SHOOT Publicity Wire lists it Most Viewed Videos of 2016
Chart Ranks SPW's Top 35 Videos of the Year
By SHOOT Staff
HOLLYWOOD & Westport, CT --
The most viewed videos of the year posted to the SHOOT Publicity Wire (SPW) range from a Paramount Pictures featurette for The Big Short to a TV series promo campaign for The X-Files, Coldplay's music clip "Hymn for the Weekend," a First Hawaiian Bank commercial, and the main title sequence for the primetime TV series Animal Kingdom.
The most viewed SPW video of 2016 was The Big Short featurette which focused on the movie's director Adam McKay, with insights from such collaborators as producer Dede Gardner, and actors Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling.
Taking second place in the countdown was Michelin's "Tunnel," a commercial directed by Tim Damon for agency SapientNitro. in the spot, viewers are purposely propelled down a curvy mountain road before everything decelerates into a dreamy, surreal tunnel. Sound design filled with low bass notes, car engine exhaust and heartbeats build with the ride. The pace returns to real time with just glimpses and outlines of a car once again hitting daylight. "Only you know where this leads," the voiceover says, "but we both know where it started." The Michelin Pilot Series of tires are lastly revealed.
Third in the SPW video view rundown was a promo campaign for the fully restored pop-culture phenomenon The X-Files, marking its re-entry into national syndication. 20th Television called upon 2C Creative to produce three completely unique and powerful spots. The campaign, designed to roll out in phases, started with a bold graphic tease that juxtaposes some of the series’ quintessential iconography–UFOs, aliens, guns–and catch phrases. This next phase featured a promo themed around paranoia and redaction, with jump cuts and blurred images suggesting that the government doesn’t want viewers to see this footage. Finally, the campaign’s third phase tapped real-life comic book artist Gregbo Watson, who happens to be a huge fan of The X-Files, to work with the 2C team in transforming the series’ narrative into a dynamically moving graphic novel.
Finising fourth in the SPW video views tally in 2016 was Coldplay’s official “Hymn for the Weekend” music clip, featuring Beyoncé, produced by Black Dog Films with River Studios, directed by Ben Mor and color corrected at Incendio by Clark Muller. The video depicts Coldplay frontman Chris Martin touring Mumbai during the ancient Hindu festival called Holi, also known as the “festival of love”.
Fifth place went to First Hawaiian Bank’s “Milestones” directed by Stephen Pearson of Accomplice Media for agency MVNP, Honolulu. This ambitious branding campaign centers on people coping with life’s milestones. Rather than pushing specific retail services–as most regional banks do–these funny, beautifully produced spots aim to forge an emotional connection with Hawaii residents from all walks of life.
Sixth place honors went to a national spot titled “Beat” for JELD-WEN Windows and Doors, directed by Andrew Hardaway via Wondersmith for agency CMD. With music from Jeff Elmassian of Endless Noise, the commercial ties into JELD-WEN’s sponsorship of the 2016 HGTV Dream Home.
The seventh slot in the SPW countdown was filled by the McDonald's Super Bowl spot "Good Morning," an artful celebration of the early hours of the day. Directed by STORY’s Blair Hayes, the commercial–which premiered right before the Big Game's kick-off–spans sunset to sunrise with a series of loosely linked vignettes of people traveling home from work, staring up at the stars, dancing, playing games and snoozing. While subtly promoting McDonald’s All Day Breakfast, the imagery exudes optimism and the poetry of daily life.
Finishing eighth was a short promoting the Monster Strike video game. In the film, which is titled Monsters Will Bring Us Together, Andy Samberg plays a coach who rallies a team of Monster Strike characters at halftime. The comedy piece was directed by Wayne McClammy of Hungry Man for agency Pereira & O'Dell.
Ninth in the SPW hit parade was the main title sequence for the TNT primetime TV series Animal Kingdom. The artful main titles for the bold family crime drama were designed and directed by Erin Sarofsky.
And rounding out SPW's Top Ten most viewed videos was the trailer for SETH, direector Zach Lasry's short which screened at the SXSW Film Festival's Midnight Shorts Competition.
Here's a rundown of the year's 35 most viewed videos on the SHOOT Publicity Wire for 2016:
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
