Now in its 19th year, the annual MTV Movie Awards showcase has earned a reputation as the "anti-Oscars" thanks to its laid-back format and irreverent categories such as "Best Scared-Ass S**t Performance" and "Best Kiss".
For the 2010 awards, MTV and Mark Burnett Productions wanted to revamp the show's logo and produce a visual look that both appealed to the show's Twilight-obsessed teenage demo and upped ante from previous years.
Los Angeles-based directing collective Syndrome realized a life-long dream of designing the show's visual identity with an ambitious package for the June 6 live broadcast that included a 3D redesign of the show's Popcorn Man mascot, an abstract graphics package and 10 live action mini films that introduced each category.
"The MTV Movie Awards has always been so much more free spirited than the Oscars. The celebrities and audience really let loose and so get more of a sense of who they are at the Movie Awards," said Syndrome director James Larese.
Though pre-production began five months in advance, production didn't kick into gear until three months before show time. Syndrome worked closely with the show's producers to ensure the look and concepts tapped into the prevailing pop cultural zeitgeist. "A lot can happen in entertainment in five months," said Larese. "MTV wanted to keep their finger on the pulse so it required extremely detailed communication. The process had to be very organic."
"The MTV Movie Awards has been known to push the envelope in all aspects of the show and that includes show graphics and packaging," added Jane Y. Mun, Supervising Producer, MTV Movie Awards. "We'd wanted to work with Syndrome for their fresh, edgy and collaborative style and we are so thrilled with the results. These guys are top notch and best in the business. We are over the moon with what they created for the show."
Syndrome opted to take Popcorn Man into the 3D realm for the first time, infusing him with a little b-boy swagger and giving the network a dynamic, modular icon that can take on a new personality in future years.
For the graphics package, the directors imagined what a digital cinematic language might look like. The directors composed lower-thirds and overlays using vector graphics based on manual camera features, such as F-stops, focal points and tracking marks. The abstract, digital imagery also extended into the 10 mini-films that introduced each category to give the entire show a cohesive look.
The films were shot at high-speed using RED cameras over five days on soundstages and run-and-gun style around Los Angeles. Locations included a warehouse, a swimming pool and an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage. MTV wanted to avoid overly literal interpretations of the category titles so the directors brainstormed a series of abstract, dream-like scenarios that ran a gamut from slapstick to slasher.
The "Best Kiss" intro features a pair of amorous, oversized goldfish, while "Best Breakout Star" mixes kitsch with high-contrast and stars a bratty schoolgirl in Louboutin shoes obliterating a vase full of red-paint with a baseball bat. For "Best Movie" Syndrome turned the camera around and filmed a diverse cast of moviegoers sitting in a theater, watching the action.
"On the street these people would never talk to each other but when they're sitting in the theater, they share something in common," said Larese.