SoHo-based design and production studio HomeNYC has once again teamed up with Izod -- owned by parent company Philips-Van Heusen (PVH) -- to extend Izod’s marketing campaign with a new spot for theaters entitled “In the Sun.”  Led by Director Ben Orisich, the HomeNYC team created a fun, vibrant lifestyle spot that captured the core ideas of the brand and tied into the preexisting print campaign. The team traveled to Exuma, Bahamas to shoot the 30-second spot, which was conceptualized as part of a collaborative effort between Orisich and Mike Kelly, the Senior Vice President of Marketing for PVH. 

“HomeNYC understands Izod and adds value and depth to the conceptualization and execution of the brand image in a broadcast medium,” said Kelly.  “In the Sun” features six beautiful beach-goers, lazing on what begins as a dark and cloudy day. A bored couple is throwing playing cards into a hat, while a knowing golfer confidently strikes an Izod-branded golf ball.  As the sun reveals itself, “Izod Island” is dramatically brought to life and the youths dive, backflip, and splash against the vibrant blues and greens of the Caribbean backdrop.

Director of Photography Pete “The Treat” Konczal was brought on board immediately when the project was launched.  “Pete and I are in constant dialogue over style, color, lighting, and technology—always trying to challenge each other,” said Orisich.  “We knew flexibility was going to be key to getting the number of shots that I wanted. The Arriflex 235 became a clear choice and we decided to make use of its handheld maneuverability on a large number of our shots.  Then we decided on the Arriflex 435 for our underwater and helicopter shots.”  The Arriflex 235 was also mounted to an 18-foot jimmy jib. Three Nikon digital SLRs were used to shoot timelapse of skies that were composited in later.

Despite tight budget and time constraints, Orisich made no creative compromises.  He took a small, dedicated crew to Mariah Cay in Exuma, where the first task was to build a scaffold 150 feet out into the ocean to support the jib.  “Everyone pitched in, including the client—it was great,” said Orisich.  “We had two days to shoot, and our mornings started with a 40-minute boat ride hauling all our gear at 4:30am both days. You don’t see skies that  clear in New York outside of the planetarium.”

Post-production was completed in less than three weeks at HomeNYC’s loft studio, in the skilled hands of Senior Editor Mark Tyler and the HomeNYC visual effects team. “Mark was key to finishing this spot by the deadline. He understands the vision and gets us there fast,” said Orisich The spot was cut with Smoke and composited with Flame. One Flame and two Combustion stations, run by HomeNYC Mac artists Lawrence Calderon and Steve Gifford, worked simultaneously to finish the careful rotoscoping of each shot. Orisich, a seasoned Flame artist, was then able to make his own modifications to the color,
tone, and environment throughout, in order to create the surreal and cinematic look which has become distinctive to his spots. 

Orisich also used Flame to construct dramatic weather effects, as well as time-lapse photography to craft an enhanced, dreamlike landscape. The final result is a fast-moving, hard-hitting spot that brings the ideals of the Izod label to the forefront, with lots of bright colors and fun action.  Created specifically for large-screen formats, “In the Sun” is scheduled for theatrical showings nationwide, and for airings during live sporting events at New York City’s Shea Staduim as well as on the massive Astrovision screen in legendary Times Square.

Orisich has recently finished production and headed into post on a second spot for Izod, which will tie into the existing campaign. Shot in Iceland, it will air in theatres in December 2006. The spot was finished in CinemaScope for maximum cinematic effect. The film-out was done by Technicolor. Original music was composed for the spot by Timothy Falzone and recorded by New York-based band “Night Kills the Day.” Audio was mixed in Dolby 5.1 at Sound Image NY with Dennis Mitchell.  

HomeNYC specializes in graphic title sequences, commercials, and music videos. Clients include Hanes, ESPN, MTV, and HBO. HomeNYC occupies a converted 20,000-square-foot loft and enjoys a collaborative relationship with Post Factory NY, a feature film and broadcast post studio.