Categories: General

Psyop: Stella Artois “Dove”

Just in time for the holidays, Lowe Roche Toronto and Psyop introduces us to a gentle old man, toiling away late at night in his rustic workshop. Hunched over, he delicately crafts a paper bird. “Dove” for Stella Artois, features loving attention to detail throughout the spot. The live action sets the magical, storybook mood and the luminescent paper village glows with Christmas cheer. Also, a nice touch on the website: downloadable paper ornaments.

Here are some extra tidbits from Psyop’s Eben Mears and Marco Spier:

What was the creative brief from the agency?
We were given an animatic and a print style frame that was about a paper-cut world. The basic story line was that of a craftsman who is making a bird out of paper and this bird comes to life. The brief was to start with a live action hero and transition into a magical world of animation.

How did you approach this job creatively?
We started by studying traditional still-lives and paper sculpture to find the right aesthetic. Ultimately we were fascinated with making translucent paper that seemed like it was lit from inside. We thought there was real beauty in how light would affect the paper and the space around it. The live action was shot in the Ukraine with DP Darran Tiernan and our local production company, Radioactiv Films.

What tools/software were used:
Maya, Houdini, XSI, AE and Fusion

Project: Le Noël
url: stellaartois.com
Spot title: Dove
Client Company: InBev
Brand: Stella Artois
Creative Agency: Lowe Roche, Toronto
Worldwide Creative Director: Matthew Bull
Creative Director: Christina Yu
Art Directors: Christina Yu, Patrick Shing
Copywriters: Rob Sturch, Joseph Bonnici
Producer: Dan Heighes
Digital Production Director: Trisha Quenneville
Flash Developer: Dan Purdy
Business Management: Anna Crabtree, Oliver Clark

Production Company: Stink/Psyop
Director: Psyop
Psyop Creative Directors: Eben Mears, Marco Spier
Executive Producers: Mungo Maclagan (Stink), Boo Wong (Psyop)
Producers: Mungo Maclagan (Stink), Carol Collins (Psyop)
Director of Photography: Darran Tiernan
Designer: Kimberly Dulaney
Editors: Cass Vanini, Graham Brennan
Storyboard Artist: Ben Chan
Lead Technical Director: Tony Barbieri
Lead Compositor Molly Schwartz
3D Team: Gooshun Wang, Lee Wolland, Cody Chen, Jeff Lopez, Miguel A. Salek
3D Look and Development: Marco Iozzi
Composite: Cody Chen
Flame: Mark French
Asst Flame: Dan Boujoulian
Lead: Roto J Bush
Tracking: Steven Hill