To dramatically introduce its new Karamel Sutra premium flavor to European cinema, TV and online audiences, Ben & Jerry’s turned to the artists at Brand New School (BNS). In keeping with Ben & Jerry’s signature visual style, BNS director/creative director Dennis Go and his colleagues married photo-real food imagery with a “lo-fi” homemade feel. Tapping into the mind of Woody, the brand’s spokeswoman, the “A Little Show” spot primarily uses stop-motion animation to place her in wildly imaginative situations that describe the ice cream’s flavors and the caramel core at its center.
“Since we shot the majority of the spot in stop-motion,” explained Go, “we had to build larger-than-scale models of ice cream that were disguised as volcanos, caves and planets so that it wouldn’t melt but would still look real and appetizing. We then built a practical set for the ice cream models to live in. We didn’t necessarily go completely lo-fi but they had a crafty feel that worked well with the premium brand. We also had the challenge of infusing Woody with life, as she has no facial features and only two legs. Along with all of her movements being very purposeful, I felt like this added extra charm and wit to her character.”
MORRISON EMERGES FROM “DARK SHADOWS” Richard Morrison created the film titles for Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, marking the third collaboration between the director and film titles designer Morrison, following the pair’s work together on the opening sequences for Batman and Sweeney Todd. The sequence was produced by animation and mixed media production company th1ng (pronounced “thing one”), which exclusively represents Morrison worldwide for film titles design.
Morrison and th1ng are also working with Burton on a new titles sequence for Frankenweenie, scheduled for Oct. release.
For Dark Shadows, Morrison worked with original footage shot by Burton, concentrating on using type to set the mood in the opening credits. Morrison explored varied styles and type, which evoked the mood of the ’70s, before selecting Benguiat.
“Tim shot this long sequence where Bella Heathcote, who plays a young nanny, is traveling on a train through the New England brownwoods,” related Morrison. “It’s a beautiful bit of footage that sweeps the audience from the landscape right into the compartment of the speeding train. After looking at different treatments, we decided to keep things really simple and work with type to evoke the mood. Benguiat has a lovely feel that’s reminiscent of ’70s TV shows. And together with the music score, we arrived at a very simple opening, but one that’s quite unsettling, which captures the essence of the film.”
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS….
Framestore, London, has fortified its CG department and integrated offerings by hiring Liz Oliver, a CG line producer with extensive experience in multiplatform disciplines. She will work alongside Framestore’s other CG line producer, James Alexander, dovetailing her digital and print expertise into the CG team in support of the studio’s large scale productions across spots, digital, design and film. Oliver most recently served as a producer at boutique animation and retouch studio Taylor James in the east London community of Shoreditch….Director Keith Rivers, who’s with Uber Content stateside, has come aboard the roster of Holiday Films for Canadian representation. His spot credits span such clients as Chevy, Volvo, Microsoft and Pepsi….
