Has anyone else noticed how real that CG gecko looks for GEICO? The eyes are incredibly realistic as well as the mouth. The latest spots are showing the CG version intercut with real ones and it is a close match. Those animators did a great job.

Some info at the animation studio's website.
Nothing too revealing considering this is primarily a marketing article, but still may be of some interest:

http://www.framestore-cfc.com/newyork/geico/

That explains it, very cool! Thanks.

I don't know... I still feel like wringing its neck.

I was wondering how they trained a gecko to talk.

In one recent commercial, they have a real Gecko licking its eye, and the GEICO Gecko says something like, "Leave the theatrics to me," and this is done while he blinks his eyes constantly. Truth is geckos do not have eyelids!

Funny----Mike

Here they are at the links below.

In that particular one he actually says I'd stick with the small talk mate, theatrics might come across as a bit.....cheesy.

Eyeball
www.framestore-cfc.com/newyork/geico/launch_eyeball.html

Big News
www.framestore-cfc.com/newyork/geico/launch_bignews.html

Invitation
www.framestore-cfc.com/newyork/geico/launch_invitation.html

Thanks James,

I sure like the new ones, with the real geckos, better than the older ones with him in the tiny cars etc.

Mike

Yep, me too. I'm just waiting for someone to get these and replace the dialogue with something really funny and outlandish because there's no sync to worry about.

Thank you for the links, James. I had only seen one of these.

There's genius in the details. Not only do I really like the voice they chose, I love the little things--like the Gecko flicking something off the tree branch in "Invitation." Also love the over-the-shoulder shot in that one.

I think he's cool!

James,

First it's the Overstock.com lady, Sabina, then the Yellow Book girl, and now the Geico Gecko?!?!?!

I seem to remember a post by Keith Loh, in the Yellow Book post, maybe it is time to consider it a bit more!? :) :)

Keep those standards high guy!

Mike

You can make your own Gecko commercials with Poser and this guy: http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=itemdetails&item=3618

Last summer I needed to do some animation of horses and I discovered there's a whole world of virtual people and animals for sale out there. Pretty unbelievable (and some of it is downright disturbing). If you've never looked at this stuff before then check out DAZ http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=catmain&cat=1 and Renderosity http://market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?TopID=11219.

That stuff looks like the characters in Final Fantasy. I wonder if actors/actresses should start worrying about this.

I'm surprised they chose a south London accent for the gecko.

Andy.

I watched a gecko fight a cockroach once. It was in my parents garage. They ran off as soon as they realized a larger beast was nearby.