BUDWEISER “SUPERFAN” STREAKS THE SUPER BOWL |
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| Digital Domain and Director John O’Hagen Produce One of the Big Game’s Most Memorable Spots | |
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“Superfan” opens on a wide shot of a golden field with snowy mountains in the distance. Two teams of Budweiser Clydesdales approach the line of scrimmage in slow motion drama. Hot breath is seen streaming out of the horse’s mouths and nostrils. The “fans” have gathered on the sidelines—goats, wolves, foxes, buffalo, sheep and antelope. A horses hoofed foot sets down on the football and the tension builds for the play to begin. But a bleat lets out from the crowd and a freshly shorn sheep sprints out on the field. One of two cowboys watching the game says to the other, “Streaker.” Lively music kicks in and the fans start whooping it up. The sheep runs between the horses and stops to taunt the crowd. For a finale, the sheep stands on its hind legs while a well-placed fox in the shot hides its “unmentionables.” Returning to the cowboys, one says, “Didn’t need to see that.” The other answers, “Nope.” “Budweiser is practically synonymous with the Super Bowl and fans have come to expect the best spots from them,” said Ed Ulbrich, Digital Domain’s Senior VP, General Manager. “’Superfan’ presented a lot of challenges for us on the set as well as in the studio. Green screens were used extensively and there was heavy compositing throughout the spot. Many of these animals could not be placed together on the set so they had to be shot separately and grouped together later. Animation and CG environments also played into the final product.” “Using a combination of animal handlers in green Lycra suits, a lot of patience, and some hardcore pixel-grafting we were able to help the sheep express his "inner Britney" in ways he never thought possible,” joked visual effects supervisor Jonny Hicks. “Shooting the dancing/streaking was a fairly time consuming process of trial and error on location to achieve the moves envisioned by the director,” Hicks continued. “This involved careful choreography of three handlers attempting to keep the scene as "clean" as possible - that is trying to keep hold of a frisky sheep with as little as possible of themselves covering the sheep, not an easy task. These elements were then digitally cleaned up using a variety of warping, tracking and painting techniques to remove hands, ropes and anything that needed to be pulled out of the scene.” Ulbrich added that understanding the humor of the spot was Digital Domain’s largest contribution. “Besides the technical aspect, an appreciation for the client’s and the director’s comic timing was vital for ‘Superfan.’ The visuals can look perfect, but if it isn’t funny the whole spot falls short. ABOUT DIGITAL DOMAIN Founded in 1993, Digital Domain, Inc. has established a world-class reputation for innovation and artistry. Recipient of four Academy Awards, the studio has produced visual effects over the last ten years for films that have generated over $4 billion in worldwide theatrical box-office sales. In the world of commercials, Digital Domain is one of the industry’s largest and most honored creators of visual effects, including the cutting edge advertising campaigns for Adidas and Nike directed by David Fincher. The division consistently works with a stellar group of A-list directors including Michael Bay, Mark Romanek, Lance Acord, Joe Pytka, Bruce Dowad, David Kellogg and Alex Proyas. Industry awards for the commercials division include numerous Clio awards, AICP awards, Cannes Lion awards as well as numerous other industry honors. Digital Domain is currently one of the largest digital studios in the world and hosts an integrated production studio that includes divisions for Feature Film Visual Effects, Commercial Production, Music Videos, Location Based Entertainment and Feature Film Development. Quick time and frames are available at: Press Contact: Fran Koenig (203) 661 5090, koenigpr@optonline.net
Directed by John O’Hagan Agency: DDB Chicago Kate Hildebrant Producer John O’Hagan Director Animation and Visual Effects by: Digital Domain, Inc. Ed Ulbrich Sr. V.P. of Production / Executive Producer Editing by: The Whitehouse Editorial Music and Sound Design : Elias |
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