“Are you ready, to take life seriously?” asks actress Claire Forlani as she opens a bottle of Dewar’s with a look that is both seductive and intimidating. This look is carried through the new campaign produced by agency Opperman Weiss, as Forlani leads the viewer through various underworld locations, tempting them with a glass of Dewar’s and, well, herself. The agency assembled an all star creative team, from production through post production, including director Laurence Dunmore/RSA, editor Andre Betz/Bug Editorial, producer Peter Feldman, colorist Lez Rudge, and Flame artist Rich Schreck. nnCreative Director Jeff Weiss is someone who has worked closely through the years with Lez and Schreck from his time at Amster Yard, McCann and now at his and Paul Opperman’s boutique agency, OW. “Working with Jeff, Opp (Paul Opperman) and Andre is every creative’s pleasure. It’s a constant exchange of ideas and subtleties which evolve into a visual representation that highlights a great team effort but somehow manages to keep individual perspectives coming through,” says Lez.nn nnWith Lez and Schreck working closely, and producer Pat Portela managing everything, Nice Shoes offered a seamless workflow, making the whole process more fluid. Added Portela, “The agency was able to make changes very quickly, much quicker than if they were taking parts of the job elsewhere. More than making things easy, it elevates the process.”nnThe team also utilized Nice Shoes‘ insert stage to do a quick guerilla shoot of the hero bottle, which needed some enhancement when the client had requested different lighting than what was agreed upon at the shoot. Andre supervised shooting the bottle with some of the Nice Shoes team, working with both a Canon 5D and his personal Leica M7. “With some ingenuity, we were able to replace parts of the live action bottle from the actual shoot and recreate a glossy end product shot which the client loved,” commented Schreck.nnNot only was it rewarding to collaborate with a team of long term clients and friends, but Lez and Schreck found inspiration in the campaign itself. “It’s all amazing, creative work. It’s hard to pick out just one spot as the best,” said Schreck. Added Lez, “Laurence managed to create a world of beauty that lies in an edgy and maybe unforgiving environment. I’d have to say, this is one of my favorite projects.”nnCreditsnClient: Dewar’snTitle of work: “The Drinking Man’s Scotch“nnAgency: Opperman WeissnCreative Director: Paul OppermannCreative Director: Jeff WeissnProducer: Peter FeldmannnProduction Company: RSA FilmsnDirector: Laurence DunmorennEditorial: Bug EditorialnEditor: Andre BetznnColor Grading & Visual Effects: Nice ShoesnColorist: Lez RudgenVFX Artist: Rich SchrecknSenior Producer: Pat Portela
Paul DeKams Nice Shoes 212-683-1704 Contact Paul 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 impacted... Read More