HOUSE OF SPARKLING

TitleHOUSE OF SPARKLING
BrandYELLOWGLEN
Product / ServiceYELLOWGLEN CHAMPAGNE
CategoryA10. Best Production Value
EntrantFINCH Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company FINCH Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Advertising Agency THE MONKEYS Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Production Company FINCH Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Position
Micah Walker Chief Creative Officer
Micah Walker Creative Director
Benn Sutton Copywriter
Dave Ladd Art Director
Jade Wannell Agency Producer
Michael Hilliard Producer
Christopher Riggert Director
Jack Hutchings Editor
Nylon Studios Sound Studio
Tone Aston Sound Design/Arrangement
Alt Vfx Post Production
Colin Renshaw Animation
Paul Johnston Lighting
Eclectic Music Machine Music
Cecelia Hund Account Manager
Steven Jones Evans Production Designer
Alt Vfx Special Effects/Computer Graphics
Bob Humphreys Acs Director Of Photography
The Butchery Editing Company
Daisy Bray ProductionManager
Executive Producer: Rob Galluzzo/Michael Hilliard Other Credits

Brief Explanation

Yellowglen welcomes Australians to the House of Sparkling - an enchanting place that will allow people to rediscover the brand through imaginative experiences. This campaign creates a new mood and atmosphere that is ingrained in the taste buds of the audience. The House of Sparkling introduces the mysteries of a larger and more interesting story. It’s a tale that’s been told about a man that creates ‘magic’ in a majestic house on the edge of an unfound place. An older world type of celebration, with authentic antique finishes, the House of Sparkling is infinitely spectacular. The launch campaign unveils the first room of the house and invites people to own a piece of The House of Sparkling in the form of a gem from The House of Sparkling chandelier. Thirty gems worth a total of more than $250,000 will be given away during the course of the campaign.

Creative Execution

The client wanted to create a highly-stylised, mysterious world that would act as an introduction to an ongoing narrative for the Yellowglen brand. We had two separate budgets. One to produce the spot; the other to build a chandelier made from diamonds, sapphires, rubies, amethysts and aquamarines. Each gem was worth between $5,000 and $10,000, to protect these valuable pieces; we installed a safe where the jewels could be kept until they were built into the chandelier. We completely renovated a studio at Fox Studios, Sydney, where we rigged the chandelier – worth over $250,000, with a motorized rotation device inside, that would move slowly without damaging the chandelier. The House of Sparkling is as mysterious as its lone dancing inhabitant - it couldn’t ever really reveal itself. We adopted a ‘night for day’ technique by painting the set monochrome to accentuate the light and shadow, the way it was done in classical 1930s and 40s filmmaking. Staircases were built into the set on either side, hinting at the house at large. The set needed to look minimalistic but considered. We needed space for the dancer to move with interesting elements around him. We assembled an antique gramophone, a peacock, antique furniture, a huge floral arrangement, and crystal champagne glasses around the set, props that would create interesting patterns and shadows when the light fell upon them. The director’s treatment called for a talent that was “the best dancer you ever saw.” a global search uncovered Fabien Ruiz, renowned international tap dancer and choreographer of the Oscar winning film 'The Artist'. Ruiz embodies the glamour of a classical Hollywood era and choreographed all of his own moves. At one point he was rigged to do a somersault as he transitioned from dancing on the ceiling back to the floor. Our stylist shopped in LA, ornately dressing him in a custom peak lapel suit, hat and sparkling tap shoes from fred segel. An intricate lighting design meant that the chandelier became our main source of light. Smaller orb lights were installed at either side of the staircases set to flicker, casting shadows on the walls, throwing enchanting sporadic slices of blue light across the frame. To capture the joy of dance and effervescent movement and to bring to life the idea of the house of sparkling, we used practical spark effects on set - generated with traditional fireworks, special tap plates and magnesium rods for falling effects. This material was all com-posited together to bring the real elements in with the 3d post. The director used steadicam - choreographing a dance between the dancer and the camera. It was important to give Fabien freedom in his dancing, so we followed and even echoed his moves. Allowing the dancer to move in and out of the light - sometimes as more of a silhouette amongst the darkness. It’s intimate and real but also staged and very theatrical. Crossing from one to the other with an intensity and atmosphere that’s incredibly engaging.