03.09.10

Nau "Driven by Design" digital cinema installation

Motion Graphics, Consumer

Maine-based technical studio Merge recently completed a groundbreaking digital cinema installation in Soho for Nau, a sustainable clothing visionary. The goal of the piece was to bring the same passion for beautiful design that Nau creates in their sustainable line of clothing to a visually rich representation of the brand. Shot mostly slow-motion and timelapse in Portland, Oregon with Merge's RED camera, and using Scratch DI tools to grade and transfer the 4K and 3K images, the immersive visual experience was projected on 20' skylights and 6' windows inside the company's retail store. Merge designed multi-panel motion picture vignettes that evoked the Nau philosophy and aesthetic—clothing for artists, activists and athletes. The experience is akin to walking through a cathedral with video stained glass, best viewed after dusk. The installation is running on five, networked Mac minis using a shareware video installation program called Multiscreener, designed by Zach Poff, that keeps all five HD streams in sync.

Eugenie Frerich, Nau, creative director; Jerome Thelia, project lead; David McLain/Jerome Thelia/AC, cinematography; Tahni Holt, production coordinator; Rodrigo de la Parra/Makoto Sato/Chris Difiore/Hopr.com, designers/post production; Jerome Thelia, colorist; Erin Smith/David Henry Haan/Jean-Pierre Viellet/Steve White, installation.

www.mergegroup.comwww.davidmclain.com