Categories: General

The Mill for New Balance

[flv:http://motionographermedia.com/themill/mill-new-balance.flv 468 351] QuickTime version (640×480)

I sat on this moody New Balance spot for a while. The visuals are stunning. With set designs that reference early German Expressionist films and a palette suffused with warm tones, the protagonist’s tortured passion for running is beautifully realized.

But the voiceover almost kills the whole spotâ€”hence my hesitation in posting it. I thought at first I was in for an ironic “Real Men of Genius” gag, but as the script progressed, I just scratched my head in confusion. I have a suggestion. Mute the soundtrack and queue up some Philip Glass or Brian Eno instead.

As always, The Mill handled the post-production flawlessly. Never slamming unnecessary effects down our throats, they opted instead for understated surreality.

More info on The Mill’s project page | Full credits

Thanks to Matt Lambert and Alex Capehart for the nudges!

Justin Cone

Together with Carlos El Asmar, Justin co-founded Motionographer, F5 and The Motion Awards. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with is wife, son and fluffball of a dog. Before taking on Motionographer full-time, Justin worked in various capacities at Psyop, NBC-Universal, Apple, Adobe and SCAD.