Futurist TWA Flight Center reborn in Happy Finish CGI

Monday 14th September 2009

High‐end London retouch and CGI collective Happy Finish has recreated the TWA Flight Center in News York in CGI so it can be used as a unique, freely accessible and photorealistic shoot location.

The collaboration with award winning photographer Benedict Redgrove saw Saarinen’s futurist thin-shell structure digitally rebuilt as a photorealistic environment in all the glory of its 1960s heyday.

The iconic terminal, part of JKF International Airport, has been out of use with public access denied since 2001 and development has profoundly altered the original clear‐cut design and open spaces. Matt Painter, CGI artist at Happy Finish, was able to offer long‐term client Redgrove the stylish environment in which to shoot his models using locations and angles that are obscured or no longer exist in the terminal building as it stands today.

Originally, the terminal, numbered Terminal 5 at JFK, housed spacious halls and open spaces under its sweeping curved roof, which produced an exceptional sentiment of exhilaration to its top class air travel clientele. Through development in and around the terminal, notably the ‘modernisation’ of its 1960’s red and white interior, and the construction of a rail link to the rest of JFK airport, Saarinen’s style and structure has only partially been preserved.

Extensive CGI reconstruction of the iconic landmark now allows new possibilities for photographers and other creatives to use the space without restriction or compromise on photo realistic quality  whilst preserving the pristine design, and stylish atmosphere that would have otherwise been lost for future generations.

Images and more information on Happy Finish’s collaboration with Benedict Redgrove is published in the July edition of Creative Review Magazine, and are available on the Happy Finish website.

For additional information, contact Nicola or visit www.happyfinish.net.

Who is Happy Finish?

Happy Finish is a world leader in high‐end creative retouching & CGI, that works on international brand campaigns, magazine editorial and with some of the world's leading photographers & art directors.

Happy Finish is different, it is a collective of award‐winning retouchers & 3d artists who embrace creativity and show what's possible from beauty and fashion to automotive, still life and illustration. The client chooses the retoucher or 3d artist with the right creative skills and experience for their project, and work directly with them, one‐on‐one, from start to finish.

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