The flow of content continues to make its way to Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project website, the latest being an animated short titled Good Vibrations written, directed and designed by Jérémy Clapin, and produced by Acme Filmworks, Hollywood, for Hill Holliday, Boston.
The four-minute-and-eight-second short centers on a construction worker who’s drilling on a city street with a jackhammer, oblivious to the fact that in the process he’s dislodging a section of sidewalk that’s causing assorted pedestrians to trip–not to mention frustrating a little birdie who’s trying to nibble an errant bread crumb but to no avail.
Meanwhile office workers several floors above find the people’s mishaps entertaining as they watch objects they are holding–including a purse and an umbrella–fly skyward as each pedestrian is upended.
However, the sight of a frail, trembling elderly man walking with a cane seems to sober up the onlookers. One of the office workers struggles to open the window to warn the man of impending danger but it’s too late. The senior citizen already has his feet planted on the displaced, vibrating slab of sidewalk. But the unexpected happens–the shaking of the sidewalk counterbalances the shaking old man. Thus when he stands on the unstable sidewalk, he becomes stable and free of trembling. It’s only when the jackhammering stops that he resumes his trembling.
Yet when the drilling ceases, the elderly man takes positive action, moving a construction warning sign so that it cordons off the treacherous stretch of sidewalk, helping others, including a skateboarding youngster, to avoid an accident otherwise waiting to happen.
Clapin’s ascent
Director Clapin graduated from Paris’ Arts Décoratifs in 1999. Since then he has worked as a graphic artist, illustrator for various publishers and as an indie advertising director. In 2004, he directed his first animated short, A Backbone Tale. His second film, Skhizein, released in 2008, has already been short-listed for the 2009 Academy Awards® and has taken more than 70 awards at international festivals including Cannes and Annecy.
The Responsibility Project has also developed an award-winning pedigree. This past summer its live-action short Father’s Day–directed by Laurence Dunmore via RSA Films for Hill Holliday–won a Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
The Responsibility Project uses entertainment content to create a forum for people to discuss personal acts of responsibility. Through short films, online content and television programming, The Responsibility Project is a catalyst for examining the decisions that confront people trying to “do the right thing.” Individuals can participate in online conversations about personal responsibility and watch live-action and animated film shorts on the project’s online community, www.ResponsibilityProject.com.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More