Tristan Nieto - Online Showreel

Showreel - Tristan Nieto

2010-01-03T15:42:00.001Z

Showreel also available on DVD.

Tristan

Corporate Animation - New!

2010-01-03T15:09:00.005Z

Here are some examples of animations for corporate clients I've done over the past year at Tilling Productions.

New: We received excellent feedback from our work on the Sport Industry Awards 2009 for which I designed and animated the Nomination Stings. An in depth case study of this project can be seen here: http://www.tillingproductions.com/facilities/sia-case-study.php

This is a brief animation done for Castrol's 100th anniversary showing the evolution of their logo:

Castrol Logo Morph
Uploaded by tristan_nieto.

This is an introductory video for the homepage of Flashbay - a company producing branded USB flash drives. I was heavily involved in the design of this project as well as pitching it to the client.

Flashbay Corporate Animation
Uploaded by tristan_nieto.

This is an example of the popular "World Zoom" effect done for the Wild Bean Cafe chain. I did something a bit different with the end - zooming in to a GPS style map rather than a photograph. This animation is one of about ten, each one zooming in to a different location:

Wild Bean Cafe Animation
Uploaded by tristan_nieto.

A brief animation for BP detailing a new technology used to monitor pipe temperatures in refineries:

Pipe sensors Animation
Uploaded by tristan_nieto.

Also for Castrol, this was my first attempt at 3D Particle animation. It shows the action of two forms of emissions control methods being used in trucks and truck engines:

SCR & DPF Animation
Uploaded by tristan_nieto.

Bazura Feature Story - Comic Book Adaptations

2008-03-27T12:29:00.005Z

This feature story made from combining greenscreen footage of the presenters with scanned images of comic book pages now in public domain. Small touches, such as the desaturation effect on the Sin City section, were added just to characterise each individual portion and to prevent it getting repetitive.

Bazura Feature Story - Alan Smithee

2008-03-27T10:59:00.003Z

This feature story covers the life and work of Alan Smithee; the psuedonym used by directors when a film is uncontrollably wrenched from their hands and altered beyond recognition. The entire feature story was created out of simply animating still images in After Effects, most of which I researched and located myself.

Oscar Etiquette

2008-03-27T10:50:00.002Z

This piece was a blast to shoot, and is one of the funniest feature stories we made. I included it purely for comic effect, although the red carpet montage is a great example of what you can do with some well dressed friends in the foyer of a theatre.

La Triviata

2008-03-27T10:37:00.003Z

This is the one of the many feature stories from The Bazura Project, a weekly entertainment news satire made for Channel 31 in Australia. For two seasons (24 episodes in total) I served as Technical Director, and as such was cameraperson, graphics and effects designer for the entire show.

This segment was a great piece to work on in the way it combined elements of cinematography, special effects and motion graphics. From the not-so-frozen people to "flashback" and all the graphics in between, this was challenging, funny and ultimately very sucessful.

Manhattan

2008-03-27T10:30:00.002Z

This is the Bazura take on the opening from Woody Allen's Manhattan. Whilst the brief seemed simple on paper - take pretty shots of Melbourne - I decided go one step further and attempt to match as closely as possible the images from Allen's original montage. These shots were filmed using the brand new, (at the time), Panasonic P2 HD camera and was a great way to get to know it.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

2008-03-27T10:19:00.005Z

A cast and crew favourite, this homage to Terry Gilliam's modern classic was one that we all had been dying to do. As cinematographer, I had to pay exceptional attention to detail, especially regarding shot composition and camera movement. Keep an eye out for the Criterion Edition of the DVD, which makes a cameo appearance at the end of the sequence. It was digitally added in post-production after a long discussion about what should replace the dead bat that was used in the film originally.

The Blues Brothers

2008-03-27T10:18:00.003Z

This is one of the many opening sequences I shot for The Bazura Project. This episode, (the first of a new season), We took on the cult classic 'The Blues Brothers'. For the signature moment when Jake (or Lee in our case) exits the Prison, I had to digitally recreate the huge doors and animate them opening*. This video link also includes the opening titles (which I animated) as well as the introduction from the show's hosts: Lee Zachariah & Shannon Marinko.

* The front of the prison without these doors can actually be seen in the background of a preceeding shot, but amazingly very few people notice this sudden change in the architecture.

Showreel - DVD Menu

2008-03-26T18:23:00.010Z

This is a montage from the DVD menu for this showreel. Everything was created by me from scratch, including the clouds and sky.

The music is Sleeping Where I Want by Veruca Salt

Adaptation

2008-03-20T20:08:00.015Z

This is one of the opening sequences we shot for The Bazura Project. This episode's subject of parody was 'Adaptation'. One of the trickier openings to shoot as it involved shooting long effects shots which included both two Lees and two Shannons. The hardest part wasn't the overlaying of the images but working out which versions of which characters to shoot to minimise overlapping and choreographing them so they didn't walk through each other.

Chess

2008-03-20T19:30:00.016Z

This is a short piece that I shot and edited for a corporate video. The original audio (a man talking about the importance of working capital management) has been replaced with music by the brilliant Thomas Newman and both the audio and video were tweaked to match each other for this showreel.

Smoke & Mirrors Effects Comparison

2008-03-20T10:56:00.015Z

This is a side-by-side comparison of the first scene from my short film entitled 'Smoke & Mirrors'. The top image labeled 'original' is the camera rushes without any effects at all. The 'final' version below shows the picture after rotoscoping, colour and grain treatment, and re-compositing back into the 3D recreation of the location, (which included changes in design, colour, lighting and surface texture).

Bazura Opening - King Kong

2008-03-20T10:53:00.001Z

Here, we have an opening sequence from The Bazura Project. This week it's a parody of 1933's 'King Kong'. I was both camera and effects for this sequence, (as I was for pretty much all of Bazura). To give Shannon's action that 'Stop Motion' look, I shot him on a greenscreen and got him to do his actions ten times slower. I then sped him up in post, composited him into the scene and added the old film effect as a finishing touch. It turned out pretty good, I thought.

Curriculum Vitae

2008-03-20T10:43:00.050Z

Tristan Nieto
Visual Effects Artist – Motion Graphics – Editor

Phone +44 (0) 7 855 761 794

Email tristan@bazuraproject.com

Website http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/
Skype tristannieto

About Me.
Since July 2008, I have worked as a Motion Graphics Artist and Animator for Tilling Productions, a corporate and broadcast production company based in London. Initially hired as an editor, my skills as an animator and motion graphics artist allowed the company to take on new clients and expand their operations. Since joining I have been involved in pitching projects to new and existing clients, expanding our services and delivering high-quality animations and interactive presentations. We received excellent feedback from our work on the Sport Industry Awards 2009 for which I designed and animated the Nomination Stings. An in depth case study of this project can be seen here: http://www.tillingproductions.com/facilities/sia-case-study.php

Prior to this, I worked as senior editor and video graphics artist at Vocam, a worldwide production company that makes corporate and industrial training programmes. Whilst originally working purely as an editor, my focus moved to DVD menu design, video graphics and special effects, as well as occasionally supervising editing and delivery.
I have also served as the Technical Director on “The Bazura Project”, a ½ hour TV series airing on Channel 31, and since its inception have been in charge of all technical and Post-Production elements from studio to delivery.
In addition, I have worked on a number of independent productions, including TVCs, short films and music videos, which are listed in my filmography.

Over my eleven-year career in film, television and video, I have worked in almost every position imaginable. After surviving the baptism of fire that is the Australian independent scene, I returned to London, keen-eyed and quick-witted, with the confidence to take on any task. I am entirely self-trained; all my skills and experience are the result of my own investigation and hard work, and as a result I find myself drawn to others of a similar resolve. I've worked freelance on many projects with low budgets and few resources that have survived simply by virtue of ingenuity, camaraderie and strong coffee.

Technical Experience and Knowledge.
I am well known for pushing Adobe After Effects far outside its usual confines into high definition effects and 2.5D animation and compositing. By incorporating Photoshop and Illustrator I can streamline and simplify even the most daunting tasks that would have many people looking for a flame suite.
I have come to know Final Cut Studio inside out, from capturing to mastering and everything in between. I have discovered and solved practically every issue one could encounter. Covering the whole breadth of the package, I have taken projects through Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack, Colour, Compressor and DVD Studio.
I have recently started to branch into 3D modelling and animation, primarily using Cinema 4D, but also with Blender 3D and Poser Studio.
On top of all this, I can confidently navigate Premiere, Media 100 and Avid, rewire a small TV studio with minimal risk of electrocution, and load an Arriflex 435. I could point to the business end of the Macromedia Suite, fix a Local Area Network, make a decent espresso, hold a conversation in French, and play Beethoven’s Klaviersonate No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor on the piano*.

Equipment.
I have my own editing suite, running Final Cut Studio 2 with all the trimmings. I also have the Adobe Creative Suite 3, which includes After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and more.

Recent Experience

Tilling Productions – July 2008 to present
Role: Animator and Motion Graphics Artist
Directors: Michael Gold, Ed Swatman, Nick & Chris Tilling.
At Tilling Productions I have been involved in many corporate and broadcast projects. Clients include BP, Castrol, Sky Sports, Renault, E.On and The Football Association. See http://www.tillingproductions.com for more.

Kenji Yoshida: Artist of the Soul
Format: Feature Documentary
Gauge: Various
Role: Motion Graphics Artist
Director: Ishmael Fiifi Annobil.
Produced for the 2008 UNESCO conference in Paris, this documentary explores the life and work of one of the world's greatest, yet relatively unknown artists - Kenji Yoshida. As with any documentary, the film combines source material from all forms of media, and requires intensive motion graphics to unify the piece visually whilst complimenting the subject and his art.

Self-Portrait (in Post-Production)
Format: Short Film
Gauge: HD
Role: Cinematographer
Director: Andrea van Caspel.
Shot in a Victorian mansion in Swiss Cottage in May 2008, this surreal film follows an artist and her connection to her self-portrait. Introspective and emotive, Self-Portrait demanded a complex unity of symbolism and imagery, with the bulk of the story told with lighting and composition.

Smoke & Mirrors – 2008
Format: Short Film

Gauge: HD

Role: Writer/Director/Cinematographer/Visual Effects Artist/Editor

Production Companies: Cinema Viscera & Seventh Floor Productions.
Smoke & Mirrors is an intensely stylised piece, which involved complex camera work and strong lighting that underwent heavy grading and effects work. Over half the film was rotoscoped and the background recreated in 3D before being composited back into the final image. Before-and-after effects comparisons can be seen online at http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/tristan-nieto-showreel_20.html.

The Rusalka - 2008
Format: Short Film

Gauge: HD

Role: Cinematographer

Production Company/Director: Wolfsbane Films/Dale Bamford.
This period horror set in the Carpathian Mountains was actually shot on location in the Australian countryside. The film tells of 'the rusalka' - the slavic legend of a young woman's ghost trapped in the lake where she was murdered. Without the aid of fog or snow machines, I used a subtle combination of colours and carefully chosen camera angles to replicate the atmosphere that is unique to the Carpathians.

The Bazura Project – 2006 to 2007
Format: Television Programme

Gauge: Various (SD broadcast)

Role: Technical Director

Production Company/Director: Seventh Floor Productions/Lee Zachariah & Shannon Marinko.
Winner of 3 Antenna Awards, (Best Comedy Programme, Best Arts Programme, Best Director), and nominated for 6 more, The Bazura Project is a weekly entertainment news satire. As Technical Director, I supervised the entire technical team, created all effects and graphics, shot and directed both studio and field sessions, designed and animated the opening title sequence (which can be seen online at http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/bazura-project-opening.html) and produced the final master for all 24 episodes.
The Bazura Project followed a unique format in that every episode started with a spoof of a classic film. Amongst those covered were:
· King Kong (http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/bazura-opening-king-kong.html),
· The Blues Brothers (http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/blues-brothers.html),
· Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/fear-loathing-in-las-vegas.html), and;
· Manhattan (http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/manhattan.html).
In addition to covering the latest film news, interviewing film makers and reviewing new releases, The Bazura Project also ran weekly feature stories with subjects ranging from the first feature length film - (http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/la-triviata.html), to the life of history’s worst director, Alan Smithee - (http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/bazura-feature-story-alan-smithee.html).

Vocam – 2004 to 2007
Format: Corporate Video

Gauge: SD (DVC Pro 50)

Role: In-House Senior Editor

Directors: Dylan Volkhardt & Carlo Zeccola.
As senior editor and cameraperson for Vocam Worldwide, a company that creates OH&S programmes, I completed over twenty projects, featuring recreations of industrial accidents, 2D and 3D animations plus online interactive components. I also created DVD menus with foreign-language versions adhering to their respective OH&S laws and regulations. Numerous examples of my work at Vocam can be seen online at http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/. Please see the downloadable version for a comprehensive list of titles.

Election 2007: Countdown to a Letdown
Format: One-off TV Special

Gauge: Various (SD broadcast)

Role: Technical Director

Production Company/Director: Seventh Floor Productions/Lee Zachariah.
Featuring talent from numerous entertainment shows, this one-hour special followed the results of the 2007 Australian federal election. As Technical Director, I managed all facets of the studio recording sessions, from lighting and camera, though to taping and audio recording. Once in post-production I created and integrated all graphics and effects and animated the opening title sequence whilst supervising editing and mastering. To see the opening title sequence from this programme, go to http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/election-2007-countdown-to-letdown.html.

Lost Time – 2007
Format: Feature Film
Gauge: SD Video
Role: Cinematographer/Co-Editor
Director: Lee Zachariah.
Lost time is a low budget feature following a young man who reunites with his old friends after living abroad for many years. Constantly skating the edge between drama and comedy, Lost Time needed a versatile approach that could allow seamless transition of emotions whilst remaining entirely in the film’s single location.

The Body
Format: Short Film

Gauge: HD

Role: Cinematographer

Production Company/Director: Snowgum Films/Daniel Knight.
Filmed in January of 2008 on the exotic beaches of “Thailand”, (actually the slightly less exotic beaches of Apollo Bay in southern Australia), The Body is the story of a nameless corpse that washes onto the beach and of the two people who discover it. Tackling the elements and some less-than-waterproof prosthetics, The Body was a unique project to work on. Trying to create fear and foreboding on the lush and sun-drenched shores of the Australian southern coast proved challenging.

Wagons "Snakebite" - 2007
Format: Music Video

Gauge: HD

Role: Cinematographer/Visual Effects Artist

Client: Wagons

Production Company/Director: Seventh Floor Productions/Lee Zachariah.
If Primus were a country & western band, they would be Wagons. One of the most entertaining new acts in Melbourne, Wagons produced this music video to coincide with the release of their latest album. For this project I worked as Cinematographer and visual effects artist, as well as colour-timed and mastered the final product. Get ready to hoe-down at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PWA9JP1YhI

Compass TV Commercial - 2005
Format: Television Commercial

Gauge: Super 16mm

Role: Cinematographer/Editor/Visual Effects Artist

Client: Compass Pools

Production Company/Director: Seventh Floor Productions/Lee Zachariah.
Advertising an automated, self-cleaning pool system, this project was complex as it involved underwater photography, graphic compositing and image manipulation. It was produced as 30 second and 15 second versions, as well as a 5 second sponsorship tag. The complete ad can be seen on my showreel at http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/compass-pools-tvc.html.

15/15 Film Festival TVC - 2007
Format: Television Commercial

Gauge: HD

Role: Motion Graphics Artist

Client: 15/15 Film Festival

Director: Kess Broekman-Dattner.
The 15/15 Film Festival is an annual competition where teams of filmmakers are given 15 hours to make a short film from scratch. For this ad I created a graphic that was used as the tag at the end of 3 commercials that screened on TV and in Cinemas. The tag can be seen at http://tristannieto.blogspot.com/2008/03/1515-film-festival-graphic.html, or check out the festival’s website: http://www.filmfestival15.com/.

The Morning After – 2005
Format: Short Film

Gauge: HD

Role: Cinematographer

Production Company/Director: Snowgum Films/Daniel Knight.
Winner of Best Short Film at Fantasia, Fitzroy and the Trasharama-A-Go-Go film festivals, this comedy-horror, set in a small room, revolved around a character that was unable to either move or speak. The film presented many challenges, in terms of lighting and composition, which came from having limited time and resources whilst trying to avoid repetition and bland uniformity. The film can be seen at http://www.snowgumfilms.com/themorningafter/.

Heartless/Senseless – 2007
Format: Short Film

Gauge: SD Video

Role: Visual Effects Artist

Director: Joel Baldini.
A short and sweet tale of fetters and cherished possessions, Heartless/Senseless involved complex colour grading, such as isolating individual objects and hues within a black-and-white canvas. Produced with the assistance of the Melbourne University Filmmaker’s Fund.

SPASA TV Commercial - 2004
Format: Television Commercial

Gauge: 16mm

Role: Cinematographer/Editor/Visual Effects Artist

Client: Swimming Pool and Spa Association

Production Company/Director: Seventh Floor Productions/Tim Egan
Unlike most ads, the focus of this TVC was more on promoting the positive aspects of the industry. From a brief and voice-over script, I developed a visual approach incorporating underwater photography, graphics and visual effects to create a sense of security and trust through symbolic imagery and association.

Mrs. Pinkwhistle “Charm the Pants” - 2004
Format: Music Video

Gauge: DV

Role: Cinematographer

Production Company/Director: Scott Jordan Productions/Scott Jordan.
Described as ‘A rock band you’d take your Grandma to see’, Mrs. Pinkwhistle combines post-punk riffs with offensively cute electronica. This music video combined live performances from the band with guest performances from Australian actors, including Ian Smith (‘Harold’ from Neighbours). Bright colours and simple compositions evoked a warm and inviting environment, reminiscent of classic children’s television.

SPASA Expo Stand - 2004.
Format: Multi Screen Looping Images

Gauge: HD

Role: Animator/Visual Effects Artist

Client: SPASA - Swimming Pool and Spa Association.

Production Company/Director: Seventh Floor Productions/Tim Egan.
During the SPASA Expo ’04, the organisers requested a series of looping animations to showcase the year’s award winning pools and spas. For this project, I took images from their design portfolio and combined them with a tiled motif, based on their existing corporate identity, to create a 10-minute looping animation.

Personal Information

Education
St. Paul’s High school 1992-1998 (97th Percentile, National).

Nationality
Dual British-Australian.

Interests & Hobbies
Film & television. Music. Art. Travel. Physics & Mathematics.

Referees available upon request.

Downloadable Copy here: Word Document, PDF.

* Possibly all at the same time, although this remains untested.

2008-03-18T17:04:00.002Z

The opening titles from Retail Manual Handling - a corporate video by Vocam about manual handling safety. I first used Poser to match the posture of the actors and create the camera movement, then brought it into After Effects to do the atmospherics and titles.

Question Time Graphic

2008-03-18T16:51:00.002Z

There's a funny story to this Bazura Project graphic. The brief said that Shannon (writer, presenter) wanted a title to explode onto the screen. When I showed him the initial graphic, he thought it looked way too clean and professional, so we added the spin at the end just to make it look goofier. Shannon's reaction is left in for comic effect.

Eye Safety Titles

2008-03-18T16:47:00.001Z

Titles for a video on Eye Protection, created in After Effects. The rotating lenses were created in After Effects; there was no 3D used in these titles. The glass theme was continued throughout the graphic design of the video. Below is an example of a template that was used for on-screen text.

Compass Pools TVC

2008-03-18T16:29:00.005Z

This is a TV commercial for Compass Pools that I worked on as Cinematographer, but I also did the online and final grade. Despite its low budget we were able to apply some guerrilla film making ingenuity and get all the shots we needed, which included building a custom jib for the camera (a 16mm SR2) to track forwards and submerge into the water. The jib collapsed the following morning.

Electrocution Effect

2008-03-18T16:23:00.001Z

An industrial accident stunt, including wire removal and the addition of sparks and flames. To allow for future re-edits, each shot was done individually, rather than as a complete, edited sequence.

Title - German Expressionism

2008-03-18T16:18:00.002Z

The title sequence to a segment of The Bazura Project. I was quite happy with how this turned out, especially considering that Lee and the dart he throws are the only live elements in this sequence. The globe, map and arrow were all created in After Effects.

Election 2007 - Countdown to a Letdown

2008-03-18T16:13:00.001Z

The opening title sequence from "Election 2007 - Countdown to a Letdown"; a tongue-in-cheek look at events leading up to the 2007 Australian Federal Election. This was created entirely in After Effects without the aid of a 3D program, (which, in hindsight, probably would have been easier).

The Bazura Project Openings - Season 1 & 2

2008-03-18T16:08:00.006Z

The Bazura Project Opening - Season One

This is the opening title sequence for the first season of 'The Bazura Project', a weekly entertainment news satire made for Channel 31 in Australia. I've included both the Season 1 and Season 2 openings as a comparison to show how it evolved.

Starting with the concept of a fly through the inner workings of a film projector, I decided to eschew realism in favour of a more emblematic and simplified design. This approached proved successful and was very popular with the audience.

The Bazura Project Opening - Season Two

For the second season, we decided to revamp the opening and make it less abstract. The models were given finer details and redesigned to more accurately represent a projector. Volumetric lighting was added and a focus matte was used to give a sense of depth and scale. The animation also includes a less extreme camera pass and creates an overall effect that feels slightly more realistic, whilst still holding to its abstract roots.

Everything was modeled, textured and animated in Blender, then exported in layers to After Effects, where I added the atmospheric, focus and lighting effects, such as the light streaks and flare from the projector lamp.

Paint Job: Number Plate Removal

2008-03-18T16:06:00.000Z

A relatively simple paint job which I thought was rather good, especially considering the action in front of the removed plate.

Visual Effects Breakdown - Updated!

2008-03-18T16:04:00.004Z

Here are some breakdowns of effects shots that I've done using After Effects.

Earring Removal FX (Detail)
Uploaded by tristan_nieto. - Check out other Film & TV videos.

Run Over FX Breakdown
Uploaded by tristan_nieto

3D Texturisation FX Breakdown
Uploaded by tristan_nieto

Clouds FX Breakdown
Uploaded by tristan_nieto

Ladder Fall FX Breakdown
Uploaded by tristan_nieto

Smoke and Mirrors FX Shot Breakdown
Uploaded by tristan_nieto

Slip Over

2008-03-18T16:01:00.000Z

This is a basic cut and paste job, which proved surprisingly tricky - note the shadows and glare on the tiles in front of the door.

Match Moving and Paint FX

2008-03-18T15:03:00.000Z

This is an excerpt from a car crash sequence which, after being shot in Australia, needed to be screened in the UK. In addition, one of the shots required the removal of a crew member who was operating the B-Camera at the time of the shot.

15/15 Film Festival Graphic

2008-03-18T14:59:00.001Z

The 15/15 Film Festival is an annual competition where teams of filmmakers are given 15 hours to make a short film from scratch. This graphic was used as the tag at the end of 3 commercials that screened on TV and in Cinemas.

High Fall Composite

2008-03-18T14:50:00.000Z

This shot was created by combining several live elements shot independently on the day. This piece was part of a video series on working at height.