Yo guys - here’s some new behind-the-scenes art from our Coz/Effect animated short movie in progress.  Above: near completed lighting models for Blitz. We’re still completing texturing work but should be completed in the next few days. Animation layout begins next week. Click here to expand the image.

There’s lots of work that goes into constructing an animated set. Here are audience sketches, complete with color palettes and textures that were inspired from the Coz/Effect comic itself. These characters will appear as part of a huge stadium crowd. Click here to expand the image.

In production design, we come up with the entire look and feel of the production.  Above: A billboard concept that was sketched for the development of Coz/Effect’s rock-star scenery.

More to come!

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Sorry for the radio silence on our Backstage Blog for the past couple of weeks! We’ve been busy finishing up large client projects and our own in-house project: the animated Coz/Effect video. If you’ve been keeping up with the sneak peeks, you know how much hard work we’ve been putting into this video.

Above is Coz’s final, un-rendered model. Coz took 5 rounds of modeling to get his hair to look right in 3D. We actually had to redesign it several times for it to make sense in the third dimension. Even in 3D, Coz’s ego shines through.

Above: scans from a model sheet developed for our animators of Coz. For each character appearing in the movie, detailed model sheets and expression charts were developed to aid the animators in bringing the characters to life.

Modeling work for the stadium and stage that Coz and his band will be performing on in the video. This shot is from center stage.

Here’s an another shot of the stadium and concert set in progress.

Above: the final building set for the city model. These are un-rendered proofs developed for director approval.

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We’re excited to announce the launch of two new web projects for our star clients Aunty E, LLC and NadaMoo! this week. Both projects represent significant overhauls for each company’s web presence.

The new AuntyE.com features a scrolling Star Ticker news bar, MP3 player, full content management system and plenty of great content for kids who make up Aunty E’s fanbase. We’re completing the content uploads for the site during the next week and a half to round out the development of the entire site.

 The new NadaMoo.com showcases NadaMoo!’s new branding developed by our firm. We were tasked with creating a friendly, conversational site that captures NadaMoo!’s fun personality. The new site coincides with the release of NadaMoo!’s new packaging that was also developed by Moujaes.

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Yo guys, our studio has been hard at work on our Coz/Effect animated short that’s due for completion by June. I’m excited to post a few little behind-the-scenes sneak peeks on the production work in progress. (above) Coz being swarmed by the paparazzi.

The short is a promo for the band - it follows them at a concert that gets trashed by super-evil-popstar J-Zel and his mammoth Concertron. It’s based on the current episode playing at SquirrelWorks.com. (above) Blitz, Coz and Skyler falling from the sky after getting launched off the stage.

Skyler, Blitz and Coz escaping the swirling blade of the Concertron.

Working closely with Digital Bee Studio who is handling the 3D component of the project, we’re working hard to capture the world of Coz/Effect from the hit web comic. (above) a wireframe mock-up of the primary set in progress. Most of the action takes place in the stadium at the bottom right and in the streets.

(above) J-Zel’s giant Concertron trashes the stadium and Coz/Effect’s concert.

More soon!

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I think every kid has dreamed of a career in video games - I sure did when I was in school. Video gaming and interactive storytelling is an important and significant component of youth culture.

We do a lot of classroom speaking and we get a lot of questions about careers in the video game industry. Like any other creative industry - it’s highly competitive and difficult to enter. Lots of parents and teachers get questions from their kids about how they can enter the business.

Check out this article that The San Francisco Chronicle did about the reality of the video game industry for young people that might help you answer questions for young people in your life.

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Our friends over at MindOh! have launched a the MindOh! Blog. This blog is the collaborative effort of Beth Carls, Co-Founder & CEO of MindOH!, Amy Looper, Co-Founder, and Amy Strecker, Director of Community Content. They’re interested in innovative approaches to education, social networks, e-learning, social-emotional learning, and character education for young people

For over six years, Houston-based MindOH! has created character-based, online computer modules that teach kids problem-solving techniques, conflict resolution and communication skills, reinforcing universally held character traits such as respect and responsibility. In MindOh!’s view, character education, should be an integral part of all learning environments, particularly in light of increased incidents of school violence, bullying, cyberspace bullying and drop-out rates among today’s youth.

They’ve provided measured and proven evidence-based results such as:

• Reducing in school suspension by up to 50%
• Reducing discipline alternative school transfers up to 77%
• Reducing drop-out rates
• Increasing student grade point averages

So, check out their blog at http://www.mindoh.wordpress.com to keep up-to-date

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Leila & Eric in a story session in our storyboard conference room.

For the past month, we’ve been in pre-production for the first 3D-animated promo of our hit web comic series, Coz/Effect. Our studio has been hard at work preparing scripts, storyboards and 2D models that our partners at Digital Bee Studio will be turning into a fully animated short film.

Non-textured 3D Draft Model of Coz

It’s been a very interesting new experimental path for our flagship property. Coz/Effect was designed as primarily a 2D series, so thinking completely in 3D for it has opened some new opportunities and challenges that we hadn’t thought of before for the characters.

Coz & Skyler from “Coz/Effect” in their native hand-drawn style.

Eric suggests an idea for a new scene in the film.

Non-textured 3D Draft Model of Blitz

Chris reviews the path of the story and makes sure that characters stay “in character.”

We’re really excited about the film’s progress and are looking forward to moving into full production. We’ll fill you in with more updates as we progress.

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Moujaes + Studio Digital Bee Production Partnership

We’re very excited to announce our formal partnership with Studio Digital Bee, an integrated animation production services company. The partnership with Digital Bee allows us to greatly extend our production capabilities that we can offer to clients and to our own original content.

Moujaes and Digital Bee will work closely together, with concepting, storywriting, direction, and keyframing being performed at our studio (as well as smaller hand-drawn 2D animation projects) - while primary production work for large 2D and all 3D projects handled by Digital Bee’s studio in India.

About Digital Bee

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with its production studio in Hyderabad, India, Digital Bee offers leading edge animation solutions at cost effective rates comparable to anywhere in the world. Digital Bee specializes in 3D, 2D and Flash animation. Using the latest software and state of the art infrastructure, the studio’s team of professional animators bring life to projects large and small.

The studio’s production department is adept at creating photo realistic 3D animation, visual FX and real-time interactive visualization solutions for video and interactive projects.

3D Animation and Visual Effects Capabilities

Digital Bee offers an array of 3D animation and visual effects services including:

• Detailed modeling, texturing and lighting
• Character animation
• 3D camera tracking and compositing
• In-house 64-bit render farm
• 3D pre-visualization and storyboarding
• Direct delivery to film, HD video, web, DVD, hi-resolution print
• Real time Interactive 3D Visualization Solutions

2D Animation and Flash Capabilities

• Script Writing, Story boarding
• Character design and development
• Traditional Cell Animation
• Flash content for:
  • Gaming
  • Websites
  • Logos
  • Branding

To learn more about Digital Bee, please visit their web site at http://www.studiodigitalbee.com

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Back in November I got a cool email from Gustavo Lemos, a design student from Argentina. Gustavo sent in his concept design of a tetra pack of flavored milk featuring Coz, our mascot, as the spokes-squirrel for the product.

I was really impressed with Gustavo’s work - he’s clearly a talented designer with a great future and we’re flattered that he used Coz for his school project.

You can check out some of Gustavo’s work at his web site: http://www.demadrugada.com.ar/

Thanks, Gustavo! Keep up the awesome work. ^^

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We were honored to be asked to appear as guest speakers for the Texas Advertising Group’s first meeting for Spring 2008. It had been a while since I had been back to Burdine Hall at the University of Texas. In fact, the last time I was there was when I was still an RTF student at UT taking Broadcast Cable Sales.

We were thrilled to speak to a packed room (sorry for the blurry picture). Over the course of an hour, we gave the ad students insight into the world of youth marketing, branding and advertising and how our part of the industry works. Everyone had a great questions and we were excited to have had such an attentive group.

Eric (left) gave a great opening and had some cool stories about what it was like to enter the ad industry as a college graduate. He gave the crowd good advice about getting a jump start as young professionals. That’s me (Chris) on the right. I was excited to introduce the group to the very cool and very challenging world of youth marketing and entertainment content. Leila (who was taking the pictures) talked about where she draws inspiration as an artist and a designer.

We’d like to say thanks to TAG and to the TAG members who gave us such a warm welcome. Thanks for the honor and for being such a great crowd!

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