An imposing mountain to climb is the centerpiece of this spot–except the massive mountain is made of numerous objects and venues representing different hurdles and decisions in a young man’s life as he tries to scale the vertical obstacle course of life that stands before him.
There are certain points where it seems as if he could settle for the immediate destination he’s reached–a classroom (but it calls for conformity) or even a business where’s he’s greeted by a welcoming executive. But without hesitation, our young man continues to climb, uttering repeatedly “Can’t hear you.”
Indeed he is instead listening to his inner voice, at which point he reaches the summit–one where he grabs a guitar and performs for a capacity rock concert audience. As they cheer, he again utters “Can’t hear you.”
As the man has ascended to his dream, we see the Pepsi “I Can” mantra which appears as the spot’s end tag.
Daniel Kleinman of Rattling Stick, London, directed “Rising” for CLM BBDO, Paris. The DP was Stephen Blackman.
The agency team included executive creative directors Gilles Fichteberg and Jean-Francois Sacco, creatives David Bertram and Leo Berne, and exec producer France Monnet.
The visual effects coterie of talent at Framestore, London, included VFX supervisor William Bartlett, CG supervisor Simon French, producer Michael Stanish and a 3D team consisting of Alex Doyle, Dan Seddon, Jabed Khan, Paul Denhard, Paul Jones, Pol Chanthasartratsarmee, Marry Swinnerton and Paul Chandler. Colorist was Steffan Perry of Framestore.
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