UBIK VISUAL EFFECTS
UBIK was founded in 1994 through the determination of a group of professionals, expert in the field of traditional visual effects, which had become increasingly interested in the amazing possibilities offered by new digital technologies. UBIK is located in Corso Como 5, Milan; a modern and welcoming environment devoted to digital design.
In April 2004 UBIK won the David di Donatello award in the Best Visual Effects category for its work on the film, “Cantando Dietro I Paraventi”, directed by Ermanno Olmi. In October 2004 UBIK won the 33rd Key Award in the Special Effects category for the Mercedes C Class “Long Jumper” commercial.
In August 2005 it finished working on the visual effects of the new film by the Oscar winner Roberto Benigni.UBIK’s aim has always been to utilize software with a human and artistic approach. This choice has allowed UBIK to build confidence in those skeptical of new technologies. Over the years, UBIK has gradually expanded and specialized its staff by being involved in projects of ever increasing complexity and visual impact.
UBIK has demonstrated that it is possible to produce the kind of films (either commercials or movies) in Italy, which once only reached the big companies of London, Paris and Los Angeles.
The individuals of UBIK’s staff are highly creative and have expertise in various sectors: photography, cinema and television, physical effects and make-up, traditional and three-dimensional animation, digital matte painting and compositing. Close cooperation of staff members allows for the best solutions to both stylistic and technical issues.
UBIK’s approach to visual effects realization runs from conception of the effect and the conceptual design during pre-production, assistance on set during shooting, realization of 3D models, animations and matte-paintings (backgrounds and environments recreated digitally) to the compositing phase where we integrate footage with 2D and 3D elements to obtain the final effect.
In addition to visual effect production, UBIK has created an executive production division that services foreign agencies working in Italy by providing: location, filmmaking services, facilities, networking and complete production supervision.
Some examples of our work/clients include: IP, BMW, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Mercedes Class A, Kodak film with Flamingo”, (winner of Mezzo Minuto d’Oro 1997, Key Award 1996, Art Directors Club Italiano 1997 – Best Computer Graphic, Premio Immagine 1997-Best Spot), De Longhi – “Penguin” (Special mention/high quality – Premio Imagine 1996), Banca Profilo (Key Award Editor’s Choice 2001), Colmar – “Space” (Key Award 1997), Barilla, Perugina, Saila, Fernet Branca (Key Award – Kodak Vision Award 2001), Pocket Coffee, Ferrero, Alcantara, Arena, Alfa, Toyota, Gillett, Crest, Pennzoil, Celebrity Cruse Lines, and Jeep Chrysler Grand Cherokee. For the last four clients, the projects were for the American market. Jeep Chrysler brought for the first time in Italy an American production film with visual effects. (Digital Domain also proposed itself for this project).
UBIK’s recent commercial productions include:,Toyota “The ball game” and “Motorbike”, Continental for the German market, BMW Series 5 Touring, Q8 “Golf”, Mercedes C Class, Opel “The Incredibles” European campaign, Geox Kids International Tv Campaign, Fanta, Tim Natale, Sky Cable Tv Commercial Promo for Wimbledon, Hallowen and Christmas, Birra Moretti, Citroen C2, Dietorelle, Wacko’s, Mutti and Aquarius.
UBIK also works with renown Italian musicians, including Eros Ramazzotti, on their music videos. The video “Bene Bene Male Male” by Piero Pelu, was awarded Best Italian Video at MEI 2002.
Besides Ermanno Olmi UBIK collaborated with some other important Italian film directors including: Paolo Virzi, for the film “Baci e Abbracci” award winner at the Venice Film Festival 1997; Lina Wertmüller, for the production of the historic film ”Ferdinando e Carolina” (1999); and Antonio Albanese, one of Italy’s most famous comedians, for his film “La Fame e la Sete” (1999).
And, as mentioned above, UBIK has recently worked with Roberto Benigni on his new feature film “La Tigre e la Neve”, for which it was nominated in the category “Best Visual Effects” at the David di Donatello 2006.
Paolo Lato (President)
Talking about cinema
. Making VFX of “La Tigre e la Neve” (The tiger and the snow) director Roberto Benigni
More than 2 hundreds visual effects about 20 minutes long
. making VFX of “Cantando dietro I Paraventi” (Singing behind the Curtains) director Ermanno Olmi
Best Visual Effects David Donatello 2004
Talking about advertising
. a selection of our best commercials and a “backstage and making of” explaining the digital techniques
. Ubik showreel
Talking about Animation
. pilot of “Giacomo’s stories” - stopmotion
. pilot of “The Adventures of Nana’” – stopmotion
. Crackartoons showreel
Other work in progress projects includes :
. a 3D stereoscopic Highres short movie (called Cinema 4D) that we are developing for a big Italian theme park
. the promo of our first HD long movie : “La Radice del Male”, an horror that will be distributed on DVD in Italy in November
Franco Valenziano
Visual Effects Supervisor
UBIK Visual Effects
Corso Como 5, MILANO
Crackartoons Studios
Crackartoons was founded in 1996 as an animation production company. Our team develops creative projects that are targeted to the international animation market, television, film and advertising sectors.
Thanks to the freedom of choice with regards to these projects, Crackartoons has trained highly motivated professionals that have given lots of support both to the company and the projects.
The advertising campaigns we have worked on are:
Arbre Magique, Mirabilandia, Patatine San Carlo, Kodak Gold, Profumo Fendi, Saila Menta, Foxy, Telecom Italia, RTL 102.5, Seven (winner of The Key Award 2005), Osama Uniposca, Ferrero Tic Tac, Ecolucart, Sky Sport (winner of The Key Award 2006), Wacko’s and Mutti.
These projects were developed using different techniques, from stop motion to flash animation, from 3D animation to decoupage, as well as traditional animation.
For the film industry: animated introduction credits for the feature film “N’gopp”, produced by Eagle Pictures 2001.
Music Video: "Sottovuoto" by 7Vite, produced by Virgin, created using traditional and clay animation.
Social Campaigns: "Astolfo Perintero" against cruelty to dogs, and ecological campaign "Agrigento Pulita", both produced by Crackartoons Studios.
Even if we prefer the traditional ones, we are open to alternative animation techniques, that we study through the most up-to-date software available. For this reason we founded a solid partnership with Ubik, the leading visual effects company in Italy.
In 1998 we began working on the development of particular projects and with these intentions we created “Lee & Marvin” (Flash Animation – 12 episodes lasting 3 minutes), we also produced the pilot for “Brainwash”, a mix of live action and stop motion with armature. At the moment we are working on two different projects realized in stop-motion: “Giacomo’s Stories” and “The Adventures of Nanà” both addressed to pre-scholar aged children.
The visual style and content of our proposals is personal and modern, and authors, script writers, set designers and designers that work on each project are capable of developing their ideas, which contributes to the diversity of each project: this is the philosophy that guides Crackartoons, which has always experimented in every field available in animation, believing most of all in the ideas and their visual strength.
