The third time was the charm for John Michaels, who was determined to produce the sponsors opening reel for the annual AICP Show. This year, after three years of trying, his company, Protokulture, made the cut.
“It was a huge opportunity for us. We wanted to celebrate what the show represents, while simultaneously showing off our talents,” says company president/creative director Michaels.
Protokulture’s opening was a dramatic 3D animation that takes a radical turn when it’s suddenly interrupted by Rick Astley’s music video, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” building builds off the cultural phenomenon known as “Rickrolling.”
“The reel was shorter this year than in the past years, Michael says, “due to conversations with the AICP board to make it an enjoyable but fast-paced experience and yet include all 37 sponsors’ logos within 3:50-minutes.”
Michaels noted that there were 10 fewer sponsors’ logos than last year, although the amount of sponsorship funding at $103,000 was higher than the previous year’s $98,000.
“I think people enjoy working with us, because we offer graphics-oriented solutions,” he says. “We are creative and design- and not production-driven.”
He cited State Farm, Quest/Draftfcb; Phillip Morris, Samsung/Leo Burnett, Whirlpool/ Pathfinders; United Health Care/A. Eicoff and Monsanto/Osborne-Barr, St. Louis among its clients.
Michaels, who has a double major in fine art and telecommunications from Indiana University, started his career as a 3D and Flame animator at Swell, where he worked until 1999, when The Whitehouse hired away.
The plan was to start a visual effects arm to deal with finishing and animation work. But that only lasted a year, when the company reverted to its focus on creative editorial. Michaels freelanced thereafter until opening Protokulture in 2003.
The staff consists of designer / animators Jack Danger, Nick Hopkins and Will Carpenter; design assistant Jordon Cuffie and animation assistant Ben Christie and managing director Kelley Clark. A new senior producer will come on board shortly.
Protokulture is located in a 4,000-sq. ft. studio at 70 W. Erie; phone, 312/ 832-1600.
See the AICP reel at
