Rhythm + Hues commercial division’s most recent contribution to the game genre offers an intriguing perspective on Scrabble, the venerable board game celebrating its 60th year of success. Live action/animation director James Wahlberg helmed this series of :40, :30, :20, and :15-second mixed-media commercials individually customized for worldwide release.
The premise is simple. A family is going head-to-head in a contest that tests their improvisational skills in classic Scrabble fashion. Only this time, the rules have changed. There’s no comfortable living room setting, no game board per say, not even a bowl of popcorn or glass of soda sitting on a nearby coffee table. Instead, each player brings with them a string of icons reflecting their own unique personalities and imaginations onto a grid comprised of intersecting city streets in an effort to lay claim to key architectural pathways designed after Scrabble game board graphics. To view the spot go here.
The story involves a 14-year-old boy squaring off against Mom and Dad in what may one day be described as the mother of all Scrabble battles. On the boy’s team you’ve got a miniature astronaut tethered to an ascending string like a
technologically advanced helium balloon, an alien craft controlled by a particularly aggressive commander from some outer galaxy, a graceful duo of airborne eagle rays navigating through the architecture of a classical city, an oversized subterranean octopus with a surly attitude, and a cannon-laden Spanish Galleon hovering 70′ above the city streets.
Mom’s armada features a gorilla that’s as gentle as he is gigantic, a gondola floating on a pillow of effervescent butterflies, a holographic projection of a steamy couple moving to the beat of an exotic Argentine Tango, and a magical genie skilled in the art of levitation.
Dad’s group blends the agility of a modern day jet pack with the power of a 40 foot tall, sword wielding Samurai, the stealth of a full sized submarine with a retro exoskeleton able to cut silently through the city’s concrete streets, a bi-plane piloted between urban canyons by a WWI ace, and a huge soccer ball capable of crushing an entire World Cup team should they dare to cross it’s path.
Complex layers of live action footage and CGI animation combine to give the campaign its unique look, with principal photography taking place over the course of two weeks in Los Angeles as well as in Vancouver, and several months of post production spearheaded by the team at Rhythm + Hues with compositing help from Planet Blue.
The concept was the brainchild of Young & Rubicam Brands creative team Emlie Council and Erik Norgaard. Agency credits include:
Anthony Dibiase – EVP, Executive Creative Director
Emlie Council – VP, Associate Creative Director, Writer
Erik Norgaard – ACD, Art Director
Laura Keseric – Director of Integrated Production
Amanda Menke Corsello – Broadcast Producer
James Wahlberg directed all aspects of live action and animation with the support of the Rhythm + Hues team including:
Paul Babb: Executive Producer
Kat Dillon: Head of Production Live Action
Lisa White: Head of Production VFX
Michael Shores: Live Action Producer Los Angeles
Marci Harriott: Live Action Producer Vancouver
Warren Hansen: Director of Photography
John-Mark Austin: CG Animation Director
Deborah Austin: CG Producer
Steve Wellington: Editor
The Planet Blue team consisted of:
Maury Rosenfeld: Flame Artist, Previsualisation, On-Set VFX Supervision,
Matt Welch: Flame Artist
Keith Alexander: Associate Producer
Milt Alvarez: Executive Producer for Planet Blue
ABOUT RHYTHM + HUES COMMERCIAL STUDIOS
R+H is a complete digital studio, with live action and animation directors, vfx, design and postproduction services. We draw upon the talent and technical firepower of one of the world’s premier effects and animation facilities, Rhythm & Hues Studios, and are dedicated to the highest quality of commercial production and outstanding client support.
Recent commercial projects include Activision, Budweiser, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Crayola, Electronic Arts, Hartford, Kellogg’s, Mattel, Microsoft X-Box, Miller Beer, Nasonex, Quaker State, Tide, Ubisoft and Vivendi Games. Film Division credits include an Oscar® for Achievement in Visual Effects for Golden Compass in 2008. Recently produced projects include Night At The Museum 2, Cirque du Freak and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Films currently in production include The A Team, The Cabin In The Woods, Little Fockers, Marmaduke, The Wolfman, and Yogi Bear. www.rhythm.com
