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.
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
