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Character Animations
In spring of 2003 the Moving Picture Company was hired to create an advertisement for the Powerade sports drink. The 30-second computer generated ad features character heads and style based on original Michael Lau sketches and models. Athletes wearing costumes were used in motion capture animation. The model heads and bodies were then placed over the animation. In the commercial there is a basketball player, sprinter, skateboarder, rugby player and soccer player all competing for a bottle of the sport drink. The commercial was aired only in the UK. |
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The Powerade commercial follows a classic cartoon formula. It begins with a basketball player that gets his Powerade bottle stolen by a runner. She in turn gets the bottle stolen by a skateboarder. He gets knocked down by a rugby player who in turn gets hit by a soccer ball. The soccer player runs away with the bottle and is tripped by the basketball player. The tag line "Fuel your obsession" is played before the runner steals the bottle again.
Player images courtesy of the Moving Picture Company. |
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The Viewsic Promotion
Viewsic, a television network, run by SME TV (Sony Music Entertainment TV) in Japan helped sponsor Michael's first Japanese exhibitions. This partnership helped produce the first series of Station ID animated shorts for Viewsic titled "Viewsic meets Gardenergala" in 2001. Only two or three of the shorts were ever shown on Gardenergala.com. The full campaign was featured only on Japanese television or on the Gardenergala 101" book that Michael produced. To the right are scenes from the first Station ID. In it many of the early Gardeners were first introduced to the Japanese audience. |
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In the second Station ID, Brian and Maxx are caught in a skateboarding race. They ollie over Uncle and race down an alley.
Brian builds a lead over Maxx and is cut off by traffic. Brian decides to run up and over a bridge to get to the other side. Maxx sizes up the situation and skates across the traffic without getting hit. Maxx waves goodbye as Brian shakes his fist in anger. |
| In the third Station ID, BB is sitting in front of a huge speaker system as Uncle readies the music.
A crowd of Box-headed pedestrians build as Uncle begins blasting music. He scratches and mixes with fervor. The audience is not impressed and dissipates. BB shakes his head and goes to sleep. As the camera pans back we see that the stereo equipment is blocking traffic and several cars crash into each other behind Uncle. A small moped passes just to right without hitting anyone. |
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In the fourth Station ID, Billy is sitting on the sidewalk depressed. Square joins him and wonders what's the matter. Billy screams and goes into his story. The person on the moped in the previous commercial was Billy. He was riding along when a skateboard appeared in front of him causing him to be thrown from his scooter. His scooter was then run over by a truck.
Billy wonders why Square's depressed. Square says he was skateboarding on the ramp when he fell and lost his skateboard. When he tracked down his skateboard it was broken in the middle of the street. They both realize that they are the cause of each-others misfortune and scream. (A personal favorite) |
| In the fifth Station ID, Maxx and Miss are going to the skatepark. Maxx tells Miss to wait for him and watch over his skateboard.
Miss takes the skateboard down the street and runs into Elsa. They both check out shoes in a store window as the skateboard rolls away from Miss. Miss realizes the skateboard is gone and searches all over town for it. She meets Maxx back at the skatepark and gives him a hug. He points and BB and she notices that BB has the skateboard. She gives BB a hug. |
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In the sixth Station ID, Square and Prodig are setting up a large kicker ramp. They challenge each other to a contest and Prodig goes first.
Prodig pulls a perfect kickflip and then Square goes up. He pulls a long method air over Prodig and declares himself better. Suddenly B/W runs up out of nowhere and hits the ramp. He completely flies over the two other Gardeners and lands way out in the street. Both Square and Prodig call out as B/W has landed in the path of an oncoming diesel truck. They chase after B/W and can't find him once the truck has passed. They look down and see B/W has fallen down an open manhole. They put the lid back on the manhole covering up B/W. |
 Click on Michael's back to go to the 6" Gardeners page. |
 Click on Michael to go to the LMF and Lam Dog page. |