Filmworkers provided post services for a new Olympics-themed campaign from McDonald’s and DDB, Chicago, that has plenty of “bite.” The new spots connect the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi with the McDonald’s brand by showing medal-winning performances from past games, and consumers watching at home while enjoying McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Each spot ends with a shot juxtaposing the winning athlete, celebrating victory by biting a medal, with a consumer, who is also celebrating by biting a McNugget. U.S. snowboarder Louie Vito, ice hockey player Patrick Kane and speed skater Shani Davis are among those featured in the ads.
Filmworkers’s role was to help give each spot a seamless quality through color-balancing and visual effects. That work was especially challenging for the 60-second spot Celebrate with a Bite as it opens with a fast-paced montage of Olympics footage spanning more than five decades. “We had black & white footage, color film from the 60s and 70s and video from the 80s, as well as the new material,” recalls Filmworkers colorist Fred Keller. “When it’s all played together, it looks spectacular”
Keller balanced the color using a Baselight EIGHT system. Filmworkers Visual Effects Director Rob Churchill used visual effects tools to further adjust for variations in grain and other visual textures.
Filmworkers affiliate Vitamin created the campaign’s end tag animation pairing the McDonald’s Golden Arches logo and the Olympics’ familiar five interlocking rings.
Filmworkers is located at 232 E. Ohio St. Penthouse, Chicago, IL 60611. For more information, call (312) 664-9333 or visit www.filmworkers.com.
