Venville Directs Second Spot For Beer Client.
CLIENT
Guinness Import Co.
PRODUCTION CO.
Propaganda Films, bicoastal/international. Malcolm Venville, director; Roger Zorovich, executive producer; John Benet, producer; Brendan Maguier, DP. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano, New York. Marty Weiss and Nat Whitten, creative directors; Todd Gallentine, art director; Mark Mendelis, copywriter; Alisa Cohen, producer.
EDITORIAL
Lost Planet, New York. Andre Betz, editor; Jay Slot, assistant editor.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Rich Schreck, online editor. Rushes, London. Adrian Seery, colorist. Area 52, Los Angeles. Toby Burrows, compositor/Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Tom Jucarone, mixer.
BY REGINALD OBERLAG
A stout-obsessed Irishman hallucinates that his beloved Guinness is everywhere in “Dream,” directed by Malcolm Venville of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films. Created by Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano in New York, the spot retains the stout-colored monochromatic rendering of Venville’s previous well-regarded Guinness spot, “Senses,” and re-introduces visuals like the dramatic close-up of the brew’s thick bubbling head of foam.
Backed by a slow-tempo Ink Spots tune, “My Prayer,” the :30 opens on a young fellow in his sparse Dublin flat, looking in the bathroom mirror. When he turns on the faucet, the hallucinations begin: The sound of running water turns into a pub tap drafting a glass of Guinness; rain gushing down his night-lit skylight transforms into the churning of bubbles in a glass of Guinness; the tropical fish in his aquarium form the shape of a pint glass; and, as he leaves his flat, the moon reflected in a puddle becomes a circular head of foam on a glass of stout–at which point even he has to smirk at his obsessiveness.
The last shot shows the fellow joining friends at a pub; glass raised, he blocks out the adoring gaze of a lovely Irish lass and stares lustily at his brew instead. The tagline “Do You Dream in Black & White?” appears onscreen, followed by the text: “The perfect pint.”
Agency creative director Marty Weiss remarked that the campaign is attempting to “educate Americans about the ritual of drinking Guinness.” He explained the slow but “sensual” process of filling half a glass and skimming off the head, then filling it again; this takes several minutes, he noted, building anticipation in the brew’s fans. The process was also the trigger for having the “Dreams” protagonist begin visualizing his pint long before he enters the pub.
Venville noted that he and Weiss wanted to keep the same tonality and authentic atmosphere of the agency’s earlier spot, in order to create an ongoing campaign identity. Thus the spot was shot in a real Dublin pub. As for the Guinness enthusiast’s apartment, Venville said that the agency creatives wanted to use a real dwelling in Dublin for authenticity, but he persuaded them to construct a set where he could create a more David Lynch Eraserhead styling, complete with dramatically lit radiator.
“I find domestic interiors, even in Ireland, so incredibly banal,” the director said, adding that his suggestions to simplify the storyboard by eliminating superfluous elements like a Guinness truck driving by were also supported by the agency.
The special effects needed for the fish aquarium scene were simple and straightforward. Venville explained that a plastic form in the shape of a Guinness pint glass was used to corral the fish. Then the container edges were simply brushed out in post by Flame artist/compositor Toby Burrows at Area 52, Los Angeles. For the spot’s mahogany moodiness, Venville once again pulled the color from the film in post, via a telecine.
The director, a native Londoner, said casting in Dublin was fun. He explained that while he loves Gaelic people with their white skin and black hair, for “Dream” they decided at the last minute to drop the lead actor they had chosen because he liked one of the extras better.
“There’s a type they call black Irish, because they have a little bit of ancient Spanish in them,” he said. “This guy just really had a cool vibe.”
Weiss added that the last-minute decision to change the lead created some tense moments. “We were sitting there waiting to shoot and we had this … guy, who was supposed to be the lead’s friend, who was much more interesting than our hero,” he recalled. “So moments before we started shooting, we had to negotiate with the lead actor’s agent, see if the other guy could handle it and convince the client right on the spot. It was wild.”
Another serendipitous bit of good fortune was finding the Ink Spots soundtrack at the last moment. “We laid it on the edited spot without changing a frame, and it fit like a glove,” Weiss said. “It was uncanny how the music moved with the spot–so much so that when he looks at the rain on the skylight, the piano makes this perfect tinkling sound.”
All in all, said Weiss, “we wanted to be clever and interesting, and not hit people over the head with something that smacks of advertising.”
***
TAG Pictures Jazzes Up Healthy Choice
CLIENT
Hunt-Wesson/Healthy Choice Soups.
PRODUCTION CO.
TAG Pictures, New York. Tricia Caruso, director; Marc Blandori, DP; Jim Golden, executive producer; Joanne Golden, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Campbell Mithun Esty, Minneapolis. John Hurst, executive creative director; Rob Wallace, creative director; Donna Gary, executive producer; Karen Lokensgard, writer; Kate Pickman, art director; Sigrid Wellman, account executive.
EDITORIAL
First Edition, New York. Lori Quirk, editor; Eva Nimark, business manager.
POST
Post Expressions, New York. Connor Meeth, online editor. Nice Shoes, New York. Scott Burch, colorist.
AUDIO POST
The Mix Place, New York. Bobby Elder, mixer.
MUSIC
Bilous-DiBucci Music, New York. Michelle DiBucci, composer.
THE SPOT
The :15 “Gumbo Jazz” features a man discussing Healthy Choice’s new Zesty Gumbo soup, proclaiming it “soup with jazz.”
Spot broke in September.
***
Perretti Leases A BMW For Publicis
CLIENT
BMW Eastern Region.
PRODUCTION CO.
Perretti Productions, New York. Jim Perretti, director; John Lindley, DP; Linda Zee, executive producer; Jack Nayer, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Publicis/Bloom, New York. Tony DeGregorio, creative director; Doug Finelli, art director; Brian Wright, copywriter; Mary Ann Kurasz, agency producer.
EDITORIAL
Rhinoceros Editorial & Post, New York. John Starace, editor; Matt Epstein, assistant editor.
POST
Rhinoceros Editorial & Post. Jimmy Drakoulis, online editor; Sean O’Connell, assistant online editor. Manhattan Transfer/Edit, New York. John Bonta, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Mark Barasch Music Productions, New York. Mark Barasch, mixer.
MUSIC
JSM Music, New York. Josh Kirsch, composer; Joel Simon, executive producer.
THE SPOT
“Highways” shows the BMW 328i driving along the twists and turns of the Storm King Highway, which cost $108 million, and the $32.5 million Route 106. The :30 points out that if one buys or leases a BMW, “You can own the road without spending a fortune.”
Spot broke in August.
***
Image Design Takes It Off With Finish
CLIENT
Rhone-Poulenc Ag Co./Finish.
PRODUCTION CO.
Image Design (now BLINK.fx), New York. Oliver Rockwell, live-action director/visual effects director; Chris Norr, DP; Eric Maurer, technical director; Lisa Filkin, general manager/executive producer; Mark DeAngelis, producer; Tony Bowren, project leader; Adam Burr, Doug Vitarelli, Simi Nallaseth and Ignacio Ayestraran, animators; Rick Spain, visual effects compositor; Lisa Villamil, 3-D production manager. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Rhea & Kaiser Advertising, Naperville, Ill. Jim Myers, creative director/copywriter; David Willet, art director; Barbara Tanis, production supervisor; Diane Voss, executive producer; Kim Cooke, account supervisor.
EDITORIAL
Image Editorial, New York. Paul Gardner, offline editor.
POST
Image Editorial. Gary Scarpula, colorist; Joe Tavano, online editor. Du Art Video, laboratory.
AUDIO POST
Mosaic Music, Chicago. Larry Rosen, audio.
MUSIC
Mosaic Music. Rich Rankin, composer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Cotton Club,” a CGI cotton plant takes center stage to coyly shimmy off its leaves, then grows a lush cotton boll coat to communicate the benefits of Finish, a defoliant, regrowth inhibitor and boll-opener.
Spot broke in August.
***
Groove Addicts Delivers For IKEA
CLIENT
IKEA Germany.
PRODUCTION CO.
The Partners’ Film Company, Toronto. Eric Yealland, director; Sean Valentini, DP; Merri Wasson, line producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Roche Macaulay & Partners, Toronto. Graham Lee and Dave Crichton, creative directors; Janet Woods, producer; Linda Carte, art director; Alanna Nathanson, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
Panic & Bob Editing, Toronto. Brian Williams, editor.
POST
Spin Productions, Toronto. Stephen Lewis, Flame artist. Panic & Bob Editing. Brian Williams, online editor. Command Toy Box, Toronto. Elaine Ford, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Producer’s Choice, Toronto. Paul Seeley, mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
Groove Addicts, Los Angeles. Jonathan Miller, sound designer.
THE SPOT
The :15s “Monster” and “Spaceship” each feature a person opening a front door and exclaiming, “Oh, my God!,” as a Godzilla-type monster and alien ship, respectively, appear outside the house. In each case, oblivious to the outdoor peril, the person excitedly picks up the IKEA catalog and closes the door.
Spots broke Aug. 18.
***
Morrison Cooks
With Zatarain’s
CLIENT
Southern Brands/Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Entree Mixes.
PRODUCTION CO.
Morrison Productions, New Orleans. Hobby Morrison, director/DP; Steve Moses, DP; Holly Vega, executive producer; Maury Strong, producer. Shot at New Orleans Studios, New Orleans.
AGENCY
Long Haymes Carr, Winston-Salem, N.C. Holly Fiss, associate creative director/art director; Rich Wolchock, associate creative director/copy; Chuck Kingsinger, senior writer/producer.
EDITORIAL
Coupe Inc., New Orleans. Kyle Curry, editor.
POST
Video Post & Transfer, Dallas. Steve Franco, colorist. Video Park, New Orleans. Jim Land, editor.
AUDIO POST
The Process Recording Studios, Greensboro, N.C. Ron Schrank, engineer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
The Process Recording Studios. Ron Schrank, composer/sound designer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Mardi Gras,” a family sits down to another bland dinner until a Mardi Gras parade, headed up by a silhouetted musician, marches through the dining room. It introduces Zatarain’s easy-to-prepare meals, including red beans and rice, jambalaya and gumbo. The room becomes a carnival of color, music and sumptuous plates piled with Zatarain’s meals.
Spot broke Sept. 15.
***
Crew Cuts Locks Up Doug For FedEx
CLIENT
Federal Express.
PRODUCTION CO.
Sticks And Stones, New York. Blair Hayes, director/DP; Jonathan Weinstein, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
BBDO/New York. Mike Campbell and Janet Lyon, senior VPs/ creative directors; Chris Lenz, producer; Tom Giovagnoli, creative director/copywriter; Kevin Moehlenkamp, creative director/art director; Dennis Berger, executive VP/creative director.
EDITORIAL
Crew Cuts Film & Tape, New York. Gary Hernandez, editor; Karama Horne, assistant editor.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Russ Bigsby, online editor; Scott Burch, colorist.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Tom Goldblatt and Bobby Giammarco, mixers.
MUSIC
Rocket Music, New York. Lou Bellofatto, composer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Doug,” a boss gathers his employees together in the company’s loft-style office space. He proceeds to laud an employee named Doug: “Doug took this place global!” he boasts. “Doug convinced me to risk it all!” The boss then explains that Doug didn’t ship with FedEx and screwed everything up, which is why Doug is locked in the closet.
Spot broke in September.
***
DMB&B, St. Louis Docks For Twix
CLIENT
M&M Mars/Twix.
PRODUCTION CO.
Backyard Productions, Santa Monica, Calif. Rob Pritts, director; Christophe Lanzenberg, DP; Blair Stribley, executive producer; Kris Mathur, producer. Product end mnemonic by Peter Elliott Productions, Chicago. Peter Elliott, director. Shot at Universal City Studios, Universal City, Calif. and on location.
AGENCY
DMB&B, St. Louis. Carole Christie, group creative director; Ron Crooks, creative director; Gail Campbell, producer; Gordon Robertson, associate creative director/writer; Diane Pittman, art director.
EDITORIAL
Red Car, Santa Monica. Bob Mori, editor; Eric Gregory, assistant editor.
POST
Digital Magic, Santa Monica. Paul Lear, colorist. Company 3, Santa Monica. Noel Castley-Wright, Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
RavensWork, Venice, Calif. Eric Ryan, engineer.
MUSIC
Asche & Spencer Music, Venice. Thad Spencer, Tom Scott, Chris Beaty and Al Wolovitch, composers; Hugh Barton, music producer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “America” opens on a ferry at the turn of the century. A young man on the boat, who is happy to be arriving in America, beams at the Statue of Liberty. He is greeted by relatives who explain that “this is the land of opportunity, the land of freedom … ” The immigrant takes out a Twix cookie bar as the uncle continues, “ … the land of sharing.” The next shot is of the immigrant back on the ferry, with Miss Liberty in the background, eating his Twix under the voiceover: “I shall miss this place, America.” The spot ends with the tag, “Two for me, none for you.”
Spot broke Sept. 13.
***
Icon Pictures Wears Nautica Denim Jeans
CLIENT
Nautica Marine Denim Jeans.
PRODUCTION CO.
Icon Pictures, New York. Douglas J. Sloan, director; Patrick Capone, DP; Gina Delio, executive producer; Susan Delio, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Anne Taylor Davis Communications, New York. Anne Taylor Davis, creative director; Bob Cole, art director; Heather Hero, agency producer.
EDITORIAL
Dennis Hayes & Associates, New York. Luis Moreno, editor; Anne Taer, assistant editor.
POST
The Tape House Editorial Company, New York. Peter Heady, online editor/colorist.
AUDIO POST
Invasion Group, New York. Peter Scherer, mixer.
MUSIC
Invasion Group. Peter Scherer, composer/arranger.
THE SPOT
“Attraction” features a group of young men and women “hanging out” in their Nautica Marine Denim Jeans in urban America.
Spot broke in August.
***
Earthquake Phones Nevada Bell, DRGM
CLIENT
Nevada Bell.
PRODUCTION CO.
Earthquake Productions, Los Angeles. Jeff Richter, director; Ramsey Nickell, DP; Scott Richter, executive producer; David Palmer, producer. “Voicemail” shot at Mack Sennett Stage, Los Angeles. “What’s Behind/Daughter” and “Eye on the Future” shot on location.
AGENCY
DRGM, Las Vegas. Susan Artmitage, agency producer; Terry Woods, art director; Dennis Skigan, copywriter, “What’s Behind/Daughter” and “Eye on the Future”; Susan Schultz, copywriter, “Voicemail.”
EDITORIAL
Earthquake Edit, Los Angeles. Jeff Richter, editor; Frank Lagnese, assistant editor; Scott Richter, producer.
POST
The Post Group, Hollywood. David Hussey, colorist.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Novocom, Playa Vista, Calif. Tim Miller, Flame artist; Sean Naughton, Flame/Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
“What’s Behind/Daughter” and “Eye on the Future” completed at Outpost Sound, Hollywood. Tony Friedman, mixer; Jay Eby, second engineer. “Voicemail” mixed at Post Logic Studios, Hollywood. Jamie Ledner, mixer.
MUSIC
38 Fresh Music, Hollywood. Mike Greene, composer.
THE SPOT
“What’s Behind/Daughter” takes viewers on a journey through the phone lines. The :30 features actual Nevada Bell employees behind the scenes during a phone call. “Eye on the Future” follows the camera as it pulls out of one person’s eye and into another. In “Voicemail,” a woman calls the police after overhearing a man planning what she believes is a murder, when it’s actually a surprise party.
“What’s Behind/Daughter” and “Eye on the Future” broke in July. “Voicemail” began airing in September.
***
FilmCore Poses Questions For Nike
CLIENT
Nike Inc.
PRODUCTION CO.
radical.media, New York. Robert Leacock, director/cameraman; Gregg Carlesimo, line producer, “Palo Alto” and “Mo”; Michael Faye, director; Joe DeSalvo, cameraman; J.D. Davison, line producer, “NYC Reservoir” Gilly Barnes, director; Tim Ives, cameraman; Stephen Orent, line producer, “Santa Fe Kids”; Leonard Dorfman, director; Tami Reiker, cameraperson; Paula Cohen, line producer, “Cross Country.” Food Chain Films, Portland, Ore. Marc Greenfield, director/cameraman; Dennis Minor, producer; David Lankton, coordinator, “Pride.” Material from director/cameraman/producer Dean Moore’s student film used in “Palo Alto.” Shot on location.
AGENCY
Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Vince Engel, creative director/art director; Jerry Cronin, creative director; Jaime Barrett, writer; Donna Lamar, producer.
EDITORIAL
FilmCore, San Francisco. Kim Bica, editor; David Beeker, assistant editor; Jon Ettinger, executive producer.
POST
Encore Santa Monica, Santa Monica, Calif. Brian Reid, editor; Bob Festa, colorist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Jeff Payne and Mitch Dorf, mixers/engineers.
MUSIC
Elias Associates, bicoastal. Jonathan Elias, composer/arranger, “Cross Country,” “Mo,” “Pride” and “NYC Reservoir.” HUM, Los Angeles. Jeff Koz, composer, “Santa Fe Kids.”
SOUND DESIGN
FilmCore. Kim Bica, sound designer, “Palo Alto” and “Reservoir.” Elias Associates. Jonathan Elias, sound designer, “Cross Country,” “Mo,” “Pride” and “NYC Reservoir.” HUM, Los Angeles. Jeff Koz, sound designer, “Santa Fe Kids.”
THE SPOT
“Palo Alto,” “Cross Country,” “Santa Fe Kids,” “NYC Reservoir” and “Mo” pose the question, “Why do I run?” and then answer it through the words and actions of various types of runners.
Spots broke in August
