Aardman Animation and STORY teamed up for a new commercial for Serta in which the brand’s award-winning Counting Sheep break into a mattress factory in hopes of committing the “Perfect Sleeper” crime.nnConceived by Doner of Southfield Michigan, “Mattress Heist” marks the return of the animated Counting Sheep created by award winning animation studio Aardman, which first appeared in the company’s ads more than a decade ago. In this case, the furry animals break into a factory showroom in a middle-of-the-night caper to “see what Serta’s been up to.” Rifling through company files and computers, they learn that Serta’s Perfect Sleeper is “the only official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation” and has been shown to cure common sleep problems. In hopes of retaining their jobs as sleep inducers to insomniacs, the sheep make off with a mattress on their backs.nn
nnThe spot was filmed at Serta’s headquarters in Hoffman Heights, Illinois. The production crew shot both the interior and exterior of the Serta facility, as well as a number of practical props, including file cabinets, computers and the “hero” queen-size mattress. The animation and finishing was completed by Aardman in Bristol, UK.n nCreditsnTitle: Mattress HeistnClient: Serta.. Andrew Gross, SVP Marketing; Kelly Ellis, Director Integrated Marketing; Matt Whitmer; Manager Creative Services; Steve Klancnik, Rod Jenkins, Leo Kapetanovic and Rich Parker, Research & Development.nnAgency: Doner, Southfield, Mich. Ken Spera, SVP, Creative Director; Mike Brooks, Creative Director; Alexander Page, Producer; Wendy DeWindt; VP Brand Leader; Melissa Zelinski, Brand Leader Production.nnProduction: Aardman Animation, Bristol, UK. Peter Peake, Director; Jason Fletcher-Bartholomew; Senior Producer; Martin Blunden, Technical Director; Maggie O’Connor, Production Coordinator.nnSTORY. Mark Androw, Executive Producer; Rick Rosemeyer, Producer; Mary Langenfeld, Head of Production. n nAbout Aardman AnimationsnAardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercials productions. www.aardman.comnnSTORY is represented is represented on the East Coast by Laura Zinn (212) 741-0909; 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 Susan Bennett (310) 827-8441.Mark Androw Executive Producer Story 312.642.3173 Contact Mark via email
Contact: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