David Reviews

 "You're not an artist, Peggy. You solve problems." Don Draper.

THE BTS THREAD
11 August 2024

Rather than always include them in the main part of the website, we've decided to create a thread of BTS films so you can check them out as they arise. So, here they are, opening with a spate of the 2023 Christmas BTS films. Watch out for more as they're added.


Do you ever get the feeling the main purpose of a BTS film is to occupy the client while the production team get on with making the actual ad? Client voices suspiciously dominate this look at the Boots 2023 Christmas ad.





These days, the public's eager anticipation of the John Lewis Christmas ad is mainly because it provides a vehicle for the widespread belief that nothing is as good as it used to be. Here, you can find out just what it was all about.





In this BTS, no one loses sight of the importance of bigging up ASDA at every opportunity, but hang in there for an amusing out-take at the end featuring the campaign's expensively acquired star.





This BTS for Apple's 2023 Christmas commercial focuses mainly on the stop-frame animation, and since the commercial itself also shows how stop-frame animation is done, it's all a bit meta (not Meta, but meta).





A glimpse at some of the techniques used by The Mill to bring to life the animals that appeared in this Christmas's T K Maxx commercial.





This isn't an entire BTS of Tiny Bullet's splendid commercial for Gas Networks Ireland but it provides a telling glimpse at the commitment of actor Colman Hayes as he inhabits the role of a puppet badger. Without such heroes, the work would be all the poorer and we salute him.





Uncommon's new safety information film for British Airways has caught the attention of both the public and the national media, and is one of the most talked about pieces of work made by the advertising industry this year. you have to hand it to Bang TV's Sharon Maguire... she absolutely nailed it, and -to judge by this BTS film - everyone had a lot of fun making.




Stories

MARIA LAX JOINS ART PRACTICE.

Art Practice, the company founded by James Allen, Dan Tobin Smith, and Mike Skrgatic, has signed Finnish director and photographer Maria Lax for representation.


BLINK SIGNS JOSEPH WILSON.

Blink's global roster now boasts director Joseph Wilson for commercials and music videos.


BLAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.

Sam Gainsborough's favourite artist must be William Blake, right?


NEW—LAND WELCOMES SHARIF ABDEL MAWLA.

Dutch-Egyptian director Sharif Abdel Mawla is now represented by new—land in the UK and Scandinavia.


WAYLON HITS THE BIG TIME THANKS TO IAMS.

Waylon hits the big time thanks to a larger-than-life campaign from IAMS.


BIRTH WELCOMES BEN MIETHKE TO THE UK MARKET.

Ben Miethke is the latest director to call Birth UK home.


PSTH BOARD THE FRIEND SHIP.

French directors PSTH (Léo Sattin and Théo Gottlieb) have joined Friend for UK representation.


ABIGAIL WILSON JOINS PARK PICTURES.

Christmas has come early for Park Pictures in the form of director Abigail Wilson.


IT'S JELLY FOR LUCY HARDCASTLE.

Multidisciplinary director Lucy Hardcastle is now part of Jelly’s global roster.


COMEDY KING TIM BULLOCK BOOSTS ROGUE'S OFFER

Rogue have secured the talents of hugely talented comedy director Tim Bullock by adding him to their roster.


SOMESUCH LANDS SOPHIE JONES.

Somesuch has signed director and photographer Sophie Jones for UK, US, and Dutch representation.


STARS OF 2024: ELLIOTT POWER

Elliott Power ascendancy as a director began last year and has continued with incredible energy to make him one of the hottest talents in the business.


LÉA ESMAILI ARRIVES AT BLINKINK.

Blinkink has added the "insanely talented" Léa Esmaili to its roster.


BARNEY JORDAN IS A COMPANY3 MAN.

VFX doyen Barney Jordan is Company3’s new Senior Finishing Editor in London.


CMN PPL FLMS SIGNS DOROTHY ALLEN-PICKARD.

Dorothy Allen-Pickard, a director who "merges the real with the performative", has joined CMN PPL FLMS for UK commercial representation.


JELLY WELCOMES SAVANTS.

Savants is a lively band of continental directors focused on illustration, design, and animation.


FOUNDATION STORIES - NEVERLAND

Jon Forsyth and Simon Massey share the story of Neverland in the first in a new series of podcasts.


ARMOURY LIKES THE TASTE OF SALSA.

Brazilian directors Salsa (Guto Azevedo and Diego Santana Claudino) have joined Armoury for UK representation.


O2'S SUPERGRAN BAITS THE SCAMMERS

O2 have found a good use for AI... a computer generated gran with a wicked sense of humour and a penchant for playing scammers at their own game.


PRETTYBIRD SWOOP FOR LUCRECIA.

Director, photographer, and nail art whizz Lucrecia is now part of PRETTYBIRD US for commercials and music videos.


STARS OF 2024: EMMA BRANDERHORST

Dutch director Emma Branderhorst has had a stellar year that included a much lauded pop promo spreading an important message about online privacy.


PARK VILLAGE PLAYS THE LONG-FORM GAME.

Park Village has a taste for long-form content - so much so that the company has launched Park Village Originals (PVO).


ABSOLUTE SCORES A HAT-TRICK.

Absolute has trebled its pleasure with the arrival of producer Leianna Gilmartin and colourists Peter Oppersdorff and Philip Hambi.


JILLIAN ISCARO'S ON TOP FORM.

American director Jillian Iscaro is now represented by FORM in the UK and the Netherlands.


IT'S FILMAWI FOR KNUCKLEHEAD.

Mononymous director and photographer Filmawi says he is "honoured to be part of such a visionary collective of directors" at Knucklehead.


Stories

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