Humor test

Post, July, 2004

NEW YORK -- A new campaign promoting TBS and its slate of classic sitcoms emphasizes the cable network's grasp of what's funny. It's a grasp so tight, according to agency Publicis, which created five "humor test" spots via Hungry Man with post and visual effects by The Mill NY (www.mill.co.uk), that TBS has set up an entire building and computer lab--a la Minority Report--devoted to determining whether everyday experiences described by callers are funny enough to actually laugh at out loud.

Buttons involves an angry factory boss and his mis-buttoned jacket. As he berates an employee, a technician at TBS's fantasy lab, built in 3D at The Mill in Softimage|XSI, generates data on a faux computer GUI pinpointing the vignette's funniness. Flame work was by The Mill's Angus Kneale and Aaron Hjartarson was visual effects supervisor.