Abel Image Research "Cans"

[@ericschmid]

Robert Abel was an instructor of mine at UCLA in 1997. He taught a design class --- history of design. His classes were always inspiring and very well done. He was an amazing presenter and his classes were always packed. He created the CG sequence at the end of 2001 Space Odessey. He explained how he did it in the class.

[@michelformika]

I used to work at Ingear Of California in1989. We sold this VHS video. It was called The Art Of Computer Animation".

[@macmangan]

I've been searching for this doc for a long time. this was a beautiful commercial that inspired me for years and get into 3D graphics. So glad you posted this.

[@rubyweapon8503]

This is from "The State of the Art of Computer Animation," released in 1988. This segment kind of spooked me when I was a kid!

[@macmangan]

I have been searching for this small but amazing documentary on ths commercial for so many years. This commercial was the original inspiration for my work in 3D. Thanks for uploading such a wonderful piece of history.

[@torpedoboy4]

She's a beauty! I love these old graphics. Much more interesting than current over-drawn videogame garbage.

[@BurnRoddy]

I was only 8 years old when I first wathed this TV program. At the time I came with a flashback mmemory of an arcade game I used to play when I was 3 or 4 years old about a female robot, I thought this commercial became so popular that it inspired a game. By looking at it again after all these years I digged for the robot again.

[@acwaller1000]

You'd think an advert at the cutting edge of technology would be by a big company like Coca-Cola, not the Canned Food Information Council lol

[@CIorox_BIeach]

Big, famous companies don't need advertising.

[@southerndiy1]

Imagine how long this would have taken to render in 1984...

[@WTFG78]

Millions of bits!!! I remember this commercial quite well.

[@ReverendSyn]

This commercial almost singlehandedly made me a robosexual as a lad Sorayama helped too

[@AudoricArt]

I just spent one day recreating this avatar in blender so I can have her as an avatar in VR. this animation must have taken months. If only I could show these talented people back then what can be done with our tech of today. it would blow their minds!

[@supernationals]

I produced that commercial, the total billing to Ketchum Advertising in San Francisco was $152,000 and the schedule almost killed the lead technical director at Robert Abel & Associates.

[@gammypage]

This looks suprisingly good.

[@WorldScott]

Classic! At 00:41 they're taking inspiration from a cover of "Heavy. Metal" magazine! :-)

[@9stein]

I used this animation as a video DJ in the 80s . With rock, dance and jazz music. It was a blast. lol

[@jsl151850b]

I bought a VHS of "The Mind's Eye" from Radio Shack and copied it to a DVD. I still have the receipt! The Robogirl was on that, but not 'The Making Of...'.

[@nopushbutton]

wow, this is really good for 1984 also early motion cap, cool also robots eating food from cans - MIND BLOWING

[@iLikeTheUDK]

nopushbutton This wasn't exactly mocap though, it doesn't look like the computer actually did any tracking. I don't know what happened here, but it looks to me like this was more like some kind of rotoscoping. Mocap was used though in Triple-I's 1981 showreel, "Adam Powers, the Juggler". And it would be used in a wide-release theatrical motion picture for the first time in Total Recall in 1990.

[@eyeDfy]

Holy Crap! There were 18 pieces to that model?!!! lol! Ah, the good ole' days....

[@SunBunz]

1:40 the world’s first MOTION CAPTURE??

[@FernandoDias]

Superb! :)

[@BurnRoddy]

That's nothing I once saw a commercial named snac about cans eating robots from food now that was mindblowing

[@Archangeloftheandes]

wow here the base was laid down for all the 3d animation technics

[@supernationals]

If a project was worth doing to push the technology and creativity, CG was often bid at whatever the client could afford. The quest for creative awards and CGI industry leadership was often the determining factor to picking a project for production at Robert Abel & Associates. This commercial for the Canned Food Information Council was a major money loser, but set a standard for the CG industry and once again proved RA&A the creative and technological leader.

[@Kaikumach]

@torpedoboy4 That's a bit loaded argument. Video game graphics take a lot of time and effort to make, sometimes more than movies because artists have to budget computer resources and need to make use of visual trickery in order to maintain performance in real time. It is as much a science as it is art.

[@abeltesfaye_]

And now The Weeknd had his Echoes of Silence music video portray not only 1 female robot, but had her move beautifully along with a Weeknd robot!

[@digitalArtform]

Back then CG was bid at about $10,000/second (of finished running time) so a 30 second spot could easily be $300,000 - and up.

[@BurnRoddy]

Turns out I was wrong and the game was of course the pinball machine called Pinbot but still the resamblence to me is uncanny even today. Here are some pictures for google image.: 1680271-1502f1_large.jpg pinball/tlite.jpg 1136625620.jpg

[@digitalArtform]

I should say back then WE got $10,000/sec for CG. I am told via PM that Abel did not. I stand corrected.

[@generatorium]

What computer/hardware was used to make this masterpiece?

[@alcyon2sp]

holy shit!! 80's CGI. proof that it wanst a 90's thing. everyone thought CGI firts came out with T@ in 1991.

[@iLikeTheUDK]

alcyon2sp T2 was the first time it was done in a way that appeared somewhat realistic though, and worked when composited over live action footage. Also Tron had a bunch of CGI set pieces back in 1982.

[@raze7x]

what is the object that appears at 2:36??? hummm....

[@digitalArtform]

It's weird that you want it known that I overestimated the budget. I was at R/GA at the time. Those numbers are not unheard of. R/GA is still in business, by the way.

[@sokem1]

LOL...FOOD IN CAN'S...XD..wow the year 3000 is lookin Good...Great Clip

[@Josh-jh6no]

Does anybody know where to get the whole documentary or at least a title?

[@yakfacts]

Computer Animation Magic. MPI video (VHS).

[@yakfacts]

Oh, and the image at 2:36 that is thought to be dirty? Asparagus. Apparently not a frequent dietary item for youtube viewers?

[@Duvmasta]

What video is this from?

[@digitalArtform]

You know what they say about pioneers. They get all the arrows.

[@supernationals]

It was Kathleen Turner used in the Voiceover.

[@digitalArtform]

I think it's a few stalks of asparagus, but you had me wondering... ;-)

[@raze7x]

oh yeah, you are right :DD

[@andresbravo2003]

The Robotic Female Human Character predated The Machine Character from The Machine: Bride of PIN-BOT by Williams.

[@Offthbadan]

I'm 16 all over again!

[@axecalibore]

I think Goldrecord is right. It is Kathleen Turner. Good call. I never noticed before.

[@raze7x]

The CG is nice but the real actress in this video is much more nice :D

[@SkuldChan42]

The bean counters at coca-cola probably didn't want to justify the several thousand dollars an hour it cost to make this ad.

[@gammypage]

1:40 FAPFAPFAP

[@lebello]

@torpedoboy4 lol buddy view the gallery @ zbrush.com .... its art

[@wolfman8325]

Why would a robot need to eat vegetables? Amazing ad though

[@coastaf]

Zendaya

[@supernationals]

And R/GA was never known for innovation in CGI, R/GA was a good studio, but never on the level of Robert Abel & Associates.

[@supernationals]

more like roto-mo-cap

[@digitalArtform]

I won't bother defending R/GA. They don't need it. I think among our other non-innovative work, Ken was at R/GA putting the finishing touches on Perlin Noise at the time. I will say this: I wouldn't have even been here if I weren't paying a visit to some seminal work. I have no idea what got up your ass about my innocuous comment, but way to turn the whole thing to shit.