Digital Kitchen: Microsoft MindQuest

Digital Kitchen’s MindQuest isn’t just a hilarious attempt at recreating cutting edge video production values from the 1980s (although it totally nails that); it’s a great example of what happens when a client (Microsoft) has enough courage to hire the right agency (Wexley School for Girls), who in turn has the vision to collaborate with the perfect studio for the job.

Although it reveals my inner nerd to admit this, my favorite moment is the blue screen of death, followed by the disclaimer, “It’s still in beta.”

The whole point of this video is to drive traffic to Microsoft’s Hey Genius site, a massive recruiting effort that’s as much about finding the best talent as it is about changing young people’s perception of Microsoft.

There are a few making-of images on Cody Cobb’s Flickr page that are worth a gander. Cody was the lead designer on this project, and as such it was his job to walk the fine line between bad cheesy and good cheesy. This is a line Cody is quite comfortable walking. (Take a few extra minutes to check out Cody’s photography. His work is amazing.)

The music was lovingly crafted by Danny Wolfers, another perfect choice for this job.

Executive Producer: Mark Bashore
Creative Lead/Director: Brad Abrahams
Lead Designer/Animator: Cody Cobb
Original Concept and Design: Ben Grube
Animator: Jayne Vidheecharoen
Modeler: John Foreman
VHS Machine Operator: Dave Molloy
Producer: Carrine Fisher
Original Score: Danny Wolfers