STORY‘s Jeff France has directed a new spot for Prestone and The Richards Group, Dallas, that seeks to assure car owners that they have no reason to fear the reaper. Prestone has their backs.nnPromoting Prestone Coolant and its ability to protect cars from overheating, “Parking Lot” opens on a man walking through the parking lot of an auto parts store on a hot day with a container of the product. A mammoth, black tow truck, emblazoned with skull and crossbones, appears behind the man and follows him, intent on taking his car to its auto graveyard. The Reaper’s plans are foiled, however, when the man suddenly whips around and confronts the truck with his Prestone Coolant. Other people, aware of the man’s plight, leap to his side. They, too, hold Prestone. “The Reaper has no choice,” says France, “but to back off and find another victim.”nn
nnThe spot is a sequel to one released last fall that introduced the character of The Reaper. The new spot pushes the concept of the auto-death-wielding tow truck further and treats it with a lighter touch. “The concept plays on the fear, shared by many people, of being stranded in the summer heat,” France notes. “I immediately fell in love with the idea of The Reaper.”nnFrance says that he and The Richards Group’s creative team debated whether to reveal the hero’s container of Prestone at the beginning of the spot, or save it as a surprise for the end. Their decision, France recalls, was ultimately suggested by the master of suspense. “Hitchcock would always let the audience know that there is a bomb under the chair,” he explains. “In forcing the audience to wait it out, he created suspense. We followed that point of view.”nnFrance predicts that, while it may have been stymied this time, The Reaper will be back. “The Richards Group has created an iconic character that will have very long legs,” he says. “The Reaper is going to be around for a long, long time.”nnCreditsnTitle: “Parking Lot”nClient: PrestonenAgency: The Richards Group, Dallas. nChuck Schiller, Brand Creative Director; Benji Vega, Brand Creative Art Director; Andria Kushan, Brand Creative Writer; Paul Nelson; Agency Producer; David Hall, Principal/Brand Management; Stephanie Williams and Clarissa Lampertz, Brand Management; Sara Sax, Broadcast Business Affairs.nProduction: STORY.nJeff France, director; Mark Androw and Cliff Grant, Executive Producers; Merilee Newman, Producer. nEditorial: 3008 Editorial.nMarc Stone, Editor; Anne Strock, Executive Producer.nnSTORY is represented is represented on the East Coast by SuperPowers (646) 633-4578; in the Midwest by Dawn Ratcliffe (312) 491-9194, in the Southeast by Miller + Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by Gossip!, (214) 288-2813 and on the West Coast by Sherry Howell, (213) 999-9879.nFor more information, visit www.storyco.tv
Mark Androw Executive Producer Story 312.642.3173 Contact Mark via email
Contact:Media: Linda Rosner ArtisansPR 310.837.6008 Contact Linda via email
Goldcrest Post Speeds Delivery of “Severance” Season Two
The New York Times recently wrote that the just-released Season Two of Severance will “blow your mind”—and we couldn’t agree more. Created by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller, the Apple TV+ drama is smart, spellbinding, distinctly original and packed with surprises. For those who aren’t already devoted fans, the show centers on Mark Scout (Adam Scott), leader of a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. Goldcrest Post provided post services for both seasons of the show, including picture editorial support, sound editorial, ADR and sound mixing. Editorial for Season One began in 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Goldcrest supplied both onsite production offices and edit suites, and remote editing systems for individual editors, with everything linked to a central server. "Mixing at Goldcrest with our team has been a great experience,” says Stiller. “Bob and Jacob are in sync with our creative process and so good at what they do that the experience is always one where it's about how we can enhance the creative vision, with a baseline of knowing everyone is totally committed to making something as good as it can be." Diana Dekajlo, the show’s co-producer, says that the arrangement worked so well, they chose to continue the hybrid approach for Season Two. “We’re a remote friendly show,” she explains. “Whether we’re at Goldcrest, our studio in the Bronx or at home, our workflow is seamless. I conduct remote daily meetings with my immediate staff, and weekly meetings with editorial and VFX, and we talk to each other as if we were just down the hall. It makes for great staff... Read More