German agency Jung von Matt/Neckar created Guter Stoff (Good Material), a film for German energy company EnBW, to celebrate green energy. The agency chose to take a humorous approach to the project, a departure from the norm for this product category.
Produced by Hamburg-based studio Sehsucht and directed by Hans-Christoph Schultheiss, the animated spot features three birds who enjoy the effects of getting “a buzz” from the green electricity lines they are sitting on. A buzzed pigeon hallucinates that a passing squirrel is a cat and the same squirrel, also “high,” believes himself to be a bird who can fly, making for a very amusing and enjoyable adventure for all creatures present. The birds talk like college-age stoners.
“We believe this film brings life to the subject of green energy without the moralizing undertone that you hear in most commercial concepts, which is ideal for the intended audience,” said Hans-Christoph Schultheiss, director and creative lead, Sehsucht Hamburg.
Sehsucht’s animation team respected the animals’ physiology. Apart from the eyes and beaks/muzzle, the animal models were kept as realistic as possible and the animation tried to capture the characteristic habits of each species, whilst also establishing a certain personality.
The film can be found online, in German social media and in cinemas across Germany.
Originally aired with German audio, this version with English subtitles can also be found online.
Credits
Client EnBW (German energy company) Agency Jung von Matt/Neckar, Hamburg, Germany Tassilo Gutscher, Peter Sigg, creative directors; Dennis Cicioglu, copywriter; Joshua Enzig, producer. Production Sehsucht GmbH, Hamburg Hans-Christoph Schultheiss, director; Jan Tiller, exec producer; Tanya Curnow, producer; Andre Ljosag, Caroline Goehner, Axel Brotje, design; Daniel Jahnel, 3D lead; Thure Koch, Jannes Kreyenberg, Heinrich Loewe, Deniz Kreb, Timo von Wittken, Martin Chatterjee, Sebastian Welti, Max Zachner, Rafael Vicente, Mario Reitbauer, Francesco Di Luisi, Sofia Oliveira, Juan Brockhaus, 3D artists; Norbert Kiehne, animation lead; Jakob Schulze-Rohr, Frank Spalteholz, animation artists; Steven Cormann, Julius Brockelmann, matte painting; Florian Zachau, compositing. (Toolbox: SideFX Houdini, Numerion Carbon Plumage, Pixologic Zbrush, Allegorithmic Substance Painter, Autodesk Maya, Solid Angle Arnold Render) Sound Design & Mix Hastings Voiceover Leonhard Malich, Tobias Meister, Dietmar Wunder, Charles Rettinghaus Consulting keller.io, Center of Natural History @University Hamburg, Tankred Lerch
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
