This week in our fxpodcast, we speak to Richard Lambert principle at Fin Design. Fin recently won a host of Awards for their amazing Herringbone TVC. We speak about this spot and some of their other work. Ironically while the TV ad was winning awards, fashion label Herringbone itself has fallen victim to the global slowdown by going into voluntary administration.

This week, we caught up with Fin Design principle Richard Lambert at their new facilities in Surry Hills, Sydney. Fin Design has a policy of having a small tight team of post super-star professionals, expanding and contracting with freelancers as needed. While Richard himself uses flame, he is joined on box by industry heavy weight Justin Bromley. Heading 3D is the highly awarded Stuart White, one of the best realistic 3D artists in the country and joining them are a host of other key artists such as Chris Spry formerly head of 3D at Omnilab.

This approach of hiring only exceptional talent and then building a highly relaxed and creative facility is of course the holy grail of post and effects. It is often aimed for and seldom achieved. Often after people had worked for large companies on mega projects a creative heaven can be what they seek, and certainly the courtyard funky new offices of Fin fits the bill. Original and beautifully interior decorated by Lambert's own wife, the company has consistently produced the most seamless TVC spots in Australia over the last few years, time and time again.

Here we profile three spots, discussed by Richard in this week's fxpodcast.

---

SIDE NOTE
As a side note fxguide has been amping up its podcasting first with the new fxguidetv podcast which as grown in the last quarter significantly and now with our fxpodcast which has been refocused and will be aiming to move to a regular weekly schedule as of the New Year.

---

To view these spots visit the Fin Design website and click Gallery: findesign.com.au

Herrringbone - Henri's Hands

For this spot the company needed to walk a fine line between humour and warmth, between the absurd and the believable. As Lambert comments in the podcast some viewers actually thought the condition was real when the spot was released. Achieved via detailed compositing, the spot carries the viewer from the childhood memories to final success of a man born with abnormally small hands.
The spot was fully realized without 3D.





Herringbone - Henri's Hands

Production: Exit Films

Director: Garth Davis

Agency: M&C Saatchi Sydney

DOP: Greig Fraser

Editor: Jack Hutchings

Flame: Richard Lambert

Ford: Fingers

For this spot the Director, former Attik Designer Michael Spiccia wanted a very graphic and strong look, beautifully crafted but not 'effecty'. To achieve the right integration the team worked with the rough cut of the backgrounds and then via a video split aligned the fingers on stand in 'geography'. The spot works at least in part for the beautiful lighting matches by DOP Danny Ruhlmann. The spot is noticeable for its attention to detail, from the final logo affecting the clouds in the shot behind, to the depth of field and lens matching.





Ford - Fingers

Production: Goodoil Films

Director: Michael Spiccia

Agency: JWT Melbourne

DOP: Danny Ruhlmann

Editor: Stewart Reeves

VFX Supervisor: Richard Lambert

Flame:
Justin Bromley
Christophe Allender

3D: Chris Spry

Toyota Born of Earth

For this spot a combination of compositing and 3D animation was used to show a 4WD driving through (literally) the red earth of the Australian outback before breaking through into the world, born of earth. The spot is narrated by an extremely Australian voice over and only works as a completed piece due to the seamless integration and photoreal animation.





Toyota Born of Earth

Director: Matt Murphy

Production: Goodoil Films

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

DOP: Nigel Bluck

Editor: Drew Thompson

Flame: Justin Bromley

3D Supervisor: Stuart White

3D team:
Leif Petersen
Aaron Grove
Magnus Olovson
Steve Oakley
Alex Goodwin

Design: Casey McIntyre