Droga5 London’s “A voice is all you need” campaign for Amazon’s Alexa voice-activated virtual assistant includes this spot in which a man who’s ironing clothes serves as a quasi-director, asking peeved actors to twice re-do a pivotal death scene in a Game of Thrones-esque epic adventure fantasy.
Directed by Andreas Nilsson of Biscuit Filmworks, the commercial simply titled “Ironing” ultimately shows that the gent crouched over the ironing board is actually at home, watching the proceedings on a TV screen. He instructs his Alexa to rewind 10 seconds so he can finally fully see the demise of the show’s protagonist.
Turns out “a voice is all you need” to be in the director’s chair, simultaneously presiding over two contrasting worlds–the everyday and the epic.
David Kolbusz, chief creative officer at Droga5 London said, “The way we use Alexa is so idiosyncratic and reflective of our own voices so we needed great talent to bring these insights to life. Our actors did an amazing job.”
Credits
Client Amazon/Alexa Agency Droga5 London David Kolbusz, chief creative officer; Shelley Smoler, executive creative director; Jonathan Thake, copywriter; Ethan Bennett, art director; Peter Montgomery, producer; Manon Rees, assistant producer. Production Biscuit Filmworks Andreas Nilsson, director; Rupert Reynolds-Maclean, managing director/exec producer; Lee Groombridge, producer; Luke Thornton, production manager; Lasse Frank, DP; David Lee, production designer; Selila Wong, costume designer. Production Services Unit+Sofa (Prague unit). Editorial Cut+Run Ben Campbell, editor; Chris Hutchings, assistant editor; Ruth Minkley, producer. Postproduction/VFX The Mill London Misha Stanford-Harris, exec producer; James Beck, Nicola Simmons, producers; Jonathan Westley, creative director/shoot supervisor; Ben Turner, 2D lead artist; Peter Hodsman, Declan Andrews, 2D artists; Dan Yargici, 3D lead artist; Finlay Crowther, Jiyoung Lee, Paul Donnellan, Biswajit Tarafder, Bethan Williams, Murali Krishna Reddy, Roman Vrbovsky, 3D artists; Seamus O’Kane, colorist. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Baselight) Sound String and Tins Lawrence Kendrick, supervising sound editor; Jim Stewart, sound effects editor; Eimear Ni Ghuaire, audio post producer.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More