About
About
About
About
About
Ümeric
Founded in 2001 by Ash Bolland and Von Dekker, Ümeric is an independent production studio focused on visual storytelling. The work spans film, commercials, gaming, art and music — and the gaps in between.
Ash Bolland
Is a New Zealand director, writer, visual artist, photographer, musician and skateboarder. In the early 2000s, Bolland directed music videos for New Zealand acts including Salmonella Dub and Shapeshifter. His videos for “Nu Steppa” and “Long White Cloud” each won Best Electronic Music Video at the Juice TV Awards.
In 2001, Bolland co-founded the creative studio Ümeric with artist and producer Von Dekker. Through Ümeric, he directed a number of globally recognised idents and projects for MTV. This work led to discussions in Hollywood regarding Bolland directing a remake of the 1960s feature The Swarm.
Bolland has directed internationally recognised commercials for brands including Nintendo, Sony, HSBC, Vodafone, Hyundai, KFC, Nike and IMAX. In 2016, he directed the first Nintendo Switch television commercial, helping establish the early visual language of the platform and reaching over 200 million viewers worldwide. The campaign was referenced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Later that year, he directed Nintendo’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial. The spot ranked #4 in post-game scoring of Super Bowl LI commercials. He also directed IMAX’s first 65mm digital commercial.
Alongside commercial work, Bolland was commissioned by the Sydney Opera House to create an original film for Vivid Sydney. He created and designed Audio Creatures, transforming the Opera House into twelve audio-driven creatures projected across the sails, featuring original music by Amon Tobin. The work was seen by over 2 million visitors across three weeks.
Bolland wrote and directed the narrative short film and music video “This Song Saved My Life” for Simple Plan, created for the MTV EXIT Foundation. The film addressed human trafficking and exploitation and received multiple international awards.
He has credited work on The East, starring Brit Marling, for which he created the title sequence and end coda. Bolland is writing feature-length screenplays, including Esper and Shadow, a narrative film centred on two orphaned children who attempt to build their own parents.
Von Dekker
A New Zealand–born artist, illustrator, designer and creative producer. Her work spans visual art and creative production, combining graphic precision with hand-made, tactile processes. She is particularly interested in the abstraction of New Zealand wildlife and landscapes, using a mix of hand-drawn and vector-based approaches. In parallel with commissioned work, she maintains an independent art practice, creating original works that are exhibited and sold privately.
She also works as a creative producer, shaping projects from early concept through to execution across film, television and commercials. Her producing work includes projects for MTV, Apple, Nike, MSN, Fox, Disney and Google.
Her work has been published extensively in leading international illustration and design books, including titles from Die Gestalten Verlag, Yen, L’Edition Populaire and DixonBaxi. Notable publications include Illusive: Contemporary Illustration and Its Context and Tres Logos.
It has also appeared in major international conference and festival publications such as OFFF, Semi-Permanent and KL Design Week, and received a High Merit Award from the Art Directors Club New York.
Awards
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Four'N Twenty - Original Fans
BWM Dentsu Melbourne
Best Ads on TV 2019
Nintendo Switch - Play Together
Anywhere Anytime
YouTube Ad Leaderboard - 13 Mil Views 2018
SOH: Vivid - Audio Creatures
Bronze Best Live Event
AEAF Awards 2017
Nintendo Switch - SuperBowl
YouTube - 36 Million Views
Jimmy Fallon showcase
Imagine Dragons track goes Viral
2016
KFC - Finger Lickin' Good
Ogilvy Australia
Best Ads on TV 2016
UBET - For The Thrill Of It
The Monkeys
Best Ads on TV 2015
Hyundai A-League - What is Beautiful?
BMF
Best Ads on TV 2014
Vodafone - Kidults
Ogilvy Australia
Best Ads on TV 2013
Vodafone - Kidults
Gold
Adstar Awards 2013
Hyundai i40 - Its Wild Out There
Innocean Australia
Best Ads on TV 2013
MTV Exit - Simple Plan
Gold
ACS Awards 2014
MTV Exit - Simple Plan
Bronze Lion
Cannes Lion Awards 2013
MTV Exit - Simple Plan
Silver
ACS Awards 2013
MTV Exit - Simple Plan
Gold World Medal
New York Festival - Film & TV Awards 2013
MTV Exit - Simple Plan
18 Feet & Rising Sydney
Best Ads on TV 2013
HSBC - Serious Play
J Walter Thompson London
Best Ads on TV 2013
HSBC - Serious Play
Bronze Lion
Cannes Lions 2013
HSBC - Serious Play
Silver - Campaign
Big Awards UK 2013
HSBC - Serious Play
Bronze
ASC Award 2013
HSBC - Serious Play
Campaign Live Top 10 2013
HSBC - Serious Play
2 x Finalist
Spikes Asia 2013
Coke Zero - Just Add Zero
Silver
ACS Awards 2013
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Gold - TV VFX
Mobius Award 2012
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Bronze World Medal - VFX
New York Festivals 2012
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Gold
Adfest Lotus Awards 2012
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Silver
Adstar Awards 2012
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Silver - VFX
BADC Awards 2012
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Gold - Editing
BADC Awards 2012
Foxtel - Seeing Is Believing
Clemenger BBDO
Best Ads on TV 2012
Burn - Never Extinguish
Silver - Long Form Film
One Show 2012
Burn - Never Extinguish
Publicis Milan
Best Ads on TV 2012
Burn - Never Extinguish
Vimeo Staff Pick 2012
Burn - Never Extinguish
Top 100 Short Films
St Kilda Film Festival 2012
Burn - Never Extinguish
Featured Film
Byron Bay Intl. Film Festival 2012
Burn - Never Extinguish
Bronze - Direction
Epica Awards 2011
Burn - Never Extinguish
Silver - Direction
London International Awards 2011
Burn - Never Extinguish
Gold - Direction
Eurobest 2011
Burn - Never Extinguish
Bronze - Direction
Clio Awards 2011
MTV HD - Genetically Modified
Vimeo Staff Pick 2011
MTV HD - Genetically Modified
Gold - New Director
Shots Awards 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
Vimeo Staff Pick 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
Gold
ADC Europe 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
Bronze
ADC Germany 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
Gold
PromaxBDA Europe 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
Design Award
Red Dot 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
Client Award
W&V Magazine Germany 2011
VIVA - Young at Heart
VIMEO’S Pick of the Week
VIVA - Young at Heart
Shot's Pick of the Week
HBO - Unexpected
HBO Asia, Singapore
Best Ads on TV 2012
Swatch & MTV - Playground
MTV International/London
Best Ads on TV 2010
MTV Australia - Organic
Gold - Campaign Design
PromaxBDA Worldwide 2009
MTV Australia - Organic
Gold - Art Direction & Design
PromaxBDA Worldwide 2009
MTV Australia - Organic
Silver - Network Package Design
PromaxBDA Worldwide 2009
MTV Australia - Organic
Gold - Print Consumer Image
PromaxBDA Worldwide 2009
MTV Australia - Organic
Gold - Logo
PromaxBDA Worldwide 2009
MTV Australia - Organic
Gold - Styleguide
PromaxBDA Worldwide 2009
MTV Australia - Organic
Gold - Best Print Ad
PromaxBDA Australia & NZ 2008
MTV Australia - Organic
Silver - Best On Air Branding Design
PromaxBDA Australia & NZ 2008
MTV Australia - Organic
Silver - Best 3D Animation Design
PromaxBDA Australia & NZ 2008
Christchurch Arts Festival
Bronze - Broadcast
Best Design Awards NZ 2007
Shapeshifter - Long White Cloud
Best Electronic Music Video
Juice TV Awards NZ 2005
Salmonella Dub - Nu Steppa
Best Electronic Music Video
Juice TV Awards NZ 2004
Edwin Visual Council
Art Directors Club NY
NY ADC Merit Award 2003
Books
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KL Design Week 09 Book
KL Design Week 2009
AGIdeas 07 Book
AGIdeas 2007
Semi Permanent NZ 07 Book
Semi Permanent NZ 2007
Tres Logos
Die Gestalten Verlag 2006
Crackpot Calender
Die Gestalten Verlag 2006
Illusive: Contemporary Illustration
And Its Context
Die Gestalten Verlag 2005
Designed To Help
iLovedust & Die Gestalten Verlag 2005
OFFF 05 Book
OFFF Design Conference 2005
Curvy2
Yen Media International 2005
Curvy
Yen Media International 2004
Re.Think.Design.Construct
How Design Books 2004
Point.Structure
A Design For Freedom Project 2003
Style is the Message
123 KLAN 2003
World Wide Designers 2007
L’Edition Populaire 2003
Permanent
Design is Kinky 2002
Great Graphics on a Budget
Dixonbaxi 2002
Magazines
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Creative Review
Cover & Interview
Burn - Never Extinguish
Campaign Brief
Cover & Interview
Burn - Never Extinguish
3D World - Issue 126
MTV Australia - Organic Rebrand
Stash - Issue 62
MSN - Butterflies
Stash - Issue 49
MTV Australia - Organic Rebrand
Stash - Issue 38
Nike - Yi Jian &
Royal Elastics - Feilfri
Urbis - Issue 39
Umeric Interview
NZ Herald
Umeric Interview
Kokoku Hihyo - Issue 318
Wieden + Kennedy Special
Nike - Yi Jian
Desktop - Issue 226
Cover & Umeric Interview
Stash - Issue 22
MTV AVMAS Show Package
Creative - Aug/Sept
Cover & Umeric Interview
Pulp - Issue 47
Translate Event & Umeric Interview
Cyclic Defrost - Issue 13
Cover & Umeric Interview
Yen Magazine - Issue 10
Miso Poster
Computer Arts Projects - Issue 65
Ash Bolland Interview
Pulp - Issue 34
Ash Bolland Interview & Illustration
Desktop - Issue 184
Design Debrief: Arielbooks Website
Pulp - Issue 29
Neo Plastech Graphic
Pulp - Issue 28
Phojekt v 123 Klan Interview
Internet Au - Issue 76
Ash Bolland Interview
Talks
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Sydney Apple Store
Creative Talk
Foundation
Australia Infront
Kl Design Week Conference
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Semi Permanent Conference
Auckland, New Zealand
Agideas Conference
Melbourne, Australia
Rprsnt Conference
Sydney, Australia.
CBNet Talk
Tokyo, Japan
OFFF Conference
Barcelona, Spain
Digit Conference
Sydney, Australia
Sparc Conference
Hamilton, New Zealand