This animation spot from Aardman Animations traces the history of Swedbank since 1820 by following the stories of two characters: a humble squirrel, who plants an acorn and then faithfully watches his investment grow; and a noisy Duck who spends his money as quickly as he gets it.
The ambitious story encompasses the changes in the world at four different times through the last 190 years and also takes us through the four seasons from winter to autumn. Each set and character had to be redressed four times to tell the story.
Aardman’s approach to the character design was to make the characters detailed and expressive, rather than simple and cute. While the animal characters are human in their stance and their personalities, their features are naturalistic and detailed. The puppets were covered in authentic looking fur and a traditional flocking technique was used to add realism.
The environment that was created by the team of scenic artists, set builders and prop makers is similarly highly detailed and textured. The scale was created by the using layered sets, digital photography and cinematic lighting created a depth of field, creating the sweeping wide vistas seen in the ad. This was combined with detailed vignettes of other environments like ponds, hill tops and roads which make the Swedbank world even more rich and full of life.
Using refreshingly traditional methods Aardman shot all the animation ‘in camera’, making the 50-second ad feel organic and charming. Only a few subtle post effects were added at the end of the process.
Commercials director Steve Harding-Hill had the challenge of bringing the Swedbank story to life. “I loved working on the production because I’d never done a job to such a massive scale where I’d been given so much creative input. To turn such a large job round in such little amount of time was both scary and thrilling!” said Harding-Hill.
Agencies on the project were Colony Agency Production and Lowe Brindfors, both in Stockholm.
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