The US Marine Corps Mud Run is big deal for fitness freaks in the Columbia area — a four-mile, team-oriented race through some of the sloppiest organic matter South Carolina has to offer. Limits are tested, bones are broken, and not a stitch of clothing is saved. This year Mad Monkey entered its finest, and participant Heather Bauer sent this dispatch from the front.

Our team motto was, “Are we there yet?” This year traffic was perhaps the most challenging obstacle. After nearly 4 hours in Eric’s car, we made it to the starting line of this grueling, 32-obstacle course running on fumes. Quite literally, we almost ran out of gas. Was this a hint of the race to come? We hoped not. Were we scared? No. Were we prepared? Ehh, that’s questionable. But were we freakin’ pumped? Without a doubt.

Mud Run: Before (Heather, Eric, Heidi, and David)

Team ‘Grout Flavor’ got started around 6:30 pm on Saturday. Our first obstacle was three five-foot walls which David and Eric skipped over like gazelles. Inspired by the feat, Heidi and I then crawled up the 15-foot barricades like only spider women could.

After nearly two hours of crawling and swimming and sludging through the ooze, we were a bit banged up but, nevertheless, emerged in triumph. In fact, we rocked the course so much that they wouldn’t let us complete all 32 obstacles for fear of embarrassing the other competitors! Or maybe it was just getting too dark.

Mud Run: After (Heidi, Eric, David, and Heather)

Did anyone else run in the mud this year? If so, tell us about it!

Keeping it hard core,

~MM

When introducing it’s new 787 Dreamliner at the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow in London, Boeing corporation wanted aeronautics enthusiasts to see the plane through the eyes of those who build it.

So with the help of Santa Monica production firm The Goalen Group, they enlisted a group of enthusiastic designers, engineers, and manufacturers to tell plane’s story in “We Build the Dream”. The only remaining challenge? Showing the plane’s evolution from futuristic concept to reliable reality.

Enter the Monkey.

“When Joe Linton called from the Goalen Group we were psyched,” said Motion Graphics Director and Mad Monkey Partner David Johnson.

“Building a dynamic, 3-D animated model, we were able to show the plane emerge as an idea, become more and more photorealistic, and, finally, take-off in authentic, live-action footage,” he added. “This is a remarkable piece of machinery, so lending a magical tone and sense of grandeur to the piece was really important.”

Also important – doing it all on a tight, three week turnaround. After exchanging style boards and acquiring the right 3-D assets, the animators put their noses to the grindstone and their personal lives on hold to sweat out the deadline. Fortunately, this commitment to the project didn’t go unnoticed.

“David and the Mad Monkey team went above and beyond to take our initial concepts and made them ten times better,” said Linton who directed the piece. “It’s really great to work with people who constantly infuse creativity into projects instead of dwelling on the obstacles.”

Kind words, noted Johnson, not to be taken for granted.

“We realize you have a choice in animation adventures,” he laughed, “and we thank you for creating with Mad Monkey.”

Watch the breakdown of the Monkey process:

For the full Boeing video, visit Boeing: We Build the Dream.