swell - Makoto Aoki

swell - Makoto Aoki http://swellnewyork.com
swell offers full service production of Model-Making and Special effects for print, TV commercials, and on film.

04/29/2022

Captain Morgan Super Bowl Punch Bowl Campaign, the punch bowl invented by Unnecessary Inventions.

The producer Jason Taragan contacted us for creating a liquid splash and liquid vibration inside of the punch bowl. We were fully booked with other projects at that time, so we provided them with rigging and equipment for both effects.
Food Stylist Ed Gabriels and Vassilea Terzaki took over the rig operation and on-set styling with our equipment. While discussing about the effects among them, we got to see the bowl in person. It was pretty cool!
This video is a shortened version, original full length video on Captain Morgan instagram page.

Just wondering who got to enjoy an awesome Captain Morgan Punch with this awesome bowl on the day of a super bowl!

04/29/2022

La Mer Genaissance video shot by Director Sesse Lind.

This might be a short 30 seconds clip, but it is loaded with different set-ups and effects that we took on.
The water tank and splash with the product bottle, the glass lab ware design and set up, fabricating the crystal clusters and styling them, multiple droplets, the texture shot of multiple color mixing, and more.

It was a tough but very much fun to be working on a project with varieties of special effects!

Behind the scenes post coming up next!

La Mer SVP of Global Creative: Jakob Daschek
La Mer VP of Global Creative: Lydia Chen
La Mer Head of Production: Andrea Pinto
Director: Sesse Lind

MAC Cosmetics image shot by Director Spencer Higgns.We made a powder explosion and the smokey effects behind the lipstic...
04/29/2022

MAC Cosmetics image shot by Director Spencer Higgns.
We made a powder explosion and the smokey effects behind the lipsticks.

Image retouched by Retoucher Anonymous.

04/29/2022

Moroccan Oil holiday campaign directed by Dominic Neitz.
We did the unfrosting effects for the product bottles.
The ice surface is also our custom-made ice models. In total, we made 2 ice surface and whole bunch of ice chuck models.
Light movement is controlled by motion control genius Max Thomas, and products are styled by Stylist Michele Faro.

Director: Dominic Neitz

04/29/2022

New Clinique ads shot by Director Yasu Mizoi.

We designed and fabricated the lab glassware and metal-ware for this project.
The glasses are held using our jigs outside of the frame.
Setting up the glasses was a difficult task. The glasses need to be held stably, yet they needed to be adjustable so they can be styled.
The jigs that we brought offered both stability and flexibility to move the glassware to the client’s desire.
Glassware and product beautifully styled by Stylist Elizabeth Press!

Clinique VP: Colleen Stokes
Director: Yasu Mizoi
Film and Edit: Lushpop Productions

04/29/2022

Tom Ford shot by Director Mitchell Feinberg.
We’ve known about him for a very long time, and always wanted to work on his project.
This time, it finally came true.
It was exciting to be working for him for the first time after number of years!

Director: Mitchell Feinberg
DP: Kazu Okuda
MoCo Superviser: Chris Chieco
TF Model by: Utleys

04/29/2022

American Express campaign shot by Director Craig Cutler. I have worked for him for a very long time as a model maker, but this was the first time to be working on his set.It was really nice to finally be working with him in person.

DP: Steve Romano
Executive Producer: Fela Cortes
Special effects: Makoto Aoki
Edit + Post: Company 3 and WAX
Studio: Jack Studios
Motion Control Operator: Riley Morgan

Capri Sun images shot by Photographer Adrian Mueller.It was a while ago that this was shot, it just never made it to our...
11/12/2021

Capri Sun images shot by Photographer Adrian Mueller.
It was a while ago that this was shot, it just never made it to our Instagram.
This splash is done using the water explosion rig.
Water explosion rig lets out a chunk of water at once and hits the target.

The version with apples was shot with water wave machine.
We’ve always had the manual water wave rig, but we made an automatic one for this project.

All of the fruits are graciously styled by Food Stylist Takako Kuniyuki who has recently joined Instagram .
Also check out the tag for some of her awesome works!

Photographer: Adrian Mueller
Food Stylist: Takako Kuniyuki

Cle de Peau Beaute ads shot by Photographer Travis Rathbone.This was a little different from our usual special effects p...
10/15/2021

Cle de Peau Beaute ads shot by Photographer Travis Rathbone.

This was a little different from our usual special effects projects, we mainly did a model making.
In these 2 images, only the model making parts are shown.

The first image is the serum shot where we made iridescent shape models to fit around the serum bottle.
There were about 12 of them in total, each in different shape.

The second image is cream foundation shot.
We made a skin color sphere in matte texture which can be lighted from the inside.
It was used as a canvas for the foundation smudge.
Stylist Aude Angot was also on set for the smudge styling.

There is a another shot that we did, which includes some water effects.
The image has not come out yet, we will keep our eyes out for the third image to be published!

Photographer: Travis Rathbone

10/15/2021

Athena Club campaign shot by Director Sesse Lind.

There are a lot of parts in this clip that we did.
We were involved in all scenes except for the live action part with an actor.

I personally was pretty excited to see this clip, because it consists of all of the effects that we did for this project.
Many times some effects are cut shorter, it is not very often that we see every effects for almost full lengths.
The most challenging portion was where the fanned out razors run into the water splash, the scene came out great in the end!
This was the first big campaign that Athena Club had done, we were very happy to be involved in their special project!

Director: Sesse Lind
Producer: Jai-Lee Egna

09/30/2021

Bath and Body Works Sunshine Mimosa fragrance commercial shot by Director Anthony Cotsifas.
For this project, we did both water effects and powder effects.
Starting with the fizz bubbles in the beginning of the video, the red and orange powder colliding, and the water pool for the perfume bottle to sit on the water surface or to be submerged in the water.

There were a few more effects that we did that are not included in this video.
One was champagne bottle opening by itself, and the other was champagne glass colliding and making a toast.
The flowers and champagne bottles styled by the Stylist one and only Martin Bourne.

Director: Anthony Cotsifas
Director of Photography: Joseph White
Production: Hen’s Tooth Productions
Special Effects: swell - Makoto Aoki
Stylist: Martin Bourne

09/30/2021

La Mer Hydrating Infused Emulsion commercial shot by Sesse Lind.
There were a few different water effects involved in this project, water splash, air bubbles in water, the product bottle interacting with white liquid... but the main effect was creating a water cyclone.

The water cyclone was created in the water tank, we also did the white texture infused in the cyclone.
It took us a little bit of testing prior to shooting to get the right texture and size, but it worked out great in the end.
The air bubbles are also created in the same method, so the moving bubbles are actually moving in circulating motion.
The last part where the bottle emerges from white liquid was also our work, so is the first part where the bottle drops into the liquid.
Stylist Adrian Crabbs was also on set for product bottle styling.

Director: Jakob Daschek
Director of Photography: Sesse Lind
Art Director: Sam Lee
Stylist: Adrian Crabbs

09/30/2021

Bath and Body Works Ultimate Hydration Body Cream film shot by Director Sesse Lind.
As seen in the video, there were a lot of liquid effects included in this project. Several different riggings, water tanks, and a lot of water/liquid splashes. It can be said for many projects, but what we do on set feels 10 times more than what can be seen in the video.
The special Effect heavy projects can be tough sometimes, but any projects with Sesse Lind is always fun!

Director: Sesse Lind

09/30/2021

Pandora Brilliance campaign shot by Director Anthony Cotsifas.

We took on jewelry styling and rigging for this project.
Motion control movements of jewelry pieces were created and controlled by Max Thomas.
Working with Max, we rigged the jewelry to be out of the movement and to require minimum post production.
There also was some light effect that we took upon.
It's very hard to see, but there's a moment of light flare if you look reaaally closely.

Art Director: Michael Riso
Director: Anthony Cotsifas
Director of Photography: Joseph White
Motion Control: Max Thomas

09/13/2021

Dior Capture Totale Eye Serum shot by Director Mario Godlewski.
We made an over-sized model of the product bottle, the cap, and the inside applicator part.
The challenge was to create the smooth chrome look for the uniquely shaped applicator part on top.

Like always, glorious and elegant clip from Mario Godlewski makes the ads clip feel like a short movie film.

Director: Mario Godlewski
Beautiful Styling by Dylan Egon Samuels

09/13/2021

Louis Vuitton watches shot by Director Anthony Cotsifas.

Fun project involving lots of water effects!!

We handled all of the water effects and watch rigging.
All effects are done in real with water, Anthony Cotsifas's lights reflecting on the water makes the whole scene look like an imaginary world.

Behind the scenes post coming up next!

Creative Agency: General Idea Agency
Special Thanks to: Semjon Doenhoff, Melina Kok, Tanner Graham

Director: Anthony Cotsifas
Director of Photography: Alexander Dynan
Assistant Director: August West
Digital Tech: Joe Belack
Set Stylist: Linda Heiss
Special Effects: Makoto Aoki (Water Effects & Watch Rigging) & Tomoka Tsuchimochi
Motion Control Rigger: Max Thomas
Production: Hens Tooth Productions
Executive Producer: Mary-Clancey Pace
Production Manager: Eric Jacobson
Edit / Color by: Max Ferigo at Modern Post
Agent: Candice Marks at Art Partner

Whitehaven Wines ads image shot by Photographer Dylan Griffin.This project involved a few different water effects, and w...
03/12/2021

Whitehaven Wines ads image shot by Photographer Dylan Griffin.

This project involved a few different water effects, and we were responsible for all the water factors.
It required a few different size water tanks depending on the nature of each shots.
The water background seen in the first image is a water fall effects, similar to the ones that we have done before.
Water fall is fun to do, it is always exciting to let the water flow to the top for the first time.
We did both still and film shooting, we will post the film version when it comes out in the future.

Prop Stylist Carin Scheve was also on set.

Photographer: Dylan Griffin

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