EXTRA CHEWY MINTS – INSTANT CONNECTIONS

Role: Co-Director
Studio: The Mill
Agency: Energy BBDO

You gotta give a little to get a little! And every time you share a mint with someone, you make a connection. I had a great time co-directing these magical moments with Tristyn von Berg to help launch Extra’s new Chewy Mints. Our two-pronged attack focused on the performances and settings for each scene, which include a Hawaiian vacation, a camper, a football fanatic, and an aspiring Parisian.

After casting our minty fresh recipients, we turned our attention to each backdrop. We were inspired by theatrical stage design to capture the whimsy, charm and emotion of each encounter. This gave me the opportunity to reunite with Nix + Gerber, my favorite collaborators from Tic Tac Little Adventures.

Laurie and Kathleen fabricated four unique sets based on our production designs, then loaded their van, and drove them from their Brooklyn studio to our stage in Chicago.

After the shoot, we worked to lock the edit while our illustrators and animators created additional performances – namely the dolphins, bear, and cheerleader. Our 2D team then married each character with their environment, before a final color pass brought our Extra worlds together.

I am happy to report these little OLVs broke 1.5MM views in the first week over at YouTube, and that’s pretty fresh.

PROCESS

BEHIND THE SCENES

  • Production Company: Mill+

    Executive Producer: Tracey Khan
    Producer: Pat Fischer
    Production Supervisor: Alison Becker

    Mill+ Directors: Jeff Boddy, Tristyn Von Berg
    Assistant Director: Paul Ruffalo
    Director of Photography: Dan Frantz
    Assistant Camera: Eugene Hahm
    DIT: Tyler Colgan
    Gaffer: Brian Dailey
    Key Grip: Jim Peterson
    Best Boy: Stephen Wester, Sebastian Lama
    Stylist: Jill Dunbar
    Hair & Makeup: Michelle Norkett
    Script Supervisor: Marianna Harrison
    VFX Supervisor: Jamie Beckwith

    Post-Production Company: The Mill

    Producer: Natalie Ksiazek
    Production Coordinator: Kate Ryan

    Art Director: Matt Darnall
    Illustrator: Anzie Lee
    Motion Designers: TJ Sochor, Adrian Navarro, Devin Hayes
    Editor: Charlotte Carr
    Flame Artists: Heidi Anderson, Jamie Beckwith, Randy McEntee

    Executive Producer, Colour: Laurie Adrianopoli
    Colourist: Luke Morrison
    Colour Assist: Lindsey Mazur

    Miniature Dioramas: Nix + Gerber

    Cast: Aeriel Williams, Michael B. Woods, Sarah E. Mitchell, Bernard Gilbert