More than 300 guests came out on a beautiful, balmy summer’s eve last Thursday to celebrate the first anniversary of design-focused hybrid Leviathan.
They met the staff, saw the variety of work and met Tim Sepulveda, who recently filled Leviathan’s first design director’s position.
“We had a great mix of clients, peers, friends and family attend the party,” says executive creative director/partner Jason White of the event.
Band FFM played outside the tent where food and drinks were served, while the Deep Blue Seals entertained inside Leviathan’s 4,000-sq. ft. timber-beamed loft in the West Loop at 327 N. Aberdeen.
“The evening showstopper was the interactive projection we developed for our client, the electronic music artist, Amon Tobin,” the Brazilian musician and DJ, best known for his use of sampling, says White.
“This gave our guests a taste of the impact of new programming mixed with broadcast media.”
Sepulveda’s skills known through freelancing at Leviathan
Sepulveda was a known quantity to the Leviathan partners before he was tapped as design director. He had freelanced for many high profile Leviathan and eatdrink projects, since returning to Chicago after a year as an ACD at Charlex, the New York 3D animation and effects house.
“Consequently, we know first-hand of Tim’s outstanding ideas, backed with gorgeous designs,” says Hutson. “He’s a top technical talent, a troubleshooter of complex problems, and has great knowledge of multiple 2D, 3D and compositing platforms.”
Adding to Sepulveda’s resume, says White, “He is a designer, compositor and mentor to our budding junior staff and our creatives.”
A 2005 graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg, Sepulveda’s first job out of school was in a project leadership role at Radar, followed by stints as Daily Planet and Foundation Post as a lead designer and animator.
Leviathan a “cool hybrid of arts meets technology”
Leviathan was formed a year ago by a partnership of two luminous bleeding-edge digital artists, Matt Daley and White, and executive producer Chad Hutson.
Daly joined from Digital Kitchen, where he had been lead 3D artist. White came from executive director at Lift, Filmworkers’ former motion design division. Hutson ran eatdrink, an animation and visual effects company, which was absorbed into Leviathan as its web development division.
Leviathan’s two creative directors are Sam Gieriasimzuk, who joined White when he moved over from Lift, and Bradon Webb of eatdrink who also had been an ACD at Mode.
White calls their 15-person staff talent blend, ranging in age from fresh out of college to seasoned designers in their late 30s, “a very cool new hybrid of art meets technology.
“We create high-end broadcast, real time 3D and design skills for retail installations, trade shows, special events and entertainment attractions, such as theme parks and live concerts.
“We are also developing the tools to help us make our art, writing the software to do real time 3D projects.”
Their range of services are evident in recent client assignments that include Walt Disney Imagineering for theme parks; broadcast, web content and augmented reality for Whirlpool, show packages for Fox Sports and corporate videos for IBM.
Leviathan also is expanding national sales efforts with the appointment of New York-based rep Nancy Jacobs of Batya communications. She also sells for eatdrink.
Click here to see Leviathan’s montage reel.
