By BY MILLIE TAKAKI
A cel animation style from cartoon’s Golden Age of the 1940s lends a nostalgic, offbeat charm to a Northern California McDonald’s spot promoting the McChicken sandwich. The piece-entitled simply "Foxy"-plays just like a classic cartoon: A fox slides out from behind a tree to make a move on the henhouse across the way. He stalks and springs toward his envisioned entree only to step on a pitchfork, which, true to the time-honored slapstick formula, rises up to clock him in the face; stars in the form of chickens circle his head.
Undaunted, our persistent fox again approaches the henhouse. This time a luxury ship-à la the Titanic-comes barreling down out of the countryside, knocking him silly. And, predictably, the fox’s third try’s no charm. He comes within lip-smacking distance of a hen, who surprises and delights her would-be devourer by handing him a bouquet of flowers. The fox smells the bouquet-which, of course, conceals several lit sticks of dynamite that immediately blow up in his face.
Over a live-action shot of a McDonald’s sandwich a voiceover explains: "There’s an easy way to satisfy your chicken craving: the McChicken sandwich, just 89 cents every day at McDonald’s."
Cut back to the fox: This time he slithers out from behind a McDonald’s sign to make his way to the restaurant’s front door. But before he can reach his destination, a piano falls from the sky, crushing him. He emerges with piano keys for teeth; they play the "Did somebody say McDonald’s?" jingle.
Duck Soup Studios, Los Angeles, produced "Foxy" for San Francisco ad agency Hoffman/ Lewis, whose team included creative director Sharon Krinsky, art director Cabell Molina, copywriter David Fullarton and exec. producer Patti Dudgeon.
For Duck Soup, animation director Jean Perramon headed an ensemble that also consisted of exec. producer/producer Mark Medernach, assistant director Beth Epstein, animator David Byers Brown, computer ink & paint artist Kunimi Terada, editor Danny Newbro, technical director/digital compositor Andy Schoentag and compositor Dorothea Gerassimova. Digital compositing was employed to add an aged-film look and scratches throughout the footage, enhancing the feeling of animation from yesteryear. Compositing also figured in the live-action sandwich shot, which was placed in an animation background, thus giving even the McChicken itself a cartoon feel.
Online editors were Paul Hill and Gary Williamson of Digital Magic, Santa Monica. Scott Gerschin of Soundelux Media Labs, Hollywood, was audio mixer. Soundelux also turned out the music and sound design; composer/arranger was Michael Reagan, producer was Jeff Eisner and sound designer was Bryan Bowen.
The spot debuted in the San Francisco market on Jan. 1.
Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Explore Generations, Old School vs. New School, In “Poppa’s House”
Boundaries between work and family don't just blur in the new CBS sitcom "Poppa's House" starring father-and-son comedy duo Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. They shatter.
"It's wonderful to come to work every day and see him and some of his kids and my sister and my brother and nieces and nephews. They all work on this show. They all contribute," says the senior Wayans. "I don't think there are words to express how joyful I am."
Wayans plays the titular Poppa, a curmudgeonly radio DJ who's more than comfortable doing it his way, while Wayans Jr. plays his son, Damon, a budding filmmaker who's stuck in a job he hates.
"My character, Pop, is just an old school guy who's kind of stuck in his ways," says Wayans, who starred in "In Living Color" and "My Wife and Kids."
Pop yearns for the days when a handshake was a binding contract and Michael Jordan didn't complain if he got fouled on the court. Pop laughs at the younger generation's participation trophies.
"It's old school versus new school and them teaching each other lessons from both sides," says Wayans Jr., who played Coach in the Fox sitcom "New Girl."
"They (the characters) bring the best out in each other and they're resistant initially. But then throughout the episode they have revelations and these revelations help them become better people," he adds.
The two have worked together before — dad made an appearance on son's "Happy Endings" and "Happy Together," while son was a writer and guest star on dad's "My Wife and Kids." But this is the first time they have headlined a series together.
The half-hour comedy — premiering Monday and co-starring Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson — smartly leaves places in the script where father and son can let... Read More