This spot takes us back to a Woodstock-esque gathering of hippies for what at first appears to be a concert in the rolling hills. With flower power apparently in full bloom, we see young hipsters/flower children enjoying life in a communal setting as smoke wafts all about. But the smoke isn’t from reefer. Instead the source is a grill where folks are cooking lamb chops.
A lass flashes a peace sign–but it turns out what she really means is she wants two lamb chops. Next we see guys and gals rollin’ their own–except it’s lamb in warm tortillas.
All this coming together with nature and lamb plays to the accompaniment of flower power style rock music. We see one guy wearing a t-shirt on which is written, “Give chops a chance.”
A woman has tattooed on her midriff, “Make peace, eat lamb.”
Finally we see a 1960s van decorated with floral drawings and the proclamation, “We Love Our Lamb In the Spring.”
This tongue-in-cheek takeoff on lamb revelations in a Woodstock-like setting was directed by David Denneen of Filmgraphics, Sydney, for agency BMF Sydney.
The BMF team included executive creative director Warren Brown, associate creative director Dennis Koutoulogenis, art director Jake Rusznyak and producer Jenny Lee-Archer.
Anna Fawcett produced for Filmgraphics. Editor was Toby Denneen of Filmgraphics. Matt Stewart was the DP.
Music was from Song Zu, Sydney.
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