FINDING “HAPPINESS” IN DOCUMENTARY FORM
Coca-Cola’s lauded “Happiness Factory” spot–an animation tour de force directed by Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick of Psyop, New York, for Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam–has garnered numerous accolades, including most recently a Silver Lion at Cannes and just prior to that a pair of AICP Show honors (in the visual style and animation categories). Now the commercial gains recognition of another variety, inspiring a behind-the-scenes, tongue-in-cheek mini-documentary about the Happiness Factory, where a film crew interviews its workers going about their business. For this film, real people working at Coca-Cola were interviewed and their responses placed in the mouths of the animated characters from the 90-second “Happiness Factory” spot. The idea for nearly six-and-a-half minute documentary, called New World of Coke, came from Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam in response to a Coke request to develop an opening film for The New World of Coca-Cola, an attraction which opened to visitors in April. The venue represents a branching out for The World of Coca Cola, the number one indoor attraction in Atlanta and the number two corporate attraction in the world. The World of Coca-Cola has averaged around 800,000 visitors annually since its inception in 1990. Mueller and Matulick directed the documentary for a Wieden + Kennedy team that included executive creative directors Al Moseley and John Norman, creative directors Rick Condos and Hunter Hindman, art director Barney Hobson, copywriter Rick Chant, exec producer Tom Dunlap and line producer Sandy Reay. Editor was Ken Rosenberg of Joint Editorial, Amsterdam, the editing arm of W+K.The Coca-Cola Company effort was spearheaded by its global chief creative officer Esther Lee and group director of film and music production Nick Felder….
RETURN AFTER SICKO LEAVEEditor Dan Swietlik has returned to spots via Cut + Run, Santa Monica, after editing director Michael Moore’s Sicko which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May and in the United States in late June. Sicko came to Swietlik as a result of his work on An Inconvenient Truth, the climate crisis film based on Al Gore’s book. Swietlik and fellow editor Jay Cassidy earned ACE Award distinction for their cutting of An Inconvenient Truth….
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Editor Cindy Morin, whose credits include spots for Mazda, Chevrolet and Mercedes-Benz, has joined Ringside Creative, Oak Park, Mich. She comes over from Griot Editorial, Detroit. Morin began her career in the audio visual department of J. Walter Thompson, Detroit. She joined Griot Editorial in ’92 as an assistant editor and quickly advanced to associate editor and editor. She is the winner of two Caddy Awards for her work on commercials for the Michigan Lottery and the Ad Council….D. Todd Davidovich has joined RIOT, New York, as executive producer. He previously held a similar post with RIOT’s Santa Monica studio. “The East Coast office has an incredibly strong team and it will be the foundation for our future growth,” Davidovich said. “Our intent is for the New York and Los Angeles studios to function as a single unit and serve the industry as a strong, integrated creative force.” RIOT’s plans include a move to new, more spacious quarters in New York and expansion of its visual effects and computer animation team….
