Director Kevin Fitzgerald of Rabbit documents a life in rapid-fire reverse in a new :75 for the South African market, “Memories” for Tracker, with Egg Films, Cape Town and agency Joe Public, Johannesburg. Employing a blend of stop-frame and animated stills, the spot documents one woman’s colorful life in a car from infancy to old age, told in reverse. The affecting visuals are supported by Brandi Carlile’s hit song, “The Story.”
“Memories” opens on an elderly lady knitting alone in a car, captured in stop-frame. We cut to the woman in the same car, dressed in black and mourning the loss of a loved one. Then we see the loved one, her husband, as they drive down a country road. Growing increasingly younger, the woman and man are next in a city, then delivering their firstborn.
Younger still, we see the couple elated on their wedding day. Next is the pre-marriage phase, in which we see the woman and a young man party and go to prom together. Now the woman is no longer a woman, but a child playing with toys in the car and stealing a bite of birthday cake. We cut to an infant speeding away in a car, then to the Tracker agent reaching in to save the baby from a stolen car. A super appears, “She won’t remember him, but he’s given her a lifetime of memories.” The Tracker logo and tag, “Taking Back Tomorrow” close out the spot.
The stills were shot using the Canon 5D, with select elements animated to give the imagery life. “The high-res processing speed isn’t super fast with the 5D, so we actually had to slow the performances down,” said Fitzgerald. “This was a challenge with the child actors; kids rarely sit still.” Fitzgerald formed the narrative by piecing together emotional bullet points in one woman’s life. The director added, “I included big life events that every South African can relate to. We also wanted a mix of happiness, anger, awkwardness and tragedy, so the spot represented real life.”
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More