Mothership directors Dael Oates and David Rosenbaum have teamed up with Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, to roll out the Sprint HTC EVO 4G mobile phone, billed as a technological first. Titled “Firsts,” the :30 cinematic TV and in-theater commercial (with an extended :60) showcases an elaborately choreographed domino effect toppling the world’s technological and cultural “firsts.” Visual effects were contributed by Mothership’s sister facility, Digital Domain.
“Firsts” is set on an expansive and surreal landscape as a rudimentary stone wheel rolls across screen and the voiceover states, “First is the beginning. First leads.” The wheel sets off a massive domino chain of objects that have changed human culture. A 19th century bicycle topples a row of steam engines, a gramophone, microscope, typewriter and light bulbs. A seemingly endless queue of the world’s first telephones and film cameras knock over a Ford Model T, which rolls into a towering wall of televisions avalanching upon impact. A lone TV rolls across the salt flat, felling the first airplane, rocket and a manned missile, which unlocks from its docking station and takes off into space. Finally a long chain reaction of circuit boards, VHS tapes, computers and mobile phones culminate in the last “first” standing, the Sprint HTC EVO.
Oates and Rosenbaum, who do not regularly direct as a duo, joined forces to handle the complex Sprint spot, including overseeing a three-day live-action shoot at the Bonneville Salt Flats and the digital integration of hundreds of all-CG elements.
The 40-person production team, which included Ed Ulbrich and Tanya Cohen, president and executive producer, respectively, of Mothership, worked on the project over six weeks. Oates and Rosenbaum opted to showcase as many practical props as possible, which were then digitally augmented and enhanced by the sister VFX team at Digital Domain, with Aladino Debert as creative director. The directors tapped longtime collaborator DP Claudio Miranda, who has worked with Digital Domain on commercials as well as features, including the upcoming TRON: Legacy and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Future Craft Launches Under The Aegis of EP Johnny Parker; Shop Forges Alliance With U.K.’s OB42
Executive producer Johnny Parker has launched Future Craft, a content production studio which opens with a directorial roster that includes Brennan Stasiewicz, Henry Mason, We the Grimshaws, Kai Kurve, Sune Sorensen, Tim Hamilton, Jennifer Roberts, Little Village, Marcus Lundin, and Shaunoh Wilson.
Parker had been at the helm of production company Hey Baby which after eight years in business has been reimagined as Future Craft, with an expansion into branded content including long-from, experiential and photography alongside and integrated with advertising campaigns. Central to this evolution is Future Craft’s partnership with OB42, a U.K. production shop headed by the sr. management team of Otis Bell and Clancie Brennan. Via their strategic alliance, Future Craft and OB42 will share talent resources and develop projects for both the U.S. and Europe.
Parker said, “Future Craft was built on creating a home for some of the most talented creatives in the industry. Forthcoming global partnerships will redefine the lines between commercial and entertainment storytelling. I can’t wait to usher Future Craft into the here and now.”
OB42’s managing director Brennan said, “Johnny’s reputation in the industry came highly recommended to Otis and I, and we are thrilled to share the same vision. Future Craft’s roster complements our strategy for pursuing more narrative led advertising while leaning into more emotional and human campaigns that resonate with a wider audience. We have already collaborated on numerous productions and look forward to many more.”
Future Craft’s strategic alliance with OB42 and its parent company 42 fosters cross-pollination between advertising and branded entertainment, with a widened talent pool for... Read More