The bar in digital content seems to nudge its way higher every year as creative minds seek new and innovative ways to keep pace with the latest technology. Sometimes that nudge turns to a shove as demonstrated by the recent introduction of the Apple iPad.

The iPad's presents us with a unique new digital experience that sets us on a course into brave, uncharted territories where innovative thinkers are at play. One of the early explorers in this new genre is VIV Magazine, a first of it's kind all digital publication that is working to transform the way we look at the magazine rack with innovative full motion coverage in a periodical format. For their first venture into "Living Art", they turned to photographer and living art pioneer Alexx Henry, award winning effects artists Cory Strassburger and designer Ming Hsiung to create one of the first ever motion editorial spreads.

The creative director at VIV Magazine presented the team with the task of creating a living magazine cover for their "Green Issue" featuring Ed and Rochelle Begley. As the project unfolded the team was quick to pick up another opportunity from VIV to create "living art" for an editorial feature entitled "Your Worst Sex Fears: Banished!" included in the same March/April issue. From there the team created a dark underworld based on a 1940's Film Noir style, where the reader experiences private moments depicting and setting the mood for each of the feature's topics. Cory notes "This is really the first time that we are able to use visual story telling combined with audio and music to create a rich experience for the reader as they journey thru an article. It's really quite exciting to start to combine these mediums!"

 

Click picture to watch the Ipad Demo

Each scene, exposing a misconception about sex, is a combination of live action green screen footage shot with the prototype RED ONE MX camera and a creatively stylized CG environment. Cory comments, "The original idea and budget was based on a still photo shoot composited within a stylized environment, then RED (Digital Cinema) called and offered to lend us a prototype RED ONE with their new MX sensor, at that point, we knew we were shooting motion which really ended up being the magic ingredient.”

Taking advantage of the high frame rates and the amazing new sensor in the RED camera allowed the team to get creative, adding real edge to the animated piece. “One of the most interesting vignettes was the ‘Hurt’ set up. It was fun trying to figure out how to get the model to look like she was being thrown out a window in the green screen shoot and have gravity look correct along with her blowing hair. We added a bit of glass breaking in the end to sell the shot,” said Ming. The end result is a look that has all the artistic flair of a fashion shoot with the thrill of a blockbuster movie.

Click picture to watch the Making Of

Often these adventures into new media territory result in unique and interesting partnerships and we certainly look forward to seeing what the team has in store for the next issue. "Working with VIV was great, once they saw what we could do with the technology they really let us push the envelope and create a really unique piece of moving media" comments Alexx.

 

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Cory Strassburger

Ming Hsiung