MK12 helps EA Games with Need for Speed

Post, Dec, 2004

PLAYA DEL REY, CA -- In animating the work of acclaimed graffiti artist David Choe, the designer-director collective MK12 (www.mk12.com), via production company The Ebeling Group, brought to life a gritty urban landscape in two :30s for EA Games. The two spots--Alter Ego and Hunter Hunted--promoted EA Games' Need for Speed: Underground 2 and were conceived by Wieden Kennedy in Portland, OR.

Although widely recognized as a street artist, painter, muralist and designer of graphic novels and magazine covers, this is Choe's first foray into the advertising world. Wieden Kennedy tapped him initially to create the Need for Speed: Underground 2 print campaign, then turned to MK12 to animate Choe's resulting artwork for TV and cinema advertising.

The two spots feature graphics of the game's cars speeding through various hand-drawn environments illustrated in Choe's distinctive style, with animation by MK12. Graffiti-inspired flourishes zig-zag through each frame, as the vehicles gradually morph into several of the game's car variations.

MK12 used Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects programs, along with Alias Maya and Apple Final Cut Pro to pull off the project.