David Lubars on the Film Grand Prix
July 6 2009, 11:54 am | | 10 Comments
BBDO New York’s Chief Creative Officer David Lubars was President of the Film Jury at Cannes this year. Here are his comments on the Grand Prix winner – Philips Carousel – and the special award given to Charles Stone’s Wassup08.com.
10 Comments
The Wassup08 film is amazing. Brilliant. Clever. Insightful. Entertaining. Effective.
I’ve been reading the OZ, NZ and Asia Campaign Brief sites for the past week waiting for someone, anyone, to give their opinion on the film grand prix at Cannes this year, but no one has – so I will…
How did Carousel win when it uses exactly the same 3D technology used heavily in the grand prix winning ‘Halo’ ads the year before? Anyone agree? I mean, change the clowns and the cops to aliens and soldiers and it was exactly the same ad! Hardly worth grand prix status.
Thoughts?
I’d say it won for the interactive platform that allowed the user to travel in different directions. And because there really wasn’t anything else that really stood out as a grand prix.
It’s a piece of work that crosses many boundaries, and does a brilliant job of pointing the way forward. It’s an instructional film, a documentary, a product demonstration, a viral, an interactive piece, and a beautiful brilliant stand alone film all by itself.
Above all…it’s pure cinema..you can watch it again and again.
1.09 – I’m interested to hear what you would consider better as a grand prix?
I thought most, if not all, the judging at Cannes this year was just spot on. This has not been the case in the past. Im guessing recession= less money to do and enter scam=more opportunities for real work to stand up and be noticed. Great result all around.
11.01 don’t take my opinion personally, I’m simply stating that the same graphics were employed the year before for Halo 3 (anybody agree? Stills type shots that can be explored in 3D). And if I was to make an attempt at picking a more worthy winner so to open myself up for abuse and ridicule, I’d say: I didn’t have one this year. Simple. The standard wasn’t as good this year. It’s not the end of the world. There’s always next year. D&AD aren’t afraid to say if things aren’t up to scratch on any given year.
On another note – Mr Royer (respect where it’s due – you da man), I agree the Carousel is an instructional film, a documentary, a product demonstration, a viral, an interactive piece, and a beautiful brilliant stand alone film all by itself, but where is the idea? Yes I read the detailed notes on the Cannes website which was obviously part of the entry explaining the idea of letting consumers own the cinema experience at home. But this is film, not cyber or intergrated, etc. I thought this award was for TVCs that ran? I can’t imagone it ran in its interactive fast forward/rewind, documentary state anywhere on earth. I mean come on, the documentary is nearly 5 minutes long. That’s too long to play at a cinema let alone on TV.
I sort of agree 1.56. However Cannes is not D&AD (as you know). The last time there was no grand prix awarded Frank Lowe was run out of town.
I really love carousel and having gone through all the other gold lions on the cannes website I think it comfortably sits out in front. Sure there is a graphic similarity to Halo but I don’t think that devalues the idea and the interactivity of the idea.
As a runner up my vote would go to Love Distance which is a fucking great idea.
Oh, how did that Mother Stella campaign win Gold??!!
Does Film category mean it had to run on Tv or in a cinema exclusively?
Could it not be a film that has run in a Philips Showroom or any other installations that draw a crowd?
As to the contention of ‘where’s the idea’ , what makes this such a powerful film for me is that it’s so non-addy…it just trades off the audience’s love for cinema.
I think the idea is lets not talk about high definition or realism or nano fuckin wotsit technology…lets make it all about the joy of cinema.
I love the Carousel spot…it belongs in the Smithsonian.