New York studio Nathan Love created an animated world depicting what one might find in the depths of Santa Claus’ beard for client the Oregon Lottery and agency Borders Perrin Norrander, Portland, Ore. It’s a beard full of kooky holiday characters as well as potential winnings from playing lotto.
Set to a whimsical holiday track, the commercial swoops inside Santa’s beard to reveal a snowman in his kitchen, the sink running syrup from a candy cane wall. Next up, a pine tree decorates a man with ornaments, a walrus flosses his tusks, and French hens in red high heels gossip over wine in a hair nest café. The spot closes with a cameo of local Oregon legend D.B. Cooper, who in the early ’70s infamously stole a suitcase of cash and parachuted out of a commercial Boeing 727, never to be seen again (the Oregon Lottery spot posits where he’s been hiding all along!)
Directed by Nathan Love’s Anca Risca, the all-CG spot is rich in detail, with a handcrafted feel and stop-motion-style animation. Risca and her team imagined Santa’s beard as a clay-sculpted world inhabited by characters carved from wood and environments imbued with the look of miniatures. The one continuous camera move, which was inspired by Nathan Love executive creative director Joe Burrascano’s recent trip to Disneyworld, plays out like an amusement park ride as it takes the viewer through the different “rooms” inside the beard.
To execute the concept, the team cut storyboards while character designs were being refined, starting with a timed :30 2D animatic, then moving into a more detailed 3D previs during which time they also placed all the beard hairs into the various environments and finalized camera motion. The seamless camera move was split into six different shots, which were edited together concurrent to the compositing phase. Once animation was finished, lighting, rendering and compositing continued until the final look was achieved. A core Nathan Love group of about 10 was tasked with the project, with an additional 20 extra hands coming on board during production. The project was secured for Nathan Love by production house Mothership which handles West Coast representation for the N.Y. studio.
Brand New School Extends Reach Internationally Via Partnership With Animation Studio BRUT
Brand New School (BNS) has entered into a strategic partnership with BRUT, a Barcelona-based animation studio. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in BNS’s expansion strategy, with BRUT serving as its inaugural global outpost.
Under the leadership of executive creative director Martin Allais, who will now be represented by BNS for directorial ventures, BRUT joins BNS as part of its collective roster. This partnership combines BNS’s established reputation for innovative creative work with BRUT’s expertise in diverse artistic techniques, including 2D cel animation, stop-motion, 3D animation, and seamless integration of live action.
With Allais leading BNS Spain, Brand New School is expanding its reach to serve a growing network of global clients. This partnership incorporates BRUT’s fresh methodology of working and diverse pool of talent to create content that resonates across cultures. Located in the heart of the European market, the new BNS location will further support and enhance its work with international clients, broadening its ability to meet their unique needs. This partnership represents a thoughtful blend of creativity and expertise, designed to strengthen and grow Brand New School’s global presence.
BRUT was founded by director Allais as an experimental incubator for innovative ideas and techniques. He is also a multidisciplinary artist of Latinx heritage who brings a wealth of creative experience to the partnership. His portfolio spans commercials for global brands like Oreo, Facebook, Samsung, and Dr. Pepper, earning accolades including Cannes Lions for his work on the Samsung Holiday campaign. Recently, Allais’ animated VR experience capturing New York City’s punk scene in the ‘70s, narrated by... Read More