Creative strategy and production company BigStar recently partnered with Kenner Films to create a provocative and informative short film about the abundance of antibiotics in today’s meat products and the effect it has in the daily lives of consumers. The video is part of the newly launched Meat Without Drugs campaign (www.meatwithoutdrugs.org), a project between FixFood and Consumers Union to address the rampant misuse of antibiotics by factory farms. nnThe film, narrated by actor Bill Paxton, relates the history of antibiotics’ introduction to the world in 1944 as a miracle cure (when used sparingly) for a wide variety of diseases, such as Tuberculosis, Salmonella, and Pneumonia. Through animation, the video shows how 80% of all antibiotics today are used on factory farm animals enabling them to grow faster and survive in unhealthy conditions. This system, in turn, creates antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” which are contaminating our soil, water and the very food we eat. The powerful piece concludes with a call to action for consumers to change the system and petition retailers.nn
nTo view the short film online, please click here.nn”BigStar has a way of taking complex ideas and magically making them entertaining and compelling,” says director Robert Kenner. “They know how to take concepts and turn them into something more than the sum of their parts.”nnBigStar has a longstanding relationship with Kenner, previously collaborating together on a series of projects, including the widely received 2008 documentary “Food, Inc.” When Kenner became involved in “FixFood,” a social media action project to engage Americans in transforming the food system, he consulted BigStar on the brand look and feel of the campaign. nn”Once Robert decided to make a video about the overuse of antibiotics, we worked with him on developing a script, executing, and designing an overall approach,” explains BigStar President Josh Norton. “It’s such a huge story — to take the history, utility and current problems of antibiotics and frame it in a way that’s relevant and actionable. We’re proud to present this socially relevant and significant spot as a part of the FixFood team. This project was a great vehicle for BigStar to exercise its ‘For the Greater Good’ mantra.”nnCreditsnProject: Meat Without Drugs short filmnLaunch Date: June 28, 2012nnClient: Kenner FilmsnDirector: Robert Kenner nnProduction & Design Company: BigStarnCreative Director: Josh Norton nArt Director: Curtis Doss nStoryboards: Kaleo Welborn n2D + 3D Animation: Curtis Doss, Jeremiah Ferrell, Daniel Teli, Ned Piyadarakorn nnMusic by Mark Adler and sound design by AnEFXnnAbout BigStarnBigStar employs creative strategy with design, live-action, animation, and visual effects to tell compelling stories and deliver branded content that informs, engages, and inspires. nnWith a team of designers, directors, and producers dedicated to forming and refining the culture of communication, BigStar creates content for the advertising, film, and broadcast industries. nnRecent clients include: HBO, NBC Sports, ABC, KBS+P, and Droga5.nn www.bgstr.comMichele Lu Kumar Priya PR 310.922.0464 Contact Michele via email
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn’t have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly... Read More