We open on a young couple in the backseat of a taxicab. The guy gives the gal a couple of Dentyne Frost Bites. He then empties the rest of the container in his mouth.
As the girl enjoys the cool taste of the Dentyne mint gum treats, we hear the sound of ice hardening. The camera then reveals her beau’s head, which is completely frozen.
She lets out a half scream. The taxi driver looks back over his shoulder and yells in horror. The cab then begins swerving back and forth.
The force of car’s sudden erratic movement cause’s the guy’s frozen head to break off and fall into his girlfriend’s lap. She screams. The cabby screams.
Quick cuts takes us back and forth between the gal and the taxi driver as they continue to exchange blood curdling screams, reacting to the sight of not only a detached head but also a headless body still sitting in the back seat. The decapitated head maintains a somewhat amused facial expression, seemingly wondering what everybody is screaming about.
The driver then hits the brakes hard and jumps out of the cab. Still screaming, he is last seen running wildly through city streets.
Against the backdrop of a parting product shot showing us a package of Dentyne Frost Bites, a voiceover relates, “Dentyne Frost Bites. The small but powerful gum.”
Titled “Frozen Head,” this :30 came from a team at MacLaren McCann, Toronto, consisting of creative director David Kelso, group creative director/writer Andy Manson, art director Scott Couture and executive producer Franca Piacente.
Steve Chase directed the spot, which was produced by The Partners’ Film Company, Toronto. Chase is a principal in bicoastal Reactor Films.
Chase was drawn to the project’s comedy and the chance to again work with MacLaren McCann. The director and the ad shop have teamed assorted times over the years, including on X-Box’s “Tic-Tac-Toe,” which too earned distinction in SHOOT‘s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery (1/17/03, p. 11).
While the comedy of “Frozen Head” appealed to Chase, there was some difficult creative ground to tread. The notion of decapitation being funny given current world events was cause for some concern. “The question came up during a pre-pro meeting, ‘Are we doing the wrong thing right now,'” recalled Chase. “Our answer was to make it absurd comedy–and to add the touch where the guy with the frozen decapitated head is nonplussed by the situation. If this were a cartoon, the coyote–after failing to catch the Roadrunner–would get crushed by a rock and then walk away. Our guy had his eyes moving and reacting to the screaming that was going on all around him. Our execution had to be funny and over the top.”
Gigi Realini executive produced for Partners’, with Link York serving as producer. The DP was Miro Bazak. Production designer was Alan Fellows. The principal actors were Ryan Bellville, Lindsay Ames and Rolondo Alverez Giacoman.
Editor was Bruce Copeman of Axyz, Toronto. The colorist was Billy Ferwerda of Notch, Toronto.
Audio post mixer was John Naslen of Technicolor Creative Services, Toronto.
Prosthetics effects were done by artist Louise Macintosh of Caligari, Toronto. Steve Schackleton and Jim McFall of Big House, Toronto, handled special effects/rigging. Geoff Marshall of Crush, Inc., Toronto, served as artist for animation deployed at the end of the spot.
Dino Cuzzolino of David Fleury Music, Toronto, was the composer, with David Fleury producing. Sound designer was Toronto-based freelancer Dan Kuntz.