In Montefiore Einstein hospital’s “There’s Magic in All of Us,” produced by SMUGGLER for ad agency Alto, Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper taps into the essence of the holiday spirit. The film stars a real boy with cerebral palsy, not an actor, whose life transforms with the help of eye-tracking technology, as he embarks on a whimsical journey above New York City with his brother. The film works successfully to seamlessly blend storytelling, technology, and visual effects, delivering an inspiring holiday message.
Representing underrepresented groups on screen mattered deeply to everyone involved with the project. Hooper, as well as Alto and Montefiore, felt it was necessary to cast a real child with a disability. Furthermore, from a craft standpoint, the cinematic film was scored by composer Alexandre Desplat, who worked with Hooper on The King’s Speech and has two Academy Awards of his own, for The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water. Visual effects were done by The Mill.
Credits
Client Montefiore Einstein Loreen Babcock, SVP, chief marketing officer. Agency Alto New York Hanes Ciatti, chief creative officer, founder; Matt Bonin, managing partner, entertainment + production; Ed Rogers, managing partner; Tara Fray, head of strategy, partner; Dan Kroeger, Pierre Janneau, executive creative directors/partners; Anthony Goldstein, Chris Groom, creative directors; Ben Berkon, Mark Johnston, executive producers, film; Filipe Nogueira, art director. Production Company SMUGGLER Tom Hooper, director; Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, exec producers; Sue Yeon Ahn, managing director/exec producer; Alex Hughes, head of production; Mary Livingston, producer; Jonathan Mayo, production supervisor; Troy Cribbin, Jennifer Beliard, commercial coordinators; Peter Jackson, 1st AD; Steven Annis, DP; Ethan Tobman, production designer; Lee Ann Jarvis, costume designer. Casting Vitamin Enriched Katherine Foronjy, casting director. Music Alexandre Desplat, composer. Editorial Final Cut Jim Helton, editor; Sarah Roebuck, exec producer; Wade Weliever, sr. producer; Alyce Muhammad, assistant editor. Post/VFX The Mill Matt Fuller, creative director; Angela Lupo, managing director, exec producer; Ed Rilli, sr. producer. Color Grade Company 3 Sofie Friis Borup, colorist; Shannen Troup, producer. Sound Design & Mix Barking Owl Gus Koven, sound designer; Matt Keith, mix engineer; Ashley Benton, exec producer.
FCB Health New York, an IPG Health company, and SAFE Project have joined forces to create “The Snowball,” a short film that spotlights winter as a common catalyst for dangerous increases in alcohol consumption. In collaboration with creative studio LOBO, “The Snowball” combines a compelling visual metaphor with cutting-edge animation and a haunting soundtrack from Billie Holiday.
As millions embrace “Dry January,” the onset of colder, shorter winter days still leads to an uptick in alcohol misuse, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and other medical maladies and dangerous consequences for one’s life. Speaking to casual drinkers, “The Snowball” visually illustrates how anyone is at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol during this time of year when external climate variables can lead to excess consumption, even if the drinker does not immediately realize it.
Making good on the metaphor, the film follows one man as a quick liquor run gradually devolves into a full-blown addiction as a snowball gradually grows beside him, engulfing his whole life and eventually causing his demise. Set to the tune of Billie Holiday’s “Everything I Have Is Yours,” the film’s pathos is drawn from the sonic integrity of Holiday’s original recording maintained in the sound design as well as the singer’s tragic battle with substance abuse.
This entirely animated film was created using a hands-on, collaborative process rooted in traditional animation techniques, with every aspect of the artwork creation, design, and craftsmanship crafted entirely by human hands. AI-driven tools and processes were brought in during the animation rendering stage, helping the film achieve a distinct visual style that would have been difficult to achieve through... Read More
