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Film Construction director Bruce Hurwit channels Kubrick in Saatchi and Saatchi's transmedia cam


An integrated visual effects driven campaign draws on an array of sci-fi references to comprise 6 spots for TV, cinema and online, including specific spots for Youtube Masthead and Facebook. Evil genius’ for the kids and 2001: A Space Odyssey for the parents, this exemplar of transmedia storytelling will delight parents and kids alike, across all forms of the screen.

Sci-fi of the past via the communication of the future:

Quite fitting that a campaign indebted to science fiction utilises the communication of the future, moving away from traditional methods via transmedia storytelling.

The transmedia nature of this campaign enabled the development of character and story across multiple episodes and the various screen platforms of TV, online and cinema, providing audiences with a richer engagement with the overarching story.

“I was attracted to the episodic nature of the campaign,” says Bruce Hurwit. “This enabled us to develop characters of an ensemble cast across multiple episodes and multiple screens.”

Film Construction Executive Producer Patrick McAteer: “Film Construction has been making TVCs for over two decades, and Bruce’s campaign for BIG W is exactly the kind of transmedia offering that Film Construction loves to produce.”

“Bruce is an exemplar of one of our many film makers capable of directing for any and all screens”.

Spaceships:

As a sci-fi themed campaign, visual effects were essential to providing spectacle.

“I love scripts that come with a note that somehow we have to top last year in spectacle and scale,” says Hurwit.

Production design by Rob Robinson provided the foreground interior spaceship set pieces, beautifully shot by DOP Earle Dresner using 2 Alexa cameras at the Screen Australia Studios in Lindfield.

“If it weren't for everyone's enthusiasm to keep adding to each image and effect, we never could have gotten the results we did. The artists, led by Jonathan Dearing, gave us much more than I expected and it shows all the way down to the most subtle of details in the effects.”

EP Tim Pietranski: “Bruce came up with the idea of changing the animation technique from what had been established last year. This approach was embraced by the agency and the Cutting Edge team led by EP Samantha Daley and Post Producer Fiona Patterson. CE put a tremendous amount of time and resources behind the project from their newly renovated facilities in Chippendale. They were truly amazing on this.”

Theremin, the king of comedy:

Balancing the science-fiction themes with light-hearted fun was key to making the campaign accessible for children. The absurdity of the scenes was heightened by the music and sound design, with composer Rafael May adding theremin to his original compositions to add a comedic etherial tone whilst maintaining the intensity of the track.

Final words:

“This was one of those charmed jobs where all the energy and enthusiasm from the client, the agency and everyone in production and post production resulted in a really nice and effective piece of entertainment. A lot of work went into the Launch spot, but I especially love Pod Bay Door and Button,” says Hurwit.

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