Director Jack Cunningham of Nexus Studios directed this stop motion film for startup energy company Hometree out of U.K. agency SNAP LDN.
Titled “Bath Time with the Field Family,” the first U.K. TV spot for Hometree features a family of mice living in a tree home created by master puppet and modelmaker Andy Gent’s studio (Isle of Dogs, Fantastic Mr. Fox). We see the parents drawing a bath for playtime in the tub for their adorable litle tyke.
Cunningham said, “The biggest creative challenge for me was developing the anthropomorphized world in a way that hasn’t been done before. I took the ‘old fashioned’ stop motion way to reduce the postproduction process and capture as much on camera as possible.”
Credits
Client Hometree Agency SNAP LDN Dave Beattie, creative director; Vanessa Butcher, producer. Production Nexus Studios, London Jack Cunningham, director; Jo Bierton, producer; Connie Black, production manager; Joao Rema, lead/supervisor; Laurie Rollit, environment design; James Hatley, storyboard artworking; Malcolm Hadley, DP; Toby Goodyear, camera assistant; Max Halstead, moco; Andy Gent, Collette Pidgeon, Mick Chippington, Vaida Klimaviciute, Andrew Sanders, Mitch Barnes, Ciara McClean, Jade Gerrard, Carlos Padilla, Richard Blakey, Maggie Haden, Nadine Patterson, Magda Madra, Annick Bossom, Laura Treen, Angela Pang, Ola Kucharska, Stefano Cordioli, Daniel Miller. Tobias Fouracre, stop motion animators; Anna Malin Mantzaris, assistant animator; Felix Massie, 2D animation; Michael Firkowski, 3D animation; Joao Rema, Antoine Foulot, compositing. (Toolbox: Photoshop, Dragonframe, Maya, Nuke, After Effects) Music Soho Music Sound Design & Mix Jungle
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
