Feel the heat! That’s exactly what this :30 for the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) does via a translucent CGI vapor-like visual depiction of warmth that surrounds and comforts family members in different rooms of a house.
This heat source warms a father who comes into the home from the brutal cold outside. It helps his young son play in his bedroom in comfort. Similarly, the warmth makes the prospect of getting out of bed a bit easier for the matriarch of the family. And her young daughter runs gleefully through the warm house.
The entire family benefits from the heat, but remains oblivious to it as they enjoy themselves at home. This CGI visual representation of heat also interacts with inanimate objects, causing, for example, ice cubes to melt in a glass.
A voiceover then asks, "What if you could see how heat feels?" Words on the screen read: "Welcome to today’s oilheat: 99.9% clean, 100% warm." The NORA logo appears in small type along the bottom of the screen.
"White Heat" was directed by Colin and Greg Strause, a.k.a. The Brothers Strause, via bicoastal HSI Productions for The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va. Visual effects were done by Hydraulx, a Los Angeles-based effects company launched by The Brothers Strause last year.
The live-action support team at HSI included executive producer Kerstin Emhoff and producer Skot Bradford. The DP was Jo Willems. The coterie of effects talent at Hydraulx consisted of technical directors/lighting specialists Rina Strause and Chris Wells; CGI animators Joel Sevilla, Jeremy Butler, Josh Cordes and Yoshi Yamada; executive producers Eliza Randall and Shelby Wong; and producer Neil Van Harte.
The Martin Agency’s creative ensemble included creative director Steve Bassett, copywriters/art directors Mark Peters and Michael Wright, executive producer Steve Humble, producers Craig Jelniker and Brad Powell, and assistant producer Kelly Walsh.
Editor was Matthew Wood of The Whitehouse, Santa Monica. Wood also handled sound design. Colorist was David Hussey of Company 3, Santa Monica, with Denise Brown, producing. Audio mixer was Mike Greenberg of Eleven, Santa Monica. Music composer/arranger was Jimmy Haun of bicoastal Elias Arts.
