This spot for Starling Bank–“Helping Business Fly” directed by Elliot Dear through Blinkink for agency Wonderhood Studios, London–follows the journey of a small business owner heroically setting off into the unknown. The main character waves goodbye to her supportive family before her shed/home office literally takes off with the help of the app from U.K. digital bank Starling. Her epic adventure takes us on the relatable highs and lows of starting a new business before successfully breaking through the clouds.
The creative concept was brought to life with both live action as well as through miniatures and practical effects to give it a hand-crafted authentic feel. The Hollywood score, re-recorded with a full orchestra, gives the ad a family movie feel and sets the tone of optimism and bravery.
Blinkink director Dear said, “I love shooting with miniatures. I’ve always been fascinated with how they achieved the special effects in Hollywood films before CG was an option, and most of my favorite movies use models and practical effects. The design and build part of a project is really enjoyable for me, and I personally love watching the skill and craft that goes into making a scale model.
“When it comes to the filming, I feel that there’s a certain quality to the finish of a miniature, coupled with the real light and lenses, that can often make it feel more realistic, and any movement tends to feel more organic and nuanced. It really depends on what the effect is, but for me it’s a far more enjoyable process than solely using CG, and has a charm that’s difficult to simulate… although I do like to use CG to augment miniatures and add any finishing touches.”
Blinkink handled this CG augmentation in addition to producing the overall job in terms of live action, miniatures and practical effects.
CreditsClient Starling Bank Agency Wonderhood Studios, London Aidan McClure, chief creative officer; Jessica Lovell, chief strategy officer; Ads Dechaud, Phil Le Brun, creatives; Louise Richardson (@Arthur and Martha), producer. Production/VFX Blinkink, London Elliott Dear, director; Peter Suschitzky, DP; Alex Halley, producer; Emre Samioğlu, lead compositor; Doruk Saglam, Courtney Pryce, Emre Aypar, Gokcecan Gursoy, compositors; Klaas-Harm de Boer, Jeremi Boutelet, Florent Rousseau, Thibaud Clergue, 3D. (Toolbox: Modo, Nuke, practical effects and model miniatures) Editorial Speade, London Rich Woolway, editor. Color UNIT Denny Cooper, colorst. Audio Factory, London Anthony Moore, Jon Clarke, sound. Music Mcasso
Director Gia Coppola Teams With Mejuri For “A New York Minute”; 1st Episode Takes Us To The Grocery Store
Mejuri, known for turning fine jewelry into an everyday luxury, has partnered with director Gia Coppola (The Last Show Girl, Palo Alto) and The Directors Bureau in Los Angeles, for the first time reimagining the brand’s story as episodic content. In a series of microfilms, co-created by Coppola and premiering following New York Fashion Week, Mejuri eschewed a typical celebrity campaign and cast us as voyeurs to a group of aspiring young women--real people, not actors--at the crossroads of their adult lives against the backdrop of New York City.
Titled “A New York Minute,” the series features five real-life friends, who include one perfectly imperfect heroine named Emma. The women celebrate ordinary moments and interactions which reveal, sometimes retrospectively, the extraordinary within the mundane. Adjacent to the brand’s own community, the 30-something year old cast includes Laura Love (Emma), Rebecca Ressler, Natalie Vall-Freed and Rozzi Crane. Mejuri’s jewelry makes an appearance as the best supporting actor.
“When I met with Gia and The Directors Bureau team, there was instant creative and personal chemistry and a natural alignment on the desire to push and blur the lines between marketing, storytelling, and the construct of what a ‘campaign’ could be,” said Jacob Jordan, chief brand officer, Mejuri. “Gia was able to push that idea into something that truly feels new and artful, with a realism and relatability that almost feels jarring. Gia was such a perfect collaborator and partner, someone I had complete trust in to be a catalyst for Mejuri’s values of celebrating women as their truest selves. I can’t wait for us to continue to tell the next chapters of this story.”
To land the relatable... Read More