New Spot From British Shop Goes Back To Roots Of The Movement.
CLIENT
The Coca-Cola Co./Nestea Cool.
PRODUCTION CO.
U Ground, Los Angeles/bolexbrothers, Bristol, England. Dave Borthwick, director; Andy Rosen, executive producer; Steven Strachan, head of production; Richard Hutchinson, producer; Andy McCormack, director of production. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis. Don Hughes, group creative head; Rob McPherson, copywriter; Bobby Appleby, art director; Rob Van, producer.
EDITORIAL
Rushes, London. Dave Borthwick and Warren Menelly, editors.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Rushes. Gary Szabo, colorist; Crawford Riley, Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
Soundbyte, Bristol. James Mather, engineer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Soundbyte. James Mather, composer/sound designer.
BY DAVID KAUFMAN
Nestea’s new “Kwik Mart” :30, a joint production from Bristol, England-based bolexbrothers/Los Angeles-based U Ground via Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis, proves there are times when old is better than new in making a spot look fresh and modern. In the spot–directed by bolexbrothers’ Dave Borthwick–a snowman, melted from the city heat, comes into a convenience store looking for refreshment, his ribs and skeleton naked to the world. He discovers Nestea and as he drinks it, his snow magically reappears, the tea essentially rendering the snowman cool once more.
What’s cool about Borthwick’s directing style was his decision to eschew computer-generated animation in favor of stop motion, creating complete scale models of the snowman that were manipulated by hand and shot frame-by-frame to illustrate the snowman’s metamorphosis. While such imagery is usually rendered by computer these days, Fallon and Borthwick decided–almost iconoclastically–to go against the grain, giving the snowman a wonderfully clumsy sense of mobility that nicely illustrates the effects of dehydration on water-hungry creatures.
While the approach resulted in an unusually realistic-looking spot, it also meant an extensive shooting schedule for Borthwick and his production team, which featured U Ground head of production Steven Strachan and bolexbrothers producer Richard Hutchinson. (U Ground has a formal association with bolexbrothers, whose directors it represents in the U.S.) Also on site for the Bristol shoot were Fallon art director Bobby Appleby and producer Robert Van. Both teams spent more than four weeks in Bristol shooting the spot and then almost two weeks in London working on postproduction.
The decision to shoot the spot in Britain and in the relative tranquility of Bristol was owed mainly to the confidence Fallon placed in Borthwick and bolexbrothers, who have made stop-action a company trademark on productions like the BBC-produced, made-for-TV feature, The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb from the mid-1990s. According to Fallon’s Appleby, his team’s objective was to create a character that would have character, rather than “look really high-tech and glitzy.” For Fallon, in this case such “sloppiness” equaled style, and, according to Appleby, “adding some reality to the spot actually made it more interesting.”
The actual stop-motion was done by Borthwick’s team, which created two models of the snowman, one life size, the other one-quarter scale. The life-size model was mostly used for scenes involving the store’s cashier, to more easily assimilate the two contrasting figures. The smaller model was used for close-up shots, where the “snow” had to be layered onto the snowman’s skeleton, with each additional shot requiring additional snow materials. One trick Borthwick used to provide the scenes with added believability was to shoot the clerk in stop-motion as well, so that the viewer’s eye would have trouble differentiating between the actual physicality of the clerk and the snowman. “When you lay live action with animation it never looks truly convincing, it always seems like two separate elements,” Borthwick said. “But integrating live action and stop-action is more seamless and much more believable.”
These shots took an excruciatingly long amount of time. One shot, for instance, involved snow build-up along with snowman body movement and though lasting for barely more than a second, took more than a dozen hours to shoot. While most of the direction was completed during production, there were computer-generated touch-ups made in post at London-based Rushes. There editor Warren Menelly and Borthwick (who also served as editor) used the Flame to add water drops and create puddles as well as help erase conspicuous rigging pieces that helped maintain the snowman’s balance. The Nestea liquid was also added in post, composited onto shots of an empty bottle filmed during production.
The finished spot works because such a wide variety of images are shown repeatedly in a such a short period of time. The eye never gets too accustomed to the clerk or the snowman or the ice tea, and the effects used on each of those elements remain organic to the viewer and synchronistic with one another. Appleby said this is no accident. Originally, the spot was written to focus mainly on the snowman. But the Fallon team and the director realized adding characters would help balance the entire commercial and in effect, they were correct. “The spot basically focuses half on the snowman, half on the clerk,” Appleby said. “And in the end Borthwick’s creative thinking was right in line with ours.”
***
WVS Plays With Food For Md. Lottery
CLIENT
Maryland Lottery.
PRODUCTION CO.
Will Vinton Studios, Portland, Ore. Skeets McGrew, director; Tim McGilvery, DP; David Altschul, executive producer; Marilyn Zornado, senior producer; Leslie O’Connor, producer; Guy Burwell, storyboard artist; Colin Batty, character design and sculpt; Tracy Prescott, art director; Doug Hout, set fabrication; Steve Warner, Shere Coleman and Mimi Denker, model-builders; Rob Ronning, character fabrication; Matt McKenna, Matt Isakson, Nelson Lowry, Katie Scott, Gretchen Pflugh, Meghan Saunders and Eric Bute, moldmakers; Jamie Haggerty and Scott Tom, armaturists; Tony Merrithew, Jean Poulot and Jeff Mulcaster, master animators; Octavia Hunter, stage manager; Halle Hennessey, camera operator; Russ Eaton, gaffer; Ted Jackson, grip; Shawn Wright, Jeff Berback, Wes Johnson and Kelly Hayes, production assistants. Shot at Will Vinton Studios.
AGENCY
Eisner & Associates, Baltimore. Bill Mitchell, creative director; Brian Kelley, senior copywriter; Scott Margolis, senior art director; Mary Holland, producer.
EDITORIAL
Will Vinton Studios. Albert Hensley, editor.
POST
Will Vinton Studios. Chris Tsongas and Rebecca Bowen, Flint operators. Downstream, Portland. Jim Barrett, colorist; Mike Quinn, Flame operator.
AUDIO POST
Downstream. Lance Limbocker, mixer/sweetening.
SOUND DESIGN
Will Vinton Studios. Jamie Haggerty, sound designer.
THE SPOT
The :30s “Diner” and “Missed It” use clay animation to introduce Maryland Lottery’s Cash in Hand game. In a diner setting, clay animated characters “Larry,” “Marv” and “Ray” illustrate the game’s payoff (winning “all at once”) by eating (or wearing) food.
Spots broke in May.
***
C&C Films, Conner Wager A Bud Light
CLIENT
Anheuser-Busch/Bud Light.
PRODUCTION CO.
C&C Films, New York. Steve Conner, director; Glen Mordeci, DP; Sheila Simmons, executive producer; Diane Severson, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
DDB Needham Chicago. John Immesoete and Andrea James, creative directors; Bryan Sweeney, senior producer; Dave Dolle, associate creative director; Kitty Schulz, copywriter; Paul Speed, art director.
EDITORIAL
Swell Pictures, Chicago. Gregory David, editor; Joe Kafka, assistant editor.
POST
Swell Pictures. Tom Rovak, colorist; Frank Carioti, online editor.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Swell Pictures. Rick Thompson, compositor/artist.
AUDIO POST
Scandal Music, Chicago. Freddy Britberg, sound mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
Swell Pictures. Steve Wilke, sound designer.
THE SPOT
The multi-talented chicken strikes again–this time on the ballfield in the :30 “Chicken Baseball.” “Frank” and his trusty chicken bet a baseball player a Bud Light that the chicken can strike him out. The player accepts the challenge and winds up striking out against the bird and his egg curveball.
Spot broke March 29.
***
Why Not Coco Expects A Ford Explorer
CLIENT
Ford Motor Co./Ford Explorer.
PRODUCTION CO.
Carbo Films, Santa Monica. D.J. Webster, director; Tom Cox, DP; Nicholas Vayonis, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Zubi Advertising Services, Coral Gables, Fla. Marta Calvo, creative director; Maria Elena de la Noval, producer; Nathalie Bruk-Blanco, copywriter; Rick Porven, art director.
EDITORIAL
Why Not Coco, Los Angeles. Robert Levy, editor; Angela Galletta, post producer.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Post Edge, Miami Beach. Janet McClaine, colorist; Fernando Mago, online editor; Alfredo Gonzalez, visual effects.
AUDIO POST
Post Edge. Vinnie Oliveri, mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
AZ Productions, Los Angeles. Alonso Zevallos, composer/sound designer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Having a Baby” features a couple arriving at the husband’s parents’ house to show off the “new addition” to their family, as his father complains to his wife that they haven’t given him any grandchildren. The father agrees to check out the “new addition,” and, as he inspects the interior of the Ford Explorer, finds a teddy bear buckled up in the backseat–he is going to be a grandfather!
Spot broke March 1.
***
Ebel For Juvenile Protective Assn.
CLIENT
Juvenile Protective Association.
PRODUCTION CO.
Ebel Productions, Chicago. Bob Ebel, director; Charlie Peich, DP; Larry Byrne, executive producer. Shot at Bass Studios, Chicago.
AGENCY
Young & Rubicam, Chicago. Melissa Barany, producer; John Matejczyk, associate creative director/copywriter; Blake Ebel, art director.
EDITORIAL
Bass Edit, Chicago. Mike Johnson, editor.
POST
The Filmworkers Club, Chicago. Bill Ebel, online editor; Cindy Ryan, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Cutters Inc., Chicago. Mark DeVos, mixer.
MUSIC
Red Squared Music, Chicago. Bryan Rheude, composer.
THE SPOT
The PSA “Break the Cycle” features a boy who matter-of-factly tells the viewer how child abuse works: “Someone beats the crap out of their kids, and they beat the crap out of their kids … ” The :30 uses a split-screen effect to multiply the image of the boy each time he repeats the phrase.
Spot broke in May.
***
DHMA Goes On The Road For KFC Strips
CLIENT
KFC.
PRODUCTION CO.
Backyard Productions, Chicago. Rob Pritts, director; Christophe Lanzenberg, DP; Blair Stribley, executive producer; Kris Mathur, producer. Shot at the Universal Backlot, Burbank, Calif. and on location.
AGENCY
Young & Rubicam, New York. Chris Grabenstein and John Lucci, creative directors; Sue Chiafullo, executive producer; Ritchie Goldstein and Reid Miller, art directors; Dave McMillan, copywriter; Steve McCabe, music producer.
EDITORIAL
mad.house inc., New York. Rob Tortoriello, editor; Michael Degman, assistant editor.
POST
SMA Video, New York. Eli Friedman, colorist. Nice Shoes, New York. Rich Schreck, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Mixed Nuts, New York. Joe Vagnoni, sound mixer.
MUSIC
David Horowitz Music Associates, New York. Jack Cavari, composer/arranger; J.K. Gentile, associate producer.
SOUND DESIGN
mad.house inc. Matt Miele, sound designer.
THE SPOT
In “Player,” a player is traded from team to team, travelling on buses with KFC chicken strips in tow.
Spot broke March 23.
***
Tricky Pics Eats A Reese’s For O&M
CLIENT
Hershey Chocolate USA/Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
PRODUCTION CO.
Tricky Pictures, Chicago. Bruce Alcock, director; Brian Trecka, DP; Harriet Katz, executive producer; Nathalie Renard, producer; Ann Marie Fleming, senior animator; Paloma Boiles, Thomas Jocher and Ken Warneke, art workers; Chris Cronin, coordinator; Melyssa Wergin, assistant coordinator; David Cook and Ross Rosenzweig, production assistants.
AGENCY
Ogilvy & Mather, New York. David Apicella, creative director; Fred Lind, art director; David Canright, copywriter; Stephanie Farmer, producer.
POST
Manhattan Transfer, New York. Kenny Rubenfeld, colorist; Ted Pishko, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Buzz, New York. Michael Marinelli, mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Michael Levine Music, New York. Michael Levine, composer/sound designer.
THE SPOT
Using Monty Pythonesque 2-D stop-motion animation, the :15 “Dragon” features a beast who terrorizes a village to get his chilled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
Spot broke June 1.
***
Crush, Plum Call The Police For Serta
CLIENT
Serta Inc.
PRODUCTION CO.
Plum Productions, Santa Monica. Bob Rice, director; Pat Darrin, DP; Thom Tyson, executive producer; Doug Lewis, art director; Joanna Vernetti, unit production manager; Cara Tapper, line producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Hal Riney & Partners/Heartland, Chicago. Peter McHigh, executive creative director; Kevin Kustra, art director; Bob Rickert, copywriter; Molly Flynn, producer.
EDITORIAL
Crush Editorial, Santa Monica. Barnett Kiel, editor; Allison Sumner, assistant editor; Glenn Martin, executive producer.
POST
Voodoo, Santa Monica. Terry Silberman, online editor; Steve Weber, executive producer. Encore Santa Monica. Greg Kibler, colorist.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Voodoo. Terry Silberman, compositor; Lenie Ramos, Mac artist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Mitch Dorf, mixer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Mattress Police,” a police van comes to a screeching halt in front of a house, as two cops emerge from the vehicle ready for action. They knock on the door, which is opened hesitantly by a woman. The police inform her that they’d like to search the house, and upon reaching the bedroom discover an ancient mattress with the tag ripped off. The police react in disgust and ask the woman, “How do you sleep at night?” as the woman denies any knowledge regarding the tattered, old mattress. The ashamed woman watches as the police load the “evidence” into the van.
Spot broke in April.
***
HUM For Az. Dept. Of Health Services
CLIENT
Arizona Department of Health Services/Arizona Tobacco Education & Prevention.
PRODUCTION CO.
Steven Hood Productions, Phoenix. Steve Hood, director/DP; Denise Hagerman, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Riester/Robb, Phoenix. Dave Robb, creative director; Louise Parker, producer; Ben Dveirin, art director; Leslie Wratten, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
MWP Editorial, Hollywood. David Frame, editor; Gary Le Vine, post producer.
POST
Mixin Pixls, Hollywood. Mark Dennison, online editor. Hollywood Digital, Hollywood. Rob Sciaratta, colorist.
AUDIO POST
HUM Music+Sound Design, Santa Monica. Doug Rider, engineer/mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
HUM Music+Sound Design. Jeff Koz, composer; Marc Levisohn, sound designer; Ceinwyn Clark, producer.
THE SPOT
In “Runner,” a teenager speaks candidly of her disgust for the rebellious stereotype tagged on teens. The MTV-style :30 ends with her proclaiming, “I’m just me. And I don’t smoke.”
Spot broke in March.
***
DV8 Solves Problems With Hewlett-Packard
CLIENT
Hewlett-Packard CMO.
PRODUCTION CO.
Tool of North America, Santa Monica. Erich Joiner, director; Guillermo Navarro, DP; Deidre Harrington, executive producer; Joby Ochsner, producer. Shot at GMT Studios, Culver City, Calif., and on location.
AGENCY
Saatchi & Saatchi, San Francisco. Steve Silver, creative director/copywriter; Curtis Melville, creative director/art director; Kristen Loudis, senior producer; Carol McCarty, producer.
STOCK FOOTAGE
Energy Film Library, Studio City, Calif. and The Image Bank LA, Santa Monica, “Instant Update.”
EDITORIAL
Crew Cuts West, Santa Monica. Adam Liebowitz, editor; Dave Beekman, assistant editor; Robin Hall, executive producer.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Hollywood Digital, Hollywood. Brian Robinson, online editor; Dan Agular, assistant editor; Eroc Moralls, Flame artist. Company 3, Santa Monica. Stephen Sonnenfeld, colorist.
AUDIO POST
RavensWork, Venice, Calif. Robert Feist, mixer; Chris Canning, assistant mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
DV8, Los Angeles. David Livingston, composer/arranger; Leanne Lingar, engineer; John Carlson, sound designer.
THE SPOT
Two comical :30s in Hewlett-Packard’s “Scenarios” campaign present a problem and an HP expanded possibilities solution. In “Golf Clubs,” an impatient vendor wants to know when she’s going to see the manufacturer’s new line. In a desperate attempt, a club is placed in a case and handcuffed to an assistant who struggles through a cab and plane ride to bring her the goods overnight. By the time he arrives, the club has been bent out of shape and is useless. In Scenario 2, she logs on the the maker’s Internet site to view the new design instantaneously. In Scenario 1 of “Instant Update,” a maintenance worker accidentally removes an airplane’s oil pan plug. Exasperated, he insists that they need an updated manual. Trying the conventional route, he learns it will take up to five months to receive the book. Scenario 2 shows the worker updating the manual at the plant on the company’s HP computer. Both spots end with the tagline, “There’s business as usual, and there’s e-business as usual.”
Spots broke March 2.
***
The Ink Tank Comes To Life For Scott’s
CLIENT
Scott’s Master Collection Plant Food/Scott’s Miracle Grow Plant Food.
PRODUCTION CO.
The Ink Tank, New York. R.O. Blechman, creative director; Brian O’Connell, executive producer/co-director; Liz Wassell, producer; Laura Rosenberg, coordinator; Tony Eastman, animator; Sue Rose, designer. Live action by American Pictures, Portsmouth, N.H. Steve Sanger, DP. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Partners & Shevack, New York. Alyson Kurnit, producer; Debra Hovhannesian, art director; Karen Chalkiry, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
The Ink Tank. David Courter and Mitch Freidman, editors.
POST
The Tape House Editorial Company, New York. John Crowley, colorist; Stu Oppenheim, online editor.
VISUAL EFFECTS
The Ink Tank. Thessia Machado, digital-effects artist.
AUDIO POST
Nutmeg Recording, New York. Robert Sorrentino, engineer.
MUSIC
Russo/Grantham Productions, New York. Steve Shapiro, composer; John Russo, executive producer; Marshall Grantham, producer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Artiste” spotlights a frustrated French painter who is unable to infuse his work with the vibrancy of a real-life garden. “It needs more color!” he exclaims. He then dips his brush into the Scott’s Miracle Grow Plant Food, painting its formula onto the canvas to bring it to life.
Spot broke in late March.
***
Shelter Answers Call For L.A. Cellular
CLIENT
L.A. Cellular Telephone Co.
PRODUCTION CO.
Shelter Films, New York. Jonathan David, director; Mark Dektor, DP; Steven Shore, executive producer; Buzzy Cancilla, producer; Jim Unger, production manager. Shot on location.
AGENCY
BBDO West, Los Angeles. David Lubars, CEO/chief creative officer (Lubars has since moved over to Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis); Jackie Vidor, VP/director of broadcast production/ co-producer; Chris Robb, senior VP/creative director; John Hage, copywriter/creative supervisor; Maggie Choo, art director; Rob Perlstein, copywriter; Deb Hagan and Michael Taylor, creative supervisors; Kathy McGoff, co-producer.
EDITORIAL
Us 2 Editorial, Venice, Calif. David Lee, editor; Jeremy Pevar, assistant editor; Lara Pilla, producer.
POST
POP Television, Santa Monica. Jim Bohn, online editor. Encore Santa Monica. Bob Festa, colorist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Jeff Payne, engineer.
MUSIC
Asche & Spencer/Venice. Thad Spencer, composer/arranger, “Bar” and “Reservation.”
THE SPOT
Three :30s depict comedic situations where it may–or may not–come in handy to have cellular service. “Bar” shows what can happen when you trust a stranger to watch your phone. In the spot, one man asks another to watch his phone while he’s away. The phone rings and the stranger hesitantly picks up the phone. The other man returns to find the guy having a lively conversation and making plans to see the caller on Saturday. The caller turns out to be his wife. In “Reservation,” two women are having dinner in an upscale restaurant when one of the women’s ex-boyfriend is spotted entering the establishment with a statuesque brunette. Determined not to let this ruin her meal, she uses her cell phone to call the restaurant and cancel his reservation. “Airport” features a bored passenger, stuck at a terminal because of a flight delay, playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on his cellular phone. He is unaware of the people who are staring, especially a big guy sitting across from him. Eventually the “musician” notices the fellow who leans over and asks, “You know `Camptown Races’ ?.”
“Airport” and “Reservation” broke March 2, and “Bar” aired in early April.
***
Western Images Is Electric For CPUC
CLIENT
California Public Utilities Commission.
PRODUCTION CO.
(Colossal) Pictures, San Francisco. George Evelyn, director; Rick Wise, DP; Neon Weiss, producer. Shot on stage at (Colossal) Pictures.
AGENCY
Carol H. Williams Advertising, Oakland. Carol H. Williams, creative director; Ray Clemons, associate creative director; Thomas Watts Walton, art director; Rafael Scott, copywriter; Robin Barlow Jones, producer.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Western Images, San Francisco. Chris Hamilton, CGI director/ animator; Greg Gladstone, character animator; Bob Roessler, digital artist; Matthew Fassberg, producer.
AUDIO POST
Music Annex, San Francisco. Patrick Fitzgerald, engineer.
MUSIC
RTG Music Ltd., New York. Nile Rodgers, composer.
SOUND DESIGN
Music Annex. Patrick Fitzgerald, sound designer.
THE SPOT
“Electric Express II” introduces the CPUC spokesperson, Electric Man, an entirely computer-generated character. In the :30, a live-action woman drops a slice of bread into a toaster where Electric Man and his Electron pals begin their work. Electric Man reveals to viewers how changes in public utilities laws allow people to choose their own electric utility service.
Spot broke April 3