NOVEMBER 29, 2004 – VENICE BEACH, CA – Ebay is more than an auction, it is an online community strengthened by the character and sheer breadth of its membership. A large reason for its success is the honor system employed with an alarmingly high rate of success. Another reason is the consensus that it is the world’s auction house – where we all agree to buy and sell just about everything.

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, created two new spots focusing on the cultural significance of Ebay. To produce them, the agency teamed well-known director Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles with digital production studio Digital Domain, Venice Beach, CA. The spots, titled, “At Your Doorstep” and “Toy Boat,” serve to visually illustrate the power of Ebay vis-à-vis its membership. Working together, some dramatic visuals were created.

“At Your Doorstep” opens on a mild-mannered man tending to his somewhat eccentric wall clock collection. We watch from behind as he cares for the many clocks adorning his wall. However suddenly an eeriness sets in. What was initially the ticking of approximately a dozen wall clocks now sounds like more…significantly more. He cautiously looks over his shoulder to see his living room packed with friendly-looking people from all walks of life holding wall clocks. From antique to kitsch, the smiling owners each hold up their timepieces for the one man to see.

From there, “At Your Doorstep” begins to unfold with a cinematic flair. An exterior shot of the house reveals a large crowd of clock-offering individuals crowding the front door. One man has climbed a telephone pole with the hopes of gaining a competitive edge. Pulling back further, a neighborhood shot shows the streets are overflowing with more clock-sellers. Finally we see the whole region, seemingly taken from a small aircraft, showing the throngs of people descending on the one house.. But back inside his living room, the collector is ready to make his selection. He points to a woman. She is elated but a collective “Awwwww” rings out as the crowd dejectedly turns and walks away.

“Toy Boat” opens with a shot of a young boy n the beach. Supered on the screen are the words, “ Cape Cod. 1972.” The red-haired boy plays with a toy boat near the surf when his mother calls him from off screen. The boat is taken out to sea by the rising tide. By sunrise, the toy is well out to sea and headed for some rough weather. A storm kicks in and the little boat is overcome—it sinks to the bottom.

Some years later on a fishing boat, the day’s catch is released from a net. Silvery fish pour onto the deck. But something catches the fisherman’s eye. He bends down and picks up a toy boat. A curious look overtakes him. The next moment we see a red-haired man sitting at his computer. Suddenly his eyes widen and a smile creeps on his face. The spot ends with a shot of a framed picture on the mantle of the boy at the beach holding his toy boat. Finally, the screen goes black and the Ebay logo appears with the tagline, “The power of all of us.”

In “At Your Doorstep,” Digital Domain worked with Murro to create the crowds gathered around the house. Employing flocking and crowd algorithms, realistic crowds were created at street level and convincing crowd patterns were computer-generated for the overhead shot. “The overhead shot involved the most CG work on our part,” said Digital Domain executive producer Ed Ulbrich. “We not only created the crowds but the entire neighborhood. Using proprietary software, we placed a crowd into the landscape to see how it would naturally take to the streets, the hills, the valleys, the obstacles, etc.”

The challenge for Digital Domain in “Toy Boat”was placing an entirely CG segment up against live action footage shot by Murro. As the spot moves from live action to CG and back to live action, viewers have a basis for comparison—the eye will more easily catch a fake. Digital Domain’s work had to be perfect if the spot was to succeed.

“From the moment the boat is taken out to sea, the scenes are entirely CG – the water, the sky, the boat, the clouds, the lightning, the bottom of the sea, etc.,” explained Ulbrich. “But Noam’s contributions made the CG look more than just real – it looks beautiful. The water is silky smooth. The ominous sky is jaw dropping. The bottom of the ocean is like a wonderland. Noam directed the CG to capture the most ideal images and the results are amazing.”

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 , 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.

# # #

Press Contact: Fran Koenig (203) 661 5090, koenigpr@optonline.net

Click to return to Latest Releases