The spot opens on a shot of a proud science fair entrant. Set to the Cole Porter song “C’est Magnifique” performed by Luis Mariano, the action pushes us toward his experiment where we see a hamster on a wheel that’s connected to a belt that generates enough energy to power a small fan that topples three cardboard presentation boards–triggering a complex, Rube Goldberg-machine-meets-science fair, string of chain reactions featuring rockets, lasers, gas bubbles and clever use of an old computer’s disc drive.
Directed by Jonathan Zames via Studio G, Google, the spot showcases the innovative wherewithal of creative engineering company Syyn Labs, perhaps best known for the OK Go music video “This Too Shall Pass.” (Syyn Labs recetly signed with Motion Theory for spot and music video representation as a directorial team.)
Teaming with Google to produce the job–which promotes the search engine’s new international science fair–was Bullet, the creative production hub founded by agency producer Oscar Thomas and music supervisor Patrick Oliver.
“We’ve worked with Jonathan [Zames} before and knew together we could pull off this complicated production,” said Andrea Leminske, Bullet’s managing partner/executive producer, who managed the production for Google. “The chance to work with a company like Syyn Labs was extremely fun and educational. They’re just a bunch of talented mad scientists with this amazing ability to create this controlled chaos.”
Zames’ dramatic use of a motion-controlled camera gives the spot a cinematic feel and pace.
“We basically did it 69 times and what you seeing is essentially the 69th take essentially,” Zames said. “I loved working with Syyn Labs. Every time I had an idea, they made it come to life in an amazing way….The biggest challenge was getting the pace just right. In some takes the camera was moving too fast or too slow. I wanted to make this look smooth, clean and steady so you could really see what was happening in each set-up. After a lot of tries we nailed it both cinematically and with all of these contraptions working perfectly.”
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More