Los Angeles-based visual studio ALMA MATER recently collaborated with 22 Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on the closing credits for the action-comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. ALMA MATER, led by partner/creative director Brian Mah, worked closely with Lord and Miller to create the closing credits – an elaborate gag featuring a few dozen movie poster spoofs that reveal endless possibilities for continuing the Jump Street franchise, from 23 Jump Street: Medical School to 2121 Jump Street (in outer space) to Infinity Jump Street.
This is Mah’s third collaboration with the directing duo, after previously serving as creative director for the titles of The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street along with ALMA MATER partners Kathy Kelehan, executive producer, and James Anderson, VFX and animation supervisor.
The entire sequence was shot in just one day. Once the team all agreed on the direction of the various scenarios, ALMA MATER spent a week prepping for the shoot with the cast. “While Phil and Chris shot the live-action scenes, we shot hundreds of stills of the cast,” said Mah. “The actors would bounce back and forth between our sets throughout the day, changing into a new costumes for each sequel.”
After the shoot, ALMA MATER designed and integrated all of the various elements that would make up the sequence. In just four weeks, ALMA MATER produced 21 full-scale movie posters, a realistic-looking video game and a cel-animated cartoon, as well as action figures, lunchboxes, and board games based on the film.
“It was a crazy month for our extended team of 50+ people, and everyone was excited to see it come together in the end,” said Mah. “We tried to make ourselves laugh with each new creation. One person would design a poster with Jonah in tights for a dance academy mission, while someone else would be painting in God rays behind the guys dressed like priests.”
“Working with directors that are as talented and collaborative as Phil and Chris has become pretty addicting,” Mah added. “You always want to figure out a way to make a great project with great people work out, even if the schedule is demanding.”
