Award-Winning Filmmaker Captures Offbeat Humor In :60 Spot That Helped Drive A Hugely Successful Kickstarter And Product Launch Campaign
Proving the adage that ‘everything old is new again,’ full service production company LightHouse Films’ Ray Zablocki directed the hilariously quirky :60 online ad for new retro videogame Super Russian Roulette,created by Batlab Electronics for the classic NES, the original 8-bit videogame system from Nintendo first introduced to consumers in 1983.
The online ad played a key role in a hugely successful Kickstarter and product launch campaign that raised nearly $85,000 ($65,000 more than its original $20,000 goal), enabling Batlab founder/game designer Andrew Reitano to fully fund the project, now available via the website www.superrussianroulette.com.
According to Zablocki, new, original games developed for classic video game systems, like the NES or even stand-alone arcade games, is a growing niche among gamers.
“As a kid I always loved the bizarre Nintendo and Sega commercials of the 80s and 90s, so I was familiar with the tone Andrew wanted with this,” Zablocki says. “We were very much aligned with how to approach the game’s content, which on the surface seems quite dark, but for us was more inspired by early Looney Tunes cartoons. The challenge was to narrow down all the crazy creative possibilities.”
Capturing The 80s Ad Style
Shot using the Arri Amira camera paired with vintage Zeiss Super Speed MKII lenses, the spot nods to ads from the 1980s in tone and style. Opening on three bored slackers desperate for something fun to do, one says: “if we don’t do something soon I’m going to shoot myself.” That sets off a light bulb as they race to their suburban basement circa-1983 where a classic NES system and an old television sit, complete with a cowboy hat on top.
From there, the voiceover introduces Super Russian Roulette, as a montage of gameplay unfolds featuring a trash-talking animated cowboy egging on the players to put a plastic gun to their heads and hope they’re lucky. The spot ends when one player turns the tables on the animated cowboy, who responds by angrily bursting to life to hunt them down. Over a final product shot, the voiceover wryly notes, “Super Russian Roulette: Pull up a chair and rustle up some virtual nihilism partner.”
For Zablocki, finding a way creatively to bridge the actual game footage with a live action element proved one of the more challenging aspects.
“The end of the spot needed to connect the games humor and atmosphere,” Zablocki says. “Most game ads today show only in-game footage, but years ago it was a mix of the two, which can be difficult to marry narratively.”
LightHouse Films’ Partner Thibaut Estellon notes the spot is yet the latest example of Zablocki’s unique creative style and deft touch with humor — on display in his recent branded content work for IKEA, Google and Sotheby’s.
“Ray has a real gift for offbeat humor, and expertly marrying live action and visual effects, and this spot proved the perfect opportunity to showcase all of his talents,” Estellon says.
About LightHouse Films
LightHouse Films is a full service production company based in New York that strives to create high-end commercial, digital and branded content. They represent some of the best emerging directors in the industry who share their love of creating compelling and engaging short and long form video content for some of the leading agencies and brands in the U.S. and abroad. Click here for more info: http://www.LHFNY.com.
Video Credits
Creative:
Client: Batlab Electronics
Project: “Super Russian Roulette” (:60)
Production Company: LightHouse Films, New York
Director: Ray Zablocki, Executive Producer: Thibaut Estellon, Director of Photography: Norm Magnuson
Contact:Sales:
East Coast:
LightHouse Films
Thibaut Estellion
t. 646.649.3600
Contact Thilbaut via email
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South and Midwest:
Perry Represents
Perry Tongate
t: 512.577.4997
Media:
Right Word Media
Ray Ecke
p. 973.726.3797
f. 973.726.3798
c. 201.741.1092
Contact Ray via email
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More