We were contracted by SeaWorld to produce all of the animation for their in-park show, “Shamu’s Christmas.” The animations were designed to be shown on stadium-sized screens at Shamu Stadium in San Diego and were seen by tens of thousands of park visitors every holiday season. Our task was to produce seven unique video segments, each timed to their own music tracks that were cut in Nashville.
BizVid's Motion Graphics Genius Dave Matthies
When it comes to video production in San Diego, BizVid Communications finds that the little extras on a video production can really add credibility and brand recognition to a client. One of the creative components we are adding to videos more and more regularly is motion graphics tied to the client’s name or logo. A sun flare here or a flying word there, blended with a sound effect and a burst of flame or smoke (as with BizVid’s animated logo) can add that sometimes illusive “wow” factor to any video project. Our video animator is one of the best in the business. His name is Dave Matthies. Dave also happens to be partner Bill Gruber’s son-in-law.
Besides being our ongoing motion graphics innovator, Dave’s work can be seen throughout the various television networks. He is responsible for designing those heavily animated openings for a variety of true life series’ that you’ll see on the screen.
Dave is a master of the blatant and the nuance. He can create an “in your face” graphic whose message is undeniable, or a subtle visual that implies the quality and excellence of a client. It’s hard to describe these elements in words, but easy to display them. Here’s an example of the creations Dave does for us and others. You can also find him at his cowboymustache website.
The work that Dave presents can cost from the hundreds to the thousands, depending on the complexities. His favorite software is the Maya system. Even so, Dave’s genius is found in the way he pushes the limits of his software to build visuals that have peers asking, “how did he do that?” Another amazing facet of the artist named Dave Matthies is his remarkable even tempered nature. When other creative minded geniuses are screaming and giving tantrums, Dave is gently hearing and answering client directives with a gentle demeanor.
When our clients want to stand apart from their competitors, there are always pleased in the graphics, whether simple or complex, that we have Dave create for them. He can turn a client logo into a work of animated art.
At our video production company in San Diego, we are blessed to include in our client base a variety of industries. That’s what makes our business so interesting. One week we will be producing a live seminar for a biotech company. The next week we are on location to shoot a commercial for a new golf product. In all cases, we work hard to make sure the client’s needs are served.
Typically all of the footage we use in a production is captured by our crew. But sometimes, it becomes necessary to buy the footage from one of the may “stock houses” available for that purpose. Let’s say, for example, the script calls for an elaborate set design that includes a wall of TV monitors all of which are displaying different images. While it would be nice to have that built for our purposes, rarely does a client want to pay for such a luxury. It is at that juncture that we go online to find a “virtual set” that is, a video file that can be used to create a sense of the environment we desire. The accompanying video in this blog post perfectly illustrates what I describe here.
Virtual sets are usually created by some young genius sitting at a computer playing with the latest software. The end result is a moving image in which a person is seamlessly placed and usually, most viewers believe that the person is actually in that environment and that it is real. But, if there were a moral to this story it would be that you cannot always believe what you see. Video production companies like ours, are experts at creating the desired mood and selling the message on behalf of our client…..regardless of where the images come from.
