Press Release from TRUST Collective

Winter arrived early this holiday season for Manic as they joined in the spirit by making it snow in a Christmas-themed spot for Smucker's. To embellish the spot, shot by The Cartel Director Leslie Dektor and edited by Michael Saia of jumP via Grey, Manic enhanced the snowy scenery and recreated holiday accents throughout a storybook rural Orrville, Ohio - the home base of Smucker's - during the Christmas season in 1954.  

Caroling follows young Tim and Richard Smucker as they traipse across the snow-covered countryside, pulling an old-style runner sled and dropping off jars of Smucker's jam on their far-flung neighbors' porches. Manic stepped in to enhance the snowy landscape and architecture into a winter wonderland, transforming days-old snow into a fresh sheet of white and a nondescript house into an ornate Christmas showcase, with lights in every window and a wreath sash splaying across the front porch. The team, led by Manic Creative Director Fran Roberts and VFX Artist David Elkins, added the final accent of gentle falling CGI snow created in Softimage and applied that effect throughout the commercial - creating the perfect holiday setting.

"We wanted to recreate the idyllic American winter wonderland," noted Elkins. "Leslie found the perfect town and house and directed it beautifully down to the last detail. However, the snow fell a couple days earlier and that's where we stepped in, making a stomped-out, partially melted snow scene look like a freshly fallen sheet of powder - with the final traces of light snow falling. As we got into the spot further with Leslie and the agency, we decided to embellish some of the architecture with additional holiday dressing like lights and garland."

Roberts added, "As always it was our goal to strike that fine balance between reality, tweaking the nuances and maintaining the integrity of the director's vision."

Credits:

Client: JM Smucker
Spot Title: Caroling
Air Date: December 2010

Agency: Grey
CD: Bob Sullivan
AD: Paul Safsel
Producer: Madhuri Sharma

Prod Co: The Cartel
Director: Leslie Dektor
EP: Faith Dektor
Line Producer: Gayleen Sharon

Editorial Co: jumP
Editor: Michael Saia
MD: Dee Tagert
Producer: Jess Stanchak

Post/Effects Co: Manic
Lead VFX/Inferno Artist: David Elkins
VFX Artist(s): Steve Koenig, Ariel Altman
CG Artist: John Clausing
Creative Director: Fran Roberts
MD: Bob Cagliero
Producer: Topper Anton

Telecine Co: MPC LA

Audio Post Co: Manic
Mixer: Stephane Guyot

About Manic:

Manic is a comprehensive creative solution for conception through completion of all media. Based in NoHo NYC, Manic delivers live-action production, cutting-edge motion graphics, 2D and 3D VFX, design, animation, and high-end finishing services for clients working in commercials, feature films, television, music videos and broadcast. The company's artists and principals have led campaigns for notable brands such as Nike, Virgin Mobile, Acura, Reebok, Verizon, Maybelline, and Apple from major agencies TBWA/Chiat/Day, Merkley+Partners, McCann Erickson, and JWT to name a few.