By MILLIE TAKAKI
Desperate times require desperate measures. And in Motor Home, a man is at the height of desperation, down to his last bottle of 7-Up.
We dont realize the magnitude of our protagonists predicament until a fire breaks out in the kitchen of his motor home. At first, the flamesarising from a skillet full of baconaare manageable. But the seriousness of the situation escalates when he cant find any fire-fighting H2O. First, his kitchen faucet only yields a brown sludge. Then, after fumbling through the cabinets, he finds a jar of liquid that he pours on the stove, inadvertently adding fuel to the fire. But then upon opening the refrigerator door, a single bottle of 7-Up is revealed, seemingly the answer to his pyro-problem.
However, the Uncola only serves to add to his dilemma. Three times he motions as if hes going to pour the 7-Up over the flames; each time he pulls back as the fire spreads. After careful deliberation, he decides to drink the beverage instead, reasoning that theres nothing like a cool 7-Up on a hot day. Yet the day is getting hotter as the flames race out of control. Refreshed, the man swings into action, driving the motor home at a breakneck pace through a rural setting before finally reaching street traffic. Meanwhile the fire has spread to the front cabin of the motor home, coming dangerously close to the drivers seat. Viewers see a burst of flame and then a resolution in the form of automated hanging car wash rags that fill the screen. After a simple drive-through car wash, our 7-Up-crazed hero is back on the road. Supered over the scene is the 7-Up logo accompanied by the tagline, Things are looking Up.
The :60 was directed by Jaume Collet Serra of bicoastal/ international The End for BBDO Toronto. The agency ensemble included group creative director Scott Dube, associate creative director Ian McKeller and producer Dena Thompson.
Backing Serra at The End was a team comprised of company president Liz Silver, exec. producers Luke Thornton and Roger Hunt, and producers Gerard Cantor and Rory Sayles. Cantor produced in the U.S. while Sayles worked on the portion of the job that was shot in Cape Town, South Africa. For the latter, production support was provided by Rising Tide Productions, Cape Town.
Chris Soos was the DP. Production designer was Glen Walter.
Motor Home was edited by Mick Griffin at Flashcut Editing, Toronto. Online was done by Inferno artist Mike Morey, with the transfer session handled by colorist Bill Ferwanda, both of D.A.V.E., Toronto. Audio mixer was Gerhard Joost of Groove Addicts, Los Angeles. And music was composed by Groove Addicts Ralph Schuckett. Motor Home began airing in Canada earlier this month.
“Memoir of a Snail” Takes Top Prize At London Film Festival
The Official Competition jury said: “Our jury was incredibly moved by Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail, which is a singular achievement in filmmaking. Emotionally resonant and constantly surprising, Memoir tackles pertinent issues such as bullying, loneliness and grief head-on, creating a crucial and universal dialogue in a way that only animation can. The jury is delighted to recognize an animated film alongside its live-action peers.”
Rounding out the winners of this year’s films screening In Competition are:
- Winner of the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition – On Falling (Dir. Laura Carreira)
- Winner of the Grierson Award in the Documentary Competition – Mother Vera (Dirs. Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson)
- Winner of the Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition – Vibrations from Gaza (Dir. Rehab Nazzal)