Curious Pictures Signs Director Randy Roberts

Curious Pictures Signs Live Action / VFX Director Randy Roberts

Curious Pictures VFX Director Animator Randy Roberts.

Director Randy Roberts has signed with the New York and L.A.-based mixed media and live action production company Curious Pictures. The announcement was made by Bill Reilly, Executive Producer for commercials and advertising content at the company. To screen his reel and view his bio, click here.

The director recently wrapped his first project with Curious, a package of live action spots with heavy visual effects and CGI to launch the new coconut-flavored version of SoBe, the line of enhanced waters, teas and elixirs from Pepsico. Roberts and Curious collaborated with the ad agency Motiv in Denver on two broadcast TV spots starring the Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski, star of the NBC series "Chuck." The spots re-introduce a new CGI version of the brand's famous icons, the SoBe lizards.

In addition, Roberts and Curious produced the video component of a web site promotion that allows users to digitally 'undress' the actress, who appears on the site wearing body paint designed in the SoBe tropical flora packaging. Working with digital agency First Born, Roberts shot Strahovski as she was being painted and then in a series of 360 degree moves for visitors to grab and share with friends. To check out the site, click here.

Roberts has spent the bulk of his career functioning as the live action expert in a larger visual effects studio environment, which he feels is the perfect background for his move to Curious Pictures. "I've had my eye on Curious for a long time," he says, "and was impressed when I heard that Bill Reilly had gone there as an EP."

Reilly says the signing of Roberts adds a versatile director to the Curious Pictures roster who's as comfortable with an effects job as he is with performance and dialogue. "Randy is an all-around talent who meshes perfectly with where Curious is headed as an entertainment and commercial production company," he notes. "While our legacy is in animation and effects, our future lies in melding all kinds of techniques in service of an idea. We're looking forward to applying Randy's skill sets to our new mission. Being able to attract directors of his reputation and experience is an important part of our strategy going forward."

Roberts says he's excited about the prospect of working with Curious' newly named Creative Supervisor and Head of Computer Graphics, Vadim Turchin, who joined the studio earlier this year from the New York office of Brand New School. He'll also be working closely with Curious' Head of Studio Camille Geier, who joined in 2010 as part of a major revamping of the company's management. Geier previously was EP and Chief Operating Officer at the New York effects house Rhino (now Gravity), where she worked on a wide range of TV commercial and feature film projects. Prior to joining Rhino, she was a senior producer at ILM and Colossal Pictures.

"Vadim and Camille have the skill and the know-how to get the maximum out of the rather formidable resources they have on tap, and I'm looking forward to working with them on the process, he says. "I know how studios operate, and it always comes down to the people. Curious is a great example of this. Together we're going to make that gem in Manhattan really special. The place is going to zing."

The director is also attracted to the increasingly diverse mix of projects that Curious is working on; everything from TV specials to games to branded content to long-form web video is passing through the studio these days, he pointed out.

Roberts got his start as an illustrator and graphic designer who worked in print design for publications and the music industry before landing at Robert Abel & Associates in L.A., one of the early and groundbreaking visual effects and computer graphics studios. While there he transitioned from a pure design background to melding effects and graphics. From there he joined Rhythm + Hues, where he spent 15 years directing countless live action and visual effects combination spots for a range of brands and agencies. Since leaving R+H in 2005 he's been represented by Radium (now ReelFx) and Safe House.

Roberts will be based out of Curious' recently opened production office in Santa Monica. He handled the recent SoBe job from there, with all live action production handled by the West Coast office and animation, visual effects and completion handled by the studio in Manhattan. "I was involved in every aspect of the job all the way through, which is how I prefer to work," he notes. "The back and forth between the coasts was seamless; this was a Curious production from start to finish."

Published 29, April 2012