SHOOT Magazine, the leading publication for commercial and entertainment production & post, has named a digital short created by The Napoleon Group with animation icon Bill Plympton for New York utility Con Edison to the magazine’s Top 10 Chart of VFX & Animation, Winter Edition, published in the February 21 issue.
The quarterly Top 10 Chart is a showcase of recent noteworthy work in VFX & Animation selected by SHOOT‘s staff. The Napoleon Group is proud to be recognized with fellow industry leaders such as The Mill, Method and Digital Domain.
The Con Edison digital short, titled “The Benefits of Converting from Oil to Gas,” details the economic and environmental advantages of switching from heating oil to natural gas for Con Edison customers. The candid message is lightened by animator Plympton’s signature quirky style, an instantly recognizable combination of constantly morphing characters and objects all vibrating with what the artist calls “the Plympton boil.”
“What an honor to be listed in the SHOOT Top 10—who needs the Oscars?” quipped Plympton, a two-time Oscar nominee for his animated shorts “Your Face” (1987) and “Guard Dog” (2005).
The SHOOT Magazine acclaim for “Oil to Gas” follows accolades by Animation World Network and Animation Magazine, all of which are the upshot of the creative synergy between Con Edison, The Napoleon Group and Plympton.
“ ‘Oil to Gas’ was the third spot we worked on with The Napoleon Group, and our first with Bill; they did not disappoint,” says Con Edison Public Affairs Producer/Editor Chris Stetson. “Having our collective, creative effort recognized by Shoot Magazine is truly an honor.”
That collaboration was key to the short’s success—emblematic of The Napoleon Group’s synergistic approach as well as the company’s brand expertise.
“Unbeknownst to Napoleon, Con Edison actually had Bill Plympton in mind when they envisioned the creative,” says VP/Creative Director Ken Kresge. “Our insight into their brand identity brought us to the same place and we were both exhilarated to collaborate with an animation legend. Having that work resonate both with customers and with the VFX and animation world is doubly satisfying. It’s especially rewarding to have work that thrills us thrill others as well.”
The Napoleon Group
Art. Craft. Ingenuity. Those are the deliverables that distinguish The Napoleon Group and the reasons creative thinkers and innovative brands trust us to instill impact and performance in their previsualization and test advertising.
Drawing on an evolving portfolio of specialized services and styles—animatics, cinematics, live production, art, audio, 3D VFX/motion graphics—Napoleon fashions captivating experiences that spark consumer curiosity, inspire brand loyalty and fuel product sales. In short, we provide deeper consumer insights and consistently higher test scores by creating customized content that connects, compels and converts.
Founded in 1985, The Napoleon Group is a full-service previz and post-production company with a legacy of unrivaled authority and an eye firmly focused on the future. Seizing an opportunity for growth and expansion in 2013, Napoleon moved to New York’s nexus of creativity and technology, the vibrant Flatiron District, and created a dream studio—a one-of-a-kind, more than 14,000-square-foot contemporary office and facility on two floors that’s perfectly suited to the changing nature of the advertising business.
The new project-centric space features a 12-camera Vicon Bonita motion-capture system, a spacious green-screen stage and custom-built edit and audio suites that combine comfort with a stylish efficiency, all seamlessly tied together with state-of-the-art infrastructure. The studio boasts an open-air workspace for 40-plus animators, editors, designers, illustrators, modelers, compositors, scripters, character artists, motion-graphics artists, producers and creative directors that facilitates creative synergy among staff and clients alike and inspires our savvy storytellers to greater heights.
For industry-leading talent, a collaborative culture and a facility designed to exhilarate, agencies seeking a truly creative partnership know where to turn: The Napoleon Group.
