Robert Abel Promo Reel (1979)

Overview

This sizzle of groundbreaking commercials and forward-thinking branding comes from the firm of Robert Abel & Associates. Even though they were made in 35mm, you wouldn't have seen these spots at the movies—you'd have to see them at home on a small CRT television with limited resolution. This presentation allows us to take in their artistry at cinematic scale. Abel had worked with graphic designer Saul Bass and, like Larry Cuba, computer filmmaker John Whitney. Specializing in stop-motion photography and the development of innovative special effects, which included extensive use of 360-degree motion-controlled boom arms, optical printing, frontal and rear projection, and various early computer graphic systems, Abel brought an artist's eye and a hipster's sensibility to iconic campaigns for 7-Up, Kawasaki, Levi's, Chevrolet, and countless other companies, such as the VFX sequences for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Tron (1982), and the Jacksons' music video for "Can You Feel It."

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