Jon Craine

Jungle Fantasy // Broadway Theater

Jon Craine — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:16:03 +0000

Created by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy made its Broadway debut after a successful two year national tour. The stage set consists of one upstage drop and a set of mid-stage and down-stage legs anchored by four giant 28′ tall inflatable trees, all of which feature a dual-image UV effect. At intermission the show transitions from a monochromatic daytime scene to a brilliant nighttime scene. The entire second act takes place under ultraviolet lighting, courtesy of 17 Wildfire units, but the show has more of a ‘rock and roll’ feel with PARs for saturated color washes and moving lights for accents and isolated, act-specific lighting. In addition to the ultraviolet scenery many of the costumes and props also feature UV reflective properties.

Craine designed the set to withstand the rigors of a grueling touring schedule filled with one-nighters. In addition to being durable, the scenery packs down into hampers occupying a minimal footprint in the truck. Craine also had a hand in the fabrication, painting many of the masterful ultraviolet scenic effects, including the backdrops, costuming and props. (2008)

Creator/Director: Neil Goldberg
Scenic Design: Jon Craine
Lighting: Peter Kyte and Katie Johnston
Costumes: Nora Taylor, Santiago Rojo, Bill Olson, Nelli Levental
Painted by: Jon Craine, Cobalt Studios, Scenic Art Studios
Built by: Proof Productions, Rose Brand, Creative Inflatables, Daedalus

G Wiz // Six Flags

Jon Craine — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:15:25 +0000

Created in collaboration with Neil Goldberg, G Wiz is a blue sky show proposal developed for Six Flags Theme Parks. The show was eventually redeveloped on a smaller scale and debuted as Coobrila in the summer of 2007 at Six Flag Over Texas. (2004)

Show Creator/Director: Neil Goldberg
Scenic Designer: Jon Craine
Storyboard Artist: Ed Murr

The Offspring // 2001 European Tour

Jon Craine — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:58:13 +0000

Craine’s backdrop design for The Offspring’s 2001 European tour was inspired by their Conspiracy of One album cover and touring partner AFI’s All Hallow’s EP. The nightmarish cartooned landscape—a nod to AFI—is ignited by The Offspring’s logo, which appears magically under UV lighting. After AFI played their set in front of the cartooned landscape scene, The Offspring took the stage as the backdrop transitioned through ultraviolet lighting to reveal their flaming logo. The 30′ x 40′ backdrop was hand painted on leno-filled scrim by Craine.

Scenic Design: Jon Craine for UV/FX
Shop: UV/FX Scenic Productions

Ragdoll // Lucy Woodward

Jon Craine — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:22:25 +0000

Shot in one day on location in a Brooklyn bar and on a sound stage with a shoestring budget, Craine designed and art directed the Ragdoll music video with great economy of resources. Featuring several settings, including a vintage boudoir and a bar location dressed as a smoky jazz club, and a play between saturated color and monochromatic, the video revolved around the singer’s character as sultry jazz singer and sexy pin-up. (2010)

Producer: Gregor Clark
Director: Davy Woodward
Composer: Lucy Woodward
Director of Photography: Chris Scarafile
Production Design and Art Direction: Jon Craine
Set Decorator and Prop Master: Leah Offenbach
Production Company: Plenty NYC

Back From the Future // MoveOn.org

Jon Craine — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:21:10 +0000

This live action spot distributed by MoveOn.org as an online interactive call-to-action was shot in both Los Angeles and New York. Due to scheduling concerns, the background set was built and shot in New York while the talent and foreground elements were shot in L.A. against a green screen. The editors and animators at Charged then combined the elements and added the motion graphics. Craine directed a five person art department split between the L.A. and NY locations. (2010)

Directors: Adam Pierce & Yaniv Raz
Creative Director: Laura Dawn
Production Design and Art Direction: Jon Craine
Set Fabrication: Jon Craine, Andy Harmon, Paul Sison, Philip Godwin
Prop Master: Philip Godwin
Motion Graphics and Animation: Charged Studios
Production Company: Charged Studios

Inhaler Wrestling // American Lung Association

Jon Craine — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:20:36 +0000

Craine designed and built the stop-motion animated characters for this nationally distributed public service announcement for the American Lung Association. Created in collaboration with Emmy award-winning studio Catman & Mary, the spot humanized the asthma inhaler product by assigning the character attributes of professional wrestlers. The hero characters, representative of the new CFC-free inhalers, were designed with a flamboyant style that contrasted with the drab styling of the villain characters, who embodied the outdated CFC inhaler products. (2007)

Writer & Director: Gregor Clark and Sebastian Conley
Character Design: Jon Craine
Puppet Fabrication: Jon Craine
Production Company: Catman & Mary

Illumination // Cirque Dreams tour

Jon Craine — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:19:42 +0000

Debuted in September 2009 at the Durham Performing Arts Center before embarking on a national tour, Cirque Dreams Illumination is a two act, 90 minute spectacular set in an urban environment under an elevated train. Created by Artistic Director Neil Goldberg, the show blends “world renowned imagination, critically acclaimed theatrical innovation and breathtaking presentation into a story that illuminates a city of everyday people, workers and pedestrians into feats of disbelief. A cast of 27 world-class artists illuminate objects, balance on wires, leap structures and redefine flight with entertaining variety, comedy and extraordinary occurrences that reinvent everyday life. Urban acrobatics, dazzling choreography and brilliant illusions are ignited by special effects performed to a stylish original score of jazz, salsa, ballroom, pop and trendy beats from the streets.” (excerpted from Cirque Productions)

Jon Craine set the scene under the el train with scenic elements that represent the foundation of a city, including garage doors, alley ways, fire escapes, and a variety of street dressing that ordinary people find extraordinary applications for. Garbage cans transform into props for a performer’s act; the frame of a doorway comes off a building and is used as a prop for a silent movie; a bathtub comes out of a washroom and is the setting for an aerial water act; performers swing around scaffolding and fire escapes that double as parallel bars. The textures are authentic (concrete, brick, stone, steel, rust, graffiti) but a bit exaggerated in color to convey the extraordinary nighttime theme.

Designed and fabricated to tour in two trucks, the visually elaborate set is actually comparatively simple and features an upstage drop, and one set of mid-stage and down-stage legs in combination with three hard profile cut portals designed with forced perspective to represent the supports of the elevated train. Framing the proscenium are 2 vertical scenic truss members that carry the elevated train structure out onto the stage apron. All the scenery incorporates Rosco VividFX fluorescent paint treatments, allowing for brilliant scenic and lighting effects. The show is lit with a combination of ultraviolet lighting, courtesy of 17 Wildfire units, and PARs for saturated color washes and moving lights for accents and act-specific lighting. The Wildfire fixtures are designated solely for illuminating the scenery, allowing for stunning special lighting effects that give the show a rock concert feel. (2009)

Creator/Director: Neil Goldberg
Scenic Design: Jon Craine
Lighting: Katie Johnston
Costumes: Nora Taylor and Santiago Rojo
Scene Shop: Proof Productions

Southern Comfort // UnderCover Tour

Jon Craine — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:57:13 +0000

When Mowalla Productions was looking to give their client Southern Comfort an exciting look to their 2009 underCOVER concert tour, Jon Craine was brought into the fold. The 10 city tour, featuring Polyphonic Spree, The Hold Steady, and Ghostland Observatory, needed a brand-oriented look that wouldn’t appear corporate nor sacrifice the “wow” factor. And the scenery had to be minimal and light-weight, yet durable, while also packing a visual punch. So naturally, Craine recommended dual-image ultraviolet scenery for the stage, which allows for two scenes to be incorporated into only one piece of scenery. Completely transparent under regular stage lighting, the UV effect is colorful and brilliant when viewed under ultraviolet lighting.

Craine worked with the brand and Mowalla to develop visual imagery that could be applied to a series of soft goods, including a 15′h x 20′w backdrop and two sets of 15′h downstage legs. Although the schedule was aggressive, Craine was up to the task. Craine provided concept artwork based on the brand’s art direction. Southern Comfort was looking for an image that was inspired by modern rock posters, yet was true to the brand’s identity. Working within the parameters of the Southern Comfort brand was particularly important considering that the imagery Craine developed would also be applied to marketing and advertising materials. Craine also designed the fluorescent black light tour poster. (2009)

“Mowalla wanted you to know that we appreciate all your hard work on the Southern Comfort Presents: underCOVER 2009 Tour. It was a challenging three months and because of your efforts and dedication, we put on a great tour. You were a valuable member of the team and we thank you very much. Rock on.” -Team Mowalla

Solomon Brothers // Comedy Central

Jon Craine — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:14:54 +0000

Jon Craine provided production design and art direction for this Comedy Central promo featuring the cast of the movie The Brothers Solomon. The child’s room setting, a visual pun, featured two over-sized kid’s chairs that were designed to dwarf the talent and accentuate their childish motivations. Shot on a small stage in New York with a limited budget, Craine turned the project around within a week, from concept to strike. (2007)

Project Credits
Directors: Adam Pierce and Alex Cohn
Director of Photography: Paul Kloss
Production Design and Art Direction: Jon Craine
Production Company: Charged

Smoking Gun TV // Court TV

Jon Craine — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:34:43 +0000

As the animated series’ production designer, Jon Craine created the design for all 36 segments in a variety of styles, all of which were based on a low-brow aesthetic chronicling the misdeeds of celebrities as reported by smokinggun.com. Craine led an art department of 15 artists in the creation of all sets and props. The series debuted in the fall of 2005 on Court TV. (2005)

Directors: Adam Pierce and Alex Cohn
Created/Written by: Fractured Hip Productions
Director of Photography: Paul Kloss
Production Designer: Jon Craine
Costume Designer: Cara Tuttle
Built by: Chaulkline Studios
Production Company: Charged