Dee Rees directed and wrote via production house Anonymous Content this sci-fi :60, “The Box,” for Walmart out of Saatchi & Saatchi NY. The project re-teamed the filmmaker with her fellow Oscar nominees and Mudbound collaborators, cinematographer Rachel Morrison, ASC, and actress Mary J. Blige. Rees partnered with MPC to bring to life a playful, touching and out-of-this world film — even developing a scary monster straight from the imagination of a child.
The :60 premiered during Sunday’s (3/4) Academy Awards telecast.
Walmart asked filmmakers Rees, Melissa McCarthy and Nancy Meyers to each direct a :60 inspired by Walmart’s blue shipping box.
For Rees, the box contains a girl’s imagination which has her back and forth between a sci-fi world and her reality at home.
“This was an incredible opportunity for Dee to write and direct a branded film,” said Eric Stern, Anonymous Content managing director and partner. “Walmart was a terrific creative partner who wholeheartedly embraced and supported her vision from start to finish.”
Credits
Client Walmart Agency Saatchi & Saatchi NY Javier Campopiano, chief creative officer; Wayne Best, Alex Lea, executive creative directors; Jenny Read, director of integrated production; Dean Shoukas, Diane Barton, executive producers;. Production Anonymous Content Dee Rees, writer, director; Eric Stern, managing director; Lori Stonebraker, exec producer; Kerry Haynie, head of production; Jessica Cooper, producer; Ena Nic, production supervisor; Rachel Morrison, DP; Colleen Atwood, costume designer; Hanna Beachler, production designer. Editorial Exile NY Shane Reid, editor; Vietan Nguyen, producer (NY); Brittany Carson, producer (L.A.). VFX MPC Camila De Biaggi, managing director; Matthew Loranger, exec producer; Sandra Eklund, producer; Jessica Rowley, production assistant; Alvin Cruz, creative director; Vadim Turchin, VFX supervisor; 3D lead; Eric Robertson, VFX supervisor; Rob Walker, Iain Murray, 2D lead; Mike Little, Tiago Dias, 3D lead; Tobey Lindback, Renato Carone, Adam Yost, Alejandro Taylor, Giulia Bartra, Guillaume Weiss, Vivek Tekale, S. Samson Samuel, Ragesh R, 2D team; Alejandro Echeverry, Jimmy San, Mike Lombardo, Madeline Jackson, Graeme Revell, Jacob Fradkin, Zhao Wang, Francisco Fraga, Jemmy Molero, Roberto Maki, Wesley Schneider, Sue Jang, Jamie German, Michael Marsek, David Bryan, Neil Miller, Justin Braun, Flavia Minnone, Matthew Gifford, Morten Solgaard, Simon Legrand, Tushar Kewlani, Parineeta Jasiwal, Jyoti Prakash Panda, Pritesh Krishnappa Kotian, Kalaiarasu P, SelvaKumar k, Bakiyaraj P, Vamsi Krishna, Sachin Sureshrao Dhapudkar, 3D team; Olivier Silven, Tyler Gibb, Roger Hom, Edvin Cindrak, design. Color MPC Houman Abdallah, colorist; Tanner Hladek, color assistant; Meghan Lang, exec producer; Rebecca Boorsma, Elyse Robinson, producers.
Each year, over 300,000 volunteers power the American Red Cross, responding to an average of 65,000 disasters nationwide. This holiday season, BBDO New York has launched a poignant American Red Cross campaign to increase donations for disaster relief while spotlighting the critical role volunteers play in their mission.
The centerpiece film in this campaign--"Shelter Mom" directed by Anthony Frattolillo via production company One Free Play--tells the story of a family seeking shelter after a devastating natural disaster.
In a powerful twist, the PSA reveals how dedicated and selfless American Red Cross volunteers really are--in this case a mother separated from her family while helping other families in a time of need. The closing message drives home the call to action: “They’re relying on her. We’re relying on you. Please Donate.”
Given all the recent events, this spot really hits home, especially for certain members of the creative and production team. Director Frattolillo and his family had to evacuate from the California forest fires in 2020 and spent time in a shelter. And BBDO New York creative director Greg Gertsner had to evacuate in 1999 during Hurricane Floyd as overflow from a raging nearby river reached his family home.
