DESIGN + ANIMATION + VFX

Design and animation are at the very core of our DNA.  So, while we may excel at live action production, we always bring our unique visual approach and technical innovation to every project that we do.

As an Emmy Award winner and leader in motion design, we have mastered a wide variety of looks and styles.  Looking for photoreal?  We can do that.  Interested in sophisticated and subtle?  No problem!  Need loud and shiny? We're good for that too!

We're versatile because we have a diverse team of art directors and designers.  We're passionate artists that love what we do.

We also have an amazing team of producers that make sure your project is done right, and on-time.

Let's work together and make something great!

AWARDED AN EMMY FOR OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

It’s in our core to innovate, and this project for Nat Geo WILD stays true to that mission using technology never before used on a reality series.

What is the future of big cats? Future Cats examines the possibilities using a visually groundbreaking style for a nature documentary. A miniaturized world, with life-like carvings of animals and environments is used to illustrate how big cats may adapt to a planet that is changing around them. Beautiful matte paintings that come to life are also used throughout the special.

BIG MACHINE used a pipeline usually reserved for feature film productions, that allowed real-time lighting and interaction with materials. BIG MACHINE built specialized render modules using over 20,000 GPU cores to compute the complex calculations used to create this stunning virtual world.

BIG MACHINE produced the entire show and all of the design and animation used throughout.

CREDITS

Client: National Geographic WILD    Director: Steve Petersen      Producer: Moriah Muse

Executive Producers: Steve Petersen / Moriah Muse / Sean Owolo / Ken Carlson  

2019 EMMY NOMINEE

FOR OUTSTANDING MAIN TITLE & DESIGN FOR A LIVE ACTION PROGRAM

PRINCE OF PEORIA

Electric, Glowing & Unforgettable:  The story behind the Prince of Peoria main titles.

A really great title sequence isn’t just an obligatory parade of names.  It’s a short-form story that sets the tone and framework for a show.

Inspired by vintage roadside neon signs, this sequence juxtaposes Americana with a story about a teenage prince that has moved from a far-away land to live in a small midwest bowling alley and the new friends he makes.

Custom designed neon signs float impossibly next to the cast, becoming a stage element that exudes the personality of the main characters in the show.

The truth is, the signs are complete fiction.  They’re 100% CGI. As beautiful as real neon signs are, it was cost prohibitive to build real signs.  Using unbiased 3D rendering, camera tracking and advanced compositing techniques yields a result that would have been impossible just a few short years ago.

In the end, an enthusiastic cast, catchy tune and undeniably cool visuals work together to create an uplifting sequence that sets this open apart from any other in the genre.

CREDITS

Creative Director: Ken Carlson Executive Producer: Sean Owolo Producer: Crystal Deones

Design & Animation: Ana Lossada / Dennis Shen Storyboards: Barry Chesser

Interns: Christopher Yoon / Kate Park / Ha Eun Chang

BIG MACHINE worked with Director Seth Gordon and Creator Robia Rashid to create a visually unique main title sequence for the new Netflix show Atypical.

This project combined the best of hand-drawn elements with meticulously modeled photo-real CGI.

All 3D animation was created in Cinema 4D using Octane Render.  BIG MACHINE was one of the first studios in the world to use Octane Render in Entertainment.

Click below to read an interview with the team that worked on this open.

credits

Client: Netflix    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Producer: Crystal Deones      Lead Designer: Ana Lossada

Additional Design & Animation: Natalie Eagan & Ming-Shian Wang

From the Carter Family to Taylor Swift, the feature documentary Country: Portraits of an American Sound explores the genre of country music as captured through the lens of photography for over 80 years.

BIG MACHINE created the main title sequence that blends authentic photos of country music stars with some of the cameras and technology used to make those images possible. It’s a journey that brings us from the classic large and medium format cameras of yesteryear to the digital manipulation of today.

BIG MACHINE worked with Arclight Productions and director Steven Kochones to select the most telling photographs to feature in this sequence.

This sequence is completely CG and was rendered at 4k resolution for theatrical presentation.

credits

Client: Arclight Productions    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Producer: Crystal Deones      Art Director: KA Batcha

Technical Director: Natalie Eagan

BIG MACHINE created the design & animation for this major NFL Network show.  The glossy surfaces juxtaposed with matte finished metals was made possible by Octane Render.  BIG MACHINE was one of the first motion design studios to use Octane Render even before it was widely available to the public.

CREDITS

Client: NFL Network    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Producer: Crystal Deones      Art Director: Elizabeth Steinberg

The NFL Network was looking for a clever way to brand its coverage of the NFL's schedule release.  How could we represent the idea that an elite group of football experts, statisticians and planners would control the matchups of the entire NFL season?  BIG MACHINE proposed a fictitious facility where the schedulers would control the schedule with virtually controlled team blocks that would lock together to represent matchups.

BIG MACHINE shot custom live action plates and integrated those live action elements into our 3D world.

credits

Client: NFL Network    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Technical Director: Natalie Eagan

LEGO + STAR WARS  + XD

NETWORK ID FOR DISNEY XD

The Force continues to be strong with BIG MACHINE as we have created another spot in the Star Wars marketing galaxy.

This 15 second network ID features characters from the Disney XD show Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.

credits

Client: Disney XD    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Art Director: KA Batcha

Farmers / Nat Geo - Brain Games

National Geographic and Farmers Insurance weren’t playing brain games with BIG MACHINE when they asked for a sequel to several successful spots that we created for them a year earlier.

This time around Nat Geo wanted to feature “Brain Games” and “Great Human Race” in these integrated spots with Farmers. Building upon the mini-macro world we created for the original spots we evolved the creative to feature more story-based animation.

BIG MACHINE developed the concept of a mechanical word game for “Brain Games” and a natural history diorama hall for “Great Human Race”.

CREDITS

Client: National Geographic – Farmers Insurance    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Art Director: KA Batcha  

 Executive Producer: Sean Owolo     Producer: Crystal Deones

BIG MACHINE has created the look of the NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage for 3 Super Bowls and provided support for even more!  The montage above represents the look we created for the Big Game when NY & NJ hosted in 2014.

We have updated the look every year since and are thrilled with our collaboration with the great creative and production team at NFL Network.

CREDITS

Client: NFL Network  Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

BIG MACHINE created this fun, colorful look at the many cultural perspectives of Hispanic Heritage Month for Disney XD. Playful 3D animation and cell-animated typography create a vibrant and dynamic spot that is attention getting and memorable.

This spot is the second spot in a series that BIG MACHINE created for Hispanic Heritage Month. 

CREDITS

Client: Disney XD    Director: Steve Petersen      Senior Producer: Matt LeBoeuf      Art Director: Elizabeth Steinberg

BIG MACHINE serves up a tasty treat by teaming up with National Geographic Channel and Sonic Drive-In to create a branded content spot debuting Sonic’s new Summer Pretzel Dog.

Blending character animation and motion design we were able to create a spot that is fun, informative and mouth watering. A quick time travel through the history of the pretzel and the hot dog help bridge the old with the new in this cross promotion of the 125-year-old National Geographic brand with the popular national restaurant chain.

BIG MACHINE has also created branded content for other networks and companies including:  GEICO, Hershey’s, Wendy’s, NIKE, AMC, History and A&E.

CREDITS

Client: National Geographic / Sonic    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Senior Producer: Matt LeBoeuf

Producer: Elizabeth Gideon    Art Director: Elizabeth Steinberg    

BIG MACHINE and Disney XD have joined forces with cutting edge artist Buff Monster to create an XD Network ID that explodes off the screen with attitude.

CREDITS

Client: Disney XD    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Art Director: Ming-Shian Wang

What happens when the GEICO gecko visits all of the brands at Discovery?

He comes back with lots of behind-the-scenes photos from his favorite shows on networks including:  Discovery Channel, TLC, Science, Velocity, Destination America, ID and Animal Planet.

BIG MACHINE created 8 different scrapbook scenarios that juxtapose the gecko’s photos with themed props that relate to each of the networks that he visits.  BiG MACHiNE created the CG environments using our new photorealistic workflow allowing for maximum flexibility in changing the props and overall feel of each spot.

CREDITS

Client: Discovery Networks    Creative Director: Ken Carlson      Art Director: Elizabeth Sternberg      Executive Producer: Sean Owolo

Technical Director: Natalie Eagan