Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios creates HD gaming advertising

January 13, 2006 – Los Angeles: Director John-Mark Austin and his team at Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios have recreated epic WWII conflicts in two HD spots for Secret Weapon Marketing and Activision’s Call of Duty 2 Big Red One. Using motion capture and detailed historically accurate equipment, uniforms and architecture, the spots showcase the intensity and realism of battle.

Call of Duty 2 is seen through the eyes of ordinary soldiers. In “Tank”, Sherman tanks are ambushed by German troops in a shattered Normandy village, forcing the American soldiers to evacuate their destroyed vehicles. In “Out of Ammo”, a soldier who is out of both ammo and time is rescued by his squad mate as the viewer is reminded that “they fought as one”. The spots started airing both on television and in theaters in November.

“I'm grateful every time I get a spot that forgets it's a commercial and delivers some real entertainment,” says Austin. “The Call of Duty spots were great spots all the way from the initial creative so we had a really solid foundation to work from. Every single element we put in was designed to build on the authenticity and intensity that Call of Duty fans crave. For thirty seconds, we're there, it's real, and bang, it's done. It's more like a thirty second movie than a commercial and I hope audiences love it as much as we loved making it.”

“The spots are a kick and the look is exceptional,” says Executive Producer Paul Babb. “John-Mark’s team did an outstanding job in bringing out the excitement and drama of the game. This was a challenging project from the
and everybody worked in concert to bring it off. The HD look is groundbreaking and I can’t wait to see the spots running in a theater.”

Giant Studios provided motion capture for two dozen characters. Rhythm + Hues utilized Lightwave 8, running on Intel-based custom built Bell Computers, as the main 3D tool. Worley Laboratories Fprime by Lightwave was used for real time rendering of texturing and lighting. Digital Fusion was used for compositing.

ABOUT RHYTHM + HUES COMMERCIAL STUDIOS

A complete digital studio, with live action, CG animation and vfx, design and post production services, Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios draws upon the talent and technical firepower of one of the world’s premiere effects and animation facilities, Rhythm & Hues Studios. Adjacent to the 70,000 sq. ft. facility which houses hundreds of digital artists and staff, the 7,000 sq foot boutique facility of Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios is dedicated to the highest quality of commercial production and outstanding client support.

Recent commercial productions include campaigns for SeaWorld, LeapFrog, Jack in the Box, Target, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Cox Communications and EA Games. Recent Film Division credits include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Longest Yard, The Ring 2 and Serenity. Films currently in production include Superman Returns, Charlotte’s Web and The Fast and The Furious 3: Tokyo Drift.