In this animation spot, we see a residential neighborhood and hear the wind howling. A dollar bill flies through the air as if propelled by a gust. But we soon find it’s not the only bill being blown away–and it’s not an errant wind that’s the culprit.
Numerous bills are streaming out of houses all over the community. However, once the camera takes us inside one of the homes, it’s clear that needless energy waste is to blame. There is hope, though, as the blinds close shut, stopping the flow of currency out of a window. Similarly, weather stripping a door stops dollars from escaping through the cracks, as does turning down the thermostat.
We’re then taken to the attic where insulation is laid, again enabling the house to retain heat–and dollars. A ceiling fan is also seen as another means to stop the outward flow of dinero.
A voiceover relates that “little things can make a big difference when saving on your winter energy bill.” We’re then advised to log onto the AEPcustomer.com website for energy conservation tips, compliments of American Electric Power (AEP).
A regional spot, “Winter” was directed by Ken Meyer of animation studio Global Mechanic, Boston and Vancouver, B.C., for multicultural agency Inventiva in San Antonio, Tx.
The Inventiva creative ensemble consisted of creative director G. Lia Gutierrez, art director Carlos Rivero, copywriter Pablo A. Ocampo and producer Heberto Gutierrez.
Meyer’s support team at Global Mechanic included creative director Bruce Alcock, executive producer Matthew Charde and senior producer Tina Ouellette.
Does “Hundreds of Beavers” Reflect A New Path Forward In Cinema?
Hard as it may be to believe, changing the future of cinema was not on Mike Cheslik's mind when he was making "Hundreds of Beavers." Cheslik was in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with a crew of four, sometimes six, standing in snow and making his friend, Ryland Tews, fall down funny.
"When we were shooting, I kept thinking: It would be so stupid if this got mythologized," says Cheslik.
And yet, "Hundreds of Beavers" has accrued the stuff of, if not quite myth, then certainly lo-fi legend. Cheslik's film, made for just $150,000 and self-distributed in theaters, has managed to gnaw its way into a movie culture largely dominated by big-budget sequels.
"Hundreds of Beavers" is a wordless black-and-white bonanza of slapstick antics about a stranded 19th century applejack salesman (Tews) at war with a bevy of beavers, all of whom are played by actors in mascot costumes.
No one would call "Hundreds of Beavers" expensive looking, but it's far more inventive than much of what Hollywood produces. With some 1,500 effects shots Cheslik slaved over on his home computer, he crafted something like the human version of Donald Duck's snowball fight, and a low-budget heir to the waning tradition of Buster Keaton and "Naked Gun."
At a time when independent filmmaking is more challenged than ever, "Hundreds of Beavers" has, maybe, suggested a new path forward, albeit a particularly beaver-festooned path.
After no major distributor stepped forward, the filmmakers opted to launch the movie themselves, beginning with carnivalesque roadshow screenings. Since opening in January, "Hundreds of Beavers" has played in at least one theater every week of the year, though never more than 33 at once. (Blockbusters typically play in around 4,000 locations.)... Read More