Bloomberg Ads Use CGI Effects to Place Mayor Near Ordinary People

Those ubiquitous campaign ads showing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg talking to ordinary New Yorkers were created using computer-generated special effects, a Bloomberg campaign official revealed today.

The official, Tracy Klugian, said that the amazing commercials were produced by the mayor's new multimillion-dollar special effects lab, Industrial Light and Money.

"People ask, is that really Mike Bloomberg talking to those regular people in his ads?" Mr. Klugian said. "The correct answer is, yes and no."

According to Mr. Klugian, Mr. Bloomberg spent hours posing in front of a so-called "green screen" at hisstate-of-the-art special effects lab and that the images of the mayor were later seamlessly "dropped into" shots of ordinary New Yorkers.

The campaign aide added that thanks to CGI effects, Mr. Bloomberg will be able to make his appearance at this year's Fourth of July parade from a chateau in the South of France.

Elsewhere, New York officials said that they would institute a waiting period before Billy Joel could apply for another driver's license or marriage license.

Andy Borowitz performs live in New York July 2 - tickets here.