007

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:10:00 -0800

Logo Montage

noreply@blind.com — Sun, 3 Feb 2008 04:05:06 -0800

Montage of various logo animations.

Cellular South

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 1 Feb 2008 19:16:00 -0800

EA SKATE: Hardcore Simplicity

noreply@blind.com — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0800

How do you grab the hard-core skater by the short hairs and still differentiate your new breakout skate-genre IP from the Tony Hawk franchise? That was the gauntlet EA tossed at the feet of the design team at Blind. While not known as a print based design company, Blind proved up to the challenge.

NFL on FOX 2007

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:01 -0800

What better way to kick off the season than by putting together this yearâs promo package for the NFL on FOX.

Kyocera

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0800

To promote the new line of Kyocera cell phones, VitroRobertson teamed with BL:ND to bring the concept of Eastern Inspiration and Western Innovation to life. Personalizing the connection between East and West, the spot focuses on a young, hip Japanese girl placing a cell-phone call to her cool-dude boyfriend in America. In turn, the call itself is illustrated as an abstraction by a cluster of butterflies making a magical journey from Tokyo to New York City.

BL:ND NY: New Executive Producer

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Nick Litwinko joins BL:ND NYC as Executive Producer.

Cellular South

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

The Ultimate Fighter 6

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 4 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

The popularity of the UFC has exploded from itâs underground roots to spread far and wide in this new promo for the 6th season of SpikeTVâs hit show. With the recent partnership between SpikeTV and the UFC, the campaign was expanded to promote not only the show, The Ultimate Fighter, but to help brand Spike as the âHome of the UFCâ¦â

MTV Next

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 1 Oct 2007 18:20:33 -0700

Careful what you do, because you may be NEXTâ¦

September 2007

noreply@blind.com — Sat, 1 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0700

New Spots Posted:
âThe Ultimate Fighter 6 Promoâ
âCellular South Whats Rightâ

Congrats to director, Robert Hales of HSI, for creating another award-winning music video for Gnarls Barkley. âSmiley Facesâ took home Best Editing at this years 2007 MTV VMAs.

Named the best sports game of E3, âSkateâ has hit the shelves sporting a fresh and edgy pack, courtesy of Blind. Check out EAâs hot new game and download our skate art to your dashboard.

August 2007

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 1 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0700

After being homeless for a brief period, BL:ND NY has moved into new digs located at 37 W. 20th St. #307, T 212.989.1618. Itâs not much space, but at least we can call it home. Stop by and say hello!

Weâre busier than ever bringing the second in a series of three spots to life for Cellular South, which included live-action, design and effects. Just in time for baseball season, weâve worked with Martin Williams to complete âA Perfect Gameâ. Batter up!

Continuing on the sports themeâ¦ Fox enlisted our help to roll out new spots that are all about the vending machine. It was hairy at times, but we delivered a stunning package for the new season.

BL:ND has teamed with Spike TV for the sixth installation of TUF! Keep an eye out for these edgy promos featuring Hughes vs. Serra and stay tuned to find out who will be The Ultimate Fighter!

Japanese auto design bland? Not if Honda has anything to say about it. Join us and our friends over at RPA and WellBrand for the launch of âHondaâs all-new (and formerly hush hush) 08 Accords!â Make mine black.

Broadcast Montage

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Montage of various show opens, film titles and network promos.

LA Times

noreply@blind.com — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:01 -0700

July 2007

noreply@blind.com — Sun, 1 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0700

New Justin Timberlake ‘LoveStoned’ video posted.

Blind New York is relocating to new offices on 20th st. New Tel # and address to follow.

Justin Timberlake

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Timberlake and Blind make beautiful music together.

Angie’s List

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 7 Jun 2007 12:00:01 -0700

June 2007

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 1 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Blind strikes gold at this year’s BDA awards.

Art Direction & Design: Topical Promo
The Ultimate Fighter ( Gold )

Art Direction & Design: Topical Promo
2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game Promo ( Gold )

Music Video or Short Subject
“Crazy” Gnarls Barkley ( Gold )

World Gold: Special Events Promo
2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game Promo ( Gold )

World Gold: Art Direction & Design: Information Graphics
2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game Promo ( Gold )

Best Collaborative Effort
“Crazy” Gnarls Barkley ( Silver )

Experimental Design For Screen
“Happy Entrails” Specialized ( Silver )

First National Bank - 150 Years

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:00:00 -0700

A series of spots celebrating the 150th anniversary of Omahaâs First National Bank, the countryâs largest privately owned bank. Each spot features several real people giving first person testimonials to camera, while elements of their life and environment are â¦

May 2007

noreply@blind.com — Tue, 1 May 2007 12:00:00 -0700

May was a big month for BLIND!

Congrats to Erik for the successful delivery of a campaign for First National Bank, and to Vanessa for her work on spots for both Angieâs List and Baskin Robbins! Keep your eyes peeled for this outstanding work.

Blind signs Schaffer Rogers for East Coast representation.

June promises to be equally busy as we continue work on campaigns that are certain to please the most discriminating gamers, music lovers and fashionistas! Stay tunedâ¦

The Ultimate Fighter 5

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:35:49 -0700

This time the bad blood spills from the top downâ¦

BJ Penn on rival coach Jens Pulver from the Houston Chronicle: âIâve been trying to put this fight together for five years now. Iâve been waiting and waiting, and he always finds some way out. I guess this is what it takes for him to be on a television show to finally step in the ring. This is just perfect. It couldnât have happened at a better time.â

Newport Beach Film Festival 07

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 5 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0700

April 2007

noreply@blind.com — Sun, 1 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Tom and the team are showing audiences why LA is the ‘real fashion capital’ in a fresh new campaign for the LA Times! So strap on your Manolo’s and strut on over to your cineplex ’cause this four-spot series will be coming soon to a theater near you!

Chris and the gang have teamed with EA for a second time, creating box designs for the newest addition to a top gaming franchise! The wheels are in motion, and we’ll keep you posted.

Keep your fingers crossed… We are in discussions with “Crazy” director Robert Hales about another high profile artist with the initials “JT”. Stay tuned…

We’re looking for an Art Director for both the L.A. and N.Y. offices. Must have strong design/typography/illustration skills. 3D is a plus. Minimum of 3 years relevant work experience. Ready to step up and lead a team of designers and animators? Well, drop us a line. Fax your resume to: Human Resources @ 310.314.1718 or send an email to info@blind.com.

McDonald’s

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 7 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0800

March, 2007

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 1 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0800

It’s ‘two thumbs up’ to Tom for his work on the Newport Beach Film Festival! A crooning box of popcorn and his backup band of animated treats are featured in this nostalgic three spot campaign. Join us at the festival April 19-29th as we “do it in the dark!”

With spots for Chili’s and Baskin Robbins in the can, we’re gearing up for a First National Bank campaign. Amy is thrilled to return to her Nebraskan roots as the team heads to Omaha for the shoot.

Following her success with “Red Paint”, Vanessa is directing a second Angie’s List spot, to begin production in April.

Finally, congrats to the Blind team for their continuing success on “Crazy” The Gnarls Barkley video just garnered a silver Telly Award.

Pringles Minis

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Small is the New Big

Honda

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

This spot features three Los Angeles residents who are participating in the Los Angeles City Marathon, which is sponsored each year by Honda. Each characterâs world is illustrated in watercolors. The first manâs scene features downtown Los Angeles, Olvera street and an outdoor soccer game. The Hollywood girl features Mannâs Chinese Theater, the Capitol Records building and the famous Hollywood sign. The surfer dudeâs vignette features surfers, sun tanners and dolphins near a peer jetting out into the ocean. Finally, all of the characters come together at the end to run the marathon, illustrating the range of diversity of the community of Los Angeles.

February, 2007

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 1 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Happy Lunar New Year! As it is the year of the golden pig, we wish everyone prosperity, health and good fortune.

It's been a busy month for Blind. Vanessa is back in the swing of things with work for McDonald's and Baskin Robbins. Tom is wrapping up character animation for a 3 spot campaign for the Newport Beach Film Festival as well as some Playstation work for Chiat. Not to rest on his laurels, Erik, fresh off LA Marathon and Pringles, is in production for Jack in the Box, Toyota and the latest installment of Spike Tv's "The Ultimate Fighter 5".

Lastly, check out Spencer Drate's newest book, "Motion by Design".

January, 2007

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 1 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Happy New Year!

Fresh off a 3 spot campaign for Chilis, Erik Buth is setting the pace in the new year. On tap to direct two spots in January for the LA Marathon and Pringles, we'll see if he can go the distance.

United Healthcare

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0800

December, 2006

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 1 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Congrats to the BL:ND team for their most recent recognition for Specialized "Happy Entrails" and the Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" video. Both are finalist at the 2007 New York Festivals Film and Video Awards. Happy Entrails is nominated in the animation category and "Crazy" for special effects. Results come in early next year with a big party for the winners. Stay tuned for the results!

Chili’s Baby Back Ribs

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Shot all on location in Prague, Czech Republic, Septemper 2006

Simple Human Pod Brewer Video

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Xbox 360

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 12:00:01 -0800

November, 2006

noreply@blind.com — Wed, 1 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Check out the Nov 24-30 issue of LA WEEKLY where you'll find Blind owner/president, Chris Do, featured on the cover. Saigon or Santa Monica? A Tale of Two Brothers is a personal story into the successes of both Chris and younger brother Mike Do. The exciting journey is both intriguing and inspirational. Get to newsstands today (cause I hear they're going fast!) to get your 14 x 10 inch copy of Chris' noggin.

Specialized

noreply@blind.com — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:00:00 -0700

What if your favorite Saturday morning cartoons went very, very wrong?

Blind paired up with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners agency and Specialized Bikes to find out. The 60 second animated spot sends a cute, unsuspecting bike rider down the wrong trail. Despite his run-in along the way with a bear (and a school of piranhas, and a hungry bird, and some Girl Scouts of questionable moral character), the little guy has a blast on his Specialized Stumpjumper bike, all the way up until the explosive ending.

âIt was the project we just couldnât refuse,â said Blind creative director Tom Koh. âAs the animation was part of an online campaign, Goodby Silverstein gave us a lot of creative freedom to explore the concept of this ride gone horribly wrong.â

Key to the effectiveness of the piece is the element of surprise from an unexpected turn for the gory. To achieve that contrast, Koh and his team worked to create a world drawn from an innocent childrenâs cartoon. âWe wanted it to look as though this could have been pulled from a Saturday morning animation archive,â explained Koh.

Working in pen and pencil, the creative team designed a charming, but dangerous, cast of characters to inhabit the ill-fated trail: our broad smiling mountain biker, a fuzzy, long-clawed bear, bunnies (with Molotov cocktails), birds, those Girl Scouts, and even a Sasquatch with a spork. To maintain the Saturday-morning feel, Blind used traditional cell-animation for the majority of the characters. Additional motion, such as the fire, was done with 3D applications Studio Max and Maya.

The final result is a shocking, humorous, and memorable short film that shows the fun of a ride on a Specialized bike. âGoodby Silverstein was a pleasure to work with,â said Koh.Â âIt was a challenge is finding the right balance of gore and innocence to get that powerful surprise. But they gave us the creative freedom to take it as far as it needed to go, even encouraging more gore, more shock. It was an absolute pleasure to work in such a tight creative dynamic.â

September, 2006

noreply@blind.com — Fri, 1 Sep 2006 12:00:00 -0700

It's official. Blind goes Bi. Coastal, that is, with the opening of the NY office this October. Interested designers/animators should send reels, links, etc..., especially if you're local. As always, send emails to jobs@blind.com.

Erik returns from Prague after having wrapped a live-action shoot for Chilis' latest spot as part of the 'Spicealicious' campaign.

Tom is busy at work with agency McCann Erickson, directing a 4 spot campaign for the Xbox 360 that's due to hit this holiday season. Get your trigger fingers ready and stay tuned for updates...

Congratulations to Creative Director Vanessa on the birth of her first son Olliver Pederson.

Also, check out the latest issue of Stash 24 to see 'Happy Entrails' in its full glory.

The Ultimate Fighter 4

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:00:00 -0700

Spike TV’s long running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter, features 16 mixed martial artists competing for a shot at a UFC title fight.

Gnarls Barkley

noreply@blind.com — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 12:00:00 -0700

Final Fu

noreply@blind.com — Tue, 1 Aug 2006 12:00:00 -0700

Blind recently teamed with MTV2 to produce a fully animated opening and graphics package for the martial arts competition reality series, FINAL FU. In homage to the blazing combat of kung fu films and anime, the opening portrays a protagonist in the fight of his life. The Hero battles level by level to the top of a mythic tower, which parallels the format of the show, until he alone is the champion, the âFinal Fu.â The show and opening premiered May 1st, and airs weekly on MTV2.

Blind and MTV2âs Justin Rosenblatt previously worked together on the globetrotting opening for the series, WILDBOYZ. Once more, Rosenblatt sought out Blind for their take on this new martial arts series. The showâs open had two primary objectives, most importantly to excite the viewer, but also to explain the general framework of the show. Working from the vast history of kung fu cinema and anime, Blind attacked this project with a âspinning dragon-styleâ punch. MTV2 was thrilled with the results and Justin Rosenblatt commented, âTom Koh and BL:ND did a remarkable job delivering titles that were creatively above and beyond our expectations. They really thought about the series comprehensively, and turned around a show open, titles and graphics that visually complimented the showâs aesthetic.â

Bruce Leeâs film Tower of Death (1981) and other similar films supplied the archetypes that inspired the openingâs characters and situations. Both 3D modeling and animation we used to create the intricate martial arts moves that each character performs. Then hand-drawn cell animation was added to achieve the final anime-inspired aesthetic. The backgrounds were crafted by matte painters and then combined with the 3D characters. From the initial character designs and ink sketches to the final delivery, Blind matched the speed of their Hero and delivered the project in 4 weeks. âThis ended up being a bit of a dream project for us,â said Creative Director Tom Koh. âWe all love those classic kung fu films and anime. It was a blast taking those things and making something new with them.â

August, 2006

noreply@blind.com — Tue, 1 Aug 2006 12:00:00 -0700

Goodby Guts Out a Trail of Horrors. A gnome lumberjack hacking off your leg, a bird plucking out your eyes, two girl scouts skipping rope with your entrails while another toasts a marshmallow over your burning flesh--not quite everyone's idea of a nice afternoon on the trails. The perma-grinning character in Goodby, Silverstein + Partners' latest offering for Specialized endures all these and more after riding down the trail marked "Danger" in "Happy Entrails." Check out the animation short..

In case you missed it, Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" is nominated for Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Group Video for this year's MTv Video Music Award.

Pick up a copy of 3d World Issue #81 for a behind the scenes look of ScionTc "Shark."

Tired of the same old same old? Time for change. We're looking to hire a senior level designer/art director. Relevant experience a must. Send links of work to jobs@blind.com.

Dunkin Donuts

noreply@blind.com — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:00:01 -0700