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Friday, 24 June 2005 | Levent OZLER
Suspect Directs All 3D Spec Spot for Bass Ale
Visual effects and design studio SUSPECT has directed, designed and animated an all 3D spec spot for Bass Ale brewed by Bass Brewers Limited (Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom). The spot, a chaotic marathon of sperm set to the rockin' Bon Jovi track "It's My Life," uses the very beginnings of our existence, as an analogy for its message "Reach for Greatness".
The spot opens with a loud "boom" as the race begins. Millions of sperm begin their challenging quest to find the egg. Our hero, differentiated from the masses by a red collar, enters the race at the back of the pack and quickly makes his way, with determination, through the multitudes of sperm until he is neck and neck with the leader.
With a bit of clever misdirection, our hero, who seems destined for a mere second place finish, overcomes adversity and triumphs. As the scene pulls back, we discover that the leader has crashed not into the prized egg, but the letter "G" in the word "Greatness". Our smarter, more determined guy maneuvers around the obstacle and makes a beeline for the real egg, which morphs into the Bass logo, the distinctive red triangle, underscored with the tag line "Reach for Greatness."
The creative team at McCann-Erickson/TAG came to SUSPECT during the initial developmental stage with a rough concept board depicting a few white sperm on a black background in 2D space. They were really interested in seeing how the concept could develop.
"We saw this as a great opportunity to bring this concept to life," says Tim Crean, Creative Director/Partner at SUSPECT. "For us the concept screamed 3D, with the possibility of creating many dramatic camera angles and interesting shots... we wanted to really feel as though we were photographing among the sperm."
"For a spot like this pre-visualization was key," says Robert Appelblatt, Executive Producer/Partner at SUSPECT. "The last thing you want to do is spend time endlessly animating without a clear direction. Our first step was to prepare our own storyboards as well as a rough-cut using stand-in live action fish and sperm footage, so that we could find natural, dynamic shot compositions and prove to ourselves that this :30 spot, with only a music track (no copy) and sperm visuals could deliver the main message of the spot while keeping the audience stimulated."
"The message in the spot is really strong," says Tim Crean. "All of us are here today because we beat out all the other millions of sperm. That means there's greatness within all of us."
After proving that the concept would work, SUSPECT began to compose shots and design a look for the spot. "We really wanted to do something other than white sperm on a black background...That's something we've all seen a thousand times," says Tim Crean. "It was also a tricky balance of avoiding a distasteful, medical look, as well as not being too comical or cartoon-like."
Appelblatt adds, "Since there was no copy or visual reference to beer in the spot, we felt that the spot demanded super strong brand recognition. Bass prides itself on its historical brand whose logo was registered as Britain's first trademark way back in 1876
In the end, SUSPECT went with a simple, strong graphic look to the spot using only 3 colors (red, cream & black) that make up the Bass brand. This minimalist approach extended to the environment as well. Backgrounds consist of defocused shapes and subtle shades from the Bass palate. "Enhancing the perception of movement in 3D without distracting the viewer from our hero was key," says Crean.
"SUSPECT took a very simple idea and brought it to life in a surprising and spectacular way. The first time they showed me a rough test, I was blown back. It was not at all what I expected. They twisted my head like a curious puppy. It was original, fun, stylish and cool. It was alive," says McCann-Erickson/TAG Erickson Executive Creative Director Craig Markus.
Agency VP, Producer Lucia Grillo adds, "We've had a long relationship with SUSPECT, so when our creative team brought up the idea as a spec spot, we knew that SUSPECT were the guys to deliver it. They've always exceeded our expectations, but this time, we were truly blown away. The animation brought a personality and a style to the concept that took the spot to a whole other level."
The SUSPECT team included Visual Effects Designer Tim Crean, Executive Producer Robert Appelblatt, Flame Artist Susanne Scharping, 3D animation Steve Burger and Floyd Gillis, editorial support Ana Esterov (Consulate).
Representing McCann-Erickson/TAG Erickson were Executive Creative Director Craig Markus, Senior Copywriter Mark Borcherding, Senior Art Director Stephen Hawkey and VP, Producer Lucia Grillo.
About SUSPECT
In their effects and design studio, located in the heart of Manhattan's Flatiron District, Rob Appelblatt and Tim Crean have created a work environment that reflects their personal style and creative sensibilities, a key element of which is never limiting themselves to traditional solutions or boundaries when they're looking for a creative solution. The studio currently houses two high definition Discreet Flame suites along with an array of Mac and PC -based 2D and 3D software solutions.
Since the company's formation in January 2003, the conceptual design, animation and visual effects company, which services the commercial, broadcast, film, and music industries, has attracted a diverse client base including, Canon, Visa, Samsung, Burger King, Footlocker, FedEx, MTV, Revlon, Sears, Reebok, Schwinn, DKNY, Ricoh, Song Airways, Verizon, Motorola, Tic Tac, Miller Lite, Titleist, MasterCard, Smirnoff, Jolly Rancher, Bass Ale, and Levitra, among many others.
SUSPECT is headquartered at 32 West 22 Street, third floor, New York, New York 10010.
For more information, or to see a reel, contact Executive Producer
Rob Appelblatt
phone: 212-358-8475
fax: 212-242-3588
email: rob  suspect.tv
http://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/5508/
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