Getting Down at Janimation

Dallas - In a new TV commercial campaign for Kmart, the Dallas effects/animation company Janimation has just assisted the retail chain in bringing back the Blue Light -- they may have also brought back disco. Created by Don Coleman Advertising of Southfield, MI, the commercials feature a virtual army of animated spotlights (Spotties) darting, dancing, and scurrying about the store, lowering prices throughout -- all to the beats and parody lyrics of the disco tunes "Get Down Tonight" and "Get Down On It." The spots highlight the discount retailers Bluelight Always campaign, which has Kmart lowering 30,000 prices storewide. The commercials were finished in :30 and :15 versions in both English and Spanish and began airing nationally in September. Packaging both production and animation provided Janimation the unique opportunity to work with visual effects supervisor David Dryer, who was the
visual effects supervisor on the movie Blade Runner. We really clicked with David, said Director and Janimation Chief Creative Steve Gaçonnier. "It really felt like we’d worked together before. I’ve never been so comfortable with anyone as a VFX collaborator." The live action segments were shot on location over three days in the Kmart Learning Center, a mock-up store in Royal Oaks, a Detroit suburb. Then the animation team got down to integrating their characters into the store environment. "I was very impressed with the professionalism of Steve and his crew," said Dryer. LA- based line producer Sandy Martin. "They downloaded regular updates to a special website, I so was impressed to find such a knowledgeable, top-notch group outside
the usual stomping grounds of LA. I really loved working with them." Animation, design and editorial credits go to Greg Punchatz, John McInnis, Pete Herzog, Lyn Caudle, Ludovick Michaud, Alex Neuman, Jen Hudgens, Charlie Breakiron, Michael Oleksinski, Jana Oleksinski, Marc Kleinmann and Mary Langley. Director of Photography was Doug Davis. The parody music tracks were composed and produced by Chicago’s Terry Fryer Music. John Dennis of Buffalo Nickel, Dallas, added the final magic touch, sound design.

Agency: Don Coleman Advertising

Executive Creative Director: Kevyn Lewis

Creative Director: Gary Bentz

Account Executive: Manny Fields

Production Manager: Genia Justice

Agency Producer: Robert Curlin

Live Action:

Production Company: Janimation

Director: Steve Gaçonnier

Director of Photography: Doug Davis

FX Supervisor: David Dryer

Line Producer: Sandy Martin

Animation:

Chief Creative Director: Steve Gaçonnier

Animation Director: Greg Punchatz

Creative/Design Director: Pete Herzog

Visual FX Supervisor: Lyn Caudle

Technical Director: Ludo Michaud

Animator: John McInnis

Animator: Charlie Breakiron

Designer/Compositor: Jana Oleksinski

Designer/Compositor: Alex Neuman

Designer: Jennifer Hudgens

Editor: Michael Oleksinski

On Line Editor: Marc Klienmann

Client Relations: Mary Langley

Audio:

Music: Terry Fryer, Terry Fryer Music

Sound Design: John Dennis, Buffalo Nickel Studios

 

Janimation
Steve Gaçonnier
840 Exposition
214.823.7760
Dallas, TX 75226

www.janimation.com