Fresh off its VFX work for the feature UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS, Ntropic was commissioned by The Brooklyn Brothers to complete a comedic eight-spot campaign for kgb (Knowledge Generation Bureau), the world's largest provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services.

"When we began this project, kgb was only an idea for a service," said Guy Barnett, Founder/Creative Director of The Brooklyn Brothers. "There was no place, no headquarters, no people and no one knew what the technology they used could look like. Within a few short weeks, Ntropic had created a space befitting the world's smartest company. What I admired most about Ntropic's work -- and their greatest creative contribution -- is that they managed to walk the fine line between imagination and credibility. And they managed it magnificently -- on a tiny budget and under a near-impossible time frame, too."

Each commercial begins with a cinematic panorama of the Knowledge Generation Bureau headquarters, a shimmering steel marvel amid a dense green expanse on the outskirts of a metropolis, before cutting to its glass-walled interior perched between bookshelves towering stories high.

Offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse at kgb's hi-tech facilities, the witty spots follow a prospective agent and "knowledge" prodigy, from the grueling interview (steeped in pop trivia that must be answered at lightning speeds) to orientation, before concluding with her inaugural street assignment alongside her token chauvinistic partner and rival.

Working closely with Director Kinka Usher, Ntropic delivered sleek VFX of compelling intricacy, as well as futuristic interior and exterior settings, rendering an ambience instrumental in conveying kgb's uncanny omniscience and stylish identity.

"We were brought in to help create the world and building that these people operated in," explained Andrew Sinagra, Creative Director of Ntropic. "Kinka had defined ideas about the style of the building exteriors and the walls, which were created from books - and played on the idea of people surrounded by knowledge.

The challenge for Ntropic was determining where this "Knowledge Generation Bureau" was actually located. They experimented with different locales -before settling on a campus-like environment. CG Artist Dustin Zachary built out the model with Usher and the client weighing in on its final look.

"Kinka brings so much energy and so many ideas to a project," concluded Sinagra. "He's really open to suggestions -- and we threw some crazy ideas at him. The Brooklyn Brothers gave Kinka and us a lot of trust to deliver something this epic. It was a very collaborative environment."

For the exterior buildings, Ntropic used Maya. Compositing was done with Toxic, a new desktop compositing software in the studio's pipeline, and set extensions were a combination of Maya, After Effects and Flame.

Credits:

Advertising Agency: The Brooklyn Brothers, New York, NY
Creative Director/Copywriter/Exec Producer: Guy Barnett
Art Director: Stephen Rutterford

Production Company: House of Usher Films, Santa Monica, CA
Director: Kinka Usher
Exec Producer: Nancy Hacohen
Producer: Craig Repass

Editorial Company: Cosmo Street Editorial, Santa Monica, CA
Editor: Katz
Exec Producer: Jerry Sukys
Assistant Editor: Sean Lagrange

VFX Company: Ntropic, San Francisco, CA and Los Angeles, CA
CG Supervisor/Creative Director/Maya and Toxik Artist: Andrew Sinagra
Lead Inferno Artist/Creative Director: Nathan Robinson
Maya Artists: Deb Santosa, James McCarthy, Dustin Zachary, Mark Wurts
Inferno Artists: Maya Korenwasser-Bello, Matt Tremaglio
After Effects Artists: Hiroshi Endo, Martha Soehendra
Shake Artist: Ben Mattress
Exec Producer: Dana Townsend
Producers: Kara Holmstrom, Esther Gonzalez

Postproduction Facility: Company 3, Santa Monica, CA
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Exec Producer: Rhubie Jovanov

Music Company: Beacon Street Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Composer: Andrew Feltenstein
Exec Producer: Adrea Lavezzoli

Sound Design & Audio Post Company: audioEngine, New York, NY
Sound Designer/Mixer: Carl Mandelbaum