Stardust’s Jake Banks for J-POWERs Global and Environment

Project Name: J-POWER "Global" and "Environment"

Client: Electric Power Development Co., Ltd ("J-POWER")

Ad agency: McCann Erickson Japan, Inc.

Creative Director/Copywriter: Isamu Nakamura

Art directors: Takehiko Araki, Kenichi Horie

Production companies: Kirameki, Inc. & Stardust Studios

Director: Jake Banks

Director of photography: Naoki Noda

Design/Animation company: Stardust Studios

Creative director: Jake Banks

Design director: Neil Tsai

Designers: Neil Tsai, Gretchen Nash, Tosh Kodama, Bill Bak, Ling Feng, Angela Ko, Jenny Ko, Juliet Park

Animators: Sang Lee, Angie Tien, Brian Broussard, George Longo, Damon Snyder, Ryan Hooks, Marisol Baltierra, Catherine Yoo, Giancarlo Rondani, Maithy Tran, Thomas Horne

2D artists: Brian Williams, Davina Sanchex, Stephen Edwards, Kristen Swanson

Music artists: Hifana

Website: www.stardust.tv

In cooperation with Japanese production company Kirameki (www. kirameki.cc), bicoastal U.S. creative production company Stardust Studios (www.stardust.tv) recently produced two HD spots for Tokyo's Electric Power Development (J-POWER) through the creative team at McCann Erickson Japan. The two HD :30 spots entitled "Global" and "Environment" directed by Stardust's founder and creative director Jake Banks began airing in April in Japan, where they will continue to run for the next year.

"The main focus of these spots was to show that J-POWER creates energy and makes everything possible for daily life," Banks explained. "One was an environmental spot, and the other was a global spot that speaks to the industries, businesses, infrastructures and everything that the company powers."

Although the original approach called for the use stock footage, Banks and the agency's creatives, including creative director and copywriter Isamu Nakamura, and art directors Takehiko Araki and Kenichi Horie, ultimately agreed on the greater benefits of capturing original live-action footage for the project. During one day of green screen shooting on a soundstage in Tokyo, Banks and director of photography Naoki Noda captured HD footage of actors and various animals using the ARRIFLEX D-21 camera package.

Artists at Stardust's Santa Monica studio then used Maya to create the natural habitats, the turbine and many other elements for both spots, and Adobe After Effects was used for visual effects and compositing.

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