This charming piece of animation takes us back in time, using unique illustrations to show us how the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 went down–with some artistic license of course. Part of the “Best Deals Ever Made” campaign for the Oregon Lottery, the spot shows a pint-sized Napoleon Bonaparte dismount his horse to offer Thomas Jefferson the opportunity to buy New Orleans for a mere $15 million.
Jefferson replies, “No Deal,” which gets Napoleon to raise the geographical ante–and himself up a ladder, so that he can show on a nearby wall map how much more land he’s willing to part with to make this a done deal.
As Napoleon stays at the $15 million asking price, he moves up the map to cover the State of Louisiana. He uses his mini-sword to strip away more territory from the map which then becomes part of the U.S.. Jefferson isn’t interested, again uttering “No Deal.” This process repeats itself yet again but the time after that proves to be the charm has Napoleon has cut away a huge swath extending from the Mississippi River to the Rockies. At that point, the shrewd Jefferson says, “Deal,” at the original price of $15 million.
A voiceover intervenes, “Some deals are worth making–like the “Deal or No Deal” scratch-off for the Oregon Lottery, as we see an animated rendition of that lotto game.
Agency Borders Perrin Norrander (BPN), Portland, Ore., recruited local area painter Evan B. Harris, an illustrator at Portland-based animation studio LAIKA/house, to create his illustrative interpretation for the two spots (the other featuring the U.S. purchase of Alaska) in the Oregon Lottery campaign. Both commercials were directed by LAIKA/house’s Aaron Sorenson.
All characters and backgrounds were hand drawn and painted by Harris, scanned into a digital format and then animated by LAIKA/house’s Wendy Fuller using Maya software. Figures from history such as Napoleon and Jefferson were charmingly detailed, adding to the tongue-in-cheek humor of the spots.
“Using animation helped us bring an interactive imagination to the process, unlike live action,” said BPN art director Jeremy Boland.
The spots are enhanced by fine comedic touches. For example, the stubby Napoleon loses his hat when his first offer is rejected by Jefferson. Even Napoleon’s heavily accented voice has a special LAIKA/house influence–it’s an impression by the studios CG manager Roland Gauthier who is fluent in French.
Boland was part of an agency creative ensemble that also included creative director Terry Schneider, copywriter Eric Terchila and producer Scott Fox.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More