The Brief
We were approached by Harper Collins imprint, 4th Estate, to make a film celebrating their 25th year. They wanted something uplifting, personable and that highlighted the huge number of successes and books sold during their time. They wanted a film that could not only be used as a marketing piece, but that would engage existing readers and instil a sense of pride in what had been achieved. This had to be achieved in a short turnaround of three weeks from the initial approach, with the upcoming anniversary as the deadline. In the client’s words “James B quote”
The Idea
The team put together an idea animating the streets and famous places of London in paper cut animation. We had access to as many books as needed and felt by animating the city using actual prints we could highlight 4th Estates amazing back catalogue in a subtle but powerful way; making their output the very fabric of their home city. We wanted the city to bustle and buzz with life and had the idea to put small “easter eggs” into the scenes referencing plot points in the books to engage readers and staff alike. Director, Ben Falk highlights the challenge “ben quote”
The Result
The film gained rapid recognition worldwide. It was shared virally, tweeted and re-posted by authors, their fans and even Kanye West. This let to a film that, to date, has been viewed over 2M times across all channels. It was played in board meetings, seminars and across 4th Estates celebrations. Finally, it gained critical acclaim, featuring in Creative Review, being played at TED Vancouver and the Annecy animation festival. Finally winning multiple awards, including a silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film festival and best commercial animation at the British Animation Awards.
