OT - Honda Ad

[Hilt]

I hate it when they use crappy streaming flash video without playback controls...
They probably dont understand how horrible it is to watch those clips.

About the ad, I've watched it at least hundred times since it's premiere. It's one of my favorite non-CG ads.

[kmwhitt]

I agree with you on the lack of playback controls......


I just can't imagine why someone would spend over $6,000,000 on something that could be just as convincing in CG?!?! Hell, I would have done it for half! :deal:

[Creature]

And even more irritating - why do they make a 6mil ad which nobody has ever seen anywhere broadcasted?

[onsam]

Here is the QT version of it. You can save it into your PC. If you have the QT Pro Version.

http://194.29.64.17/thecog/movie.html

[wuensch]

I think its a freaking cool ad.
No matter if it could have been made in CG for less , thats a totally whacky setup---
wonder how much trial & error was needed to get the construction right (and here is where CG might lack realtime capabilities, maybe).


Olli

[bunter]

there is a dvd available with the ad and a making of feature for the honda cog advert. my colleague at work has a copy. If anyone is interested I could ask him where he got it from...

[flingster]

i love those honda ads they are just mesmerising.
they have a new one in the uk about clean diesel engines and its got this funky cartoon look to it and that distinctive voice over with some catchy little number in the backgound...
maybe its on their website..

[Hilt]

i love those honda ads they are just mesmerising.
they have a new one in the uk about clean diesel engines and its got this funky cartoon look to it and that distinctive voice over with some catchy little number in the backgound...
maybe its on their website..
That ad, 'hate something', has won about all the prizes there are :)
http://www.bbcbroadcast.com/interactive/honda_diesel.shtml for example
(http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=17332 in more professional-oriented site)

[mesaticus]

I agree with you on the lack of playback controls......

I just can't imagine why someone would spend over $6,000,000 on something that could be just as convincing in CG?!?! Hell, I would have done it for half! :deal:


Probably would not have gotten near the press coverage, awards, or attention, if it was done in CG. If it had been done in CG, then they probably would have played it on t.v. because nobody would've cared and the normal public would have been like "just another commercial". As it is, this commecial has been on the net, forums, and tons of other places, including chat boards (not just related to design/cg and such), etc...so end the end, probably well worth the 6mil to Honda to receive that kinda coverage. Viral Marketing.

[wuensch]

--yeah, the "Making-Of" videos are usually soooo boring for CGspots (Person with dark shadows around eyes in front of large computer-screen that shows a wobbling wireframe viewport) "We did it with a computer! See this here--its moving--- then we use this software to calculate"---Zappp--

:deal:

Olli

[lightblitter22]

There is CG in that ad. Not much, but some.

[SeanL]

Actually, there's no CG in there.

The part in which the tires move uphill was done by placing weights inside according to an article about the production. Hundreds of takes were required to get a whole shot where everything worked correctly.

[Tiziano]

Info on the possible basis for this ad:

http://www.adforum.com/cog/

So, with all the bruhaha of late regarding people stealing other's work (and I agree), where does one stand on this? Is the source of inspiration treated the same as the method of execution?

I once had a QT from some agency (I think it was Belief) that talked about where inspiration comes from. They even used both the Cog commercial and the art film it seems to have been based on. Bottom line, nothing is new under the sun. All that we see, hear, touch and do influences our work and whether we like it or not - we are often derivative. The creativity may lie in how we use the derivations rather than the derivations themselves.

Again, not making ANY excuses for the blatent stealing that's been going on. That is and always will be wrong.

OK, philosophical moment over.

[Hilt]

They say that all the jokes nowadays are evolved originally from five jokes.
Does that make jokes bad? Dont think so.
Of course, when you're heard your 10000th Swedish-joke and then someone tells the same jokes, but with Norwegians this time, it doesnt make you laugh anymore -unless they tell the Norwegian jokes better than the Swedish jokes.

Sure we've seen jokes like this ad before, but this is easily the best told joke so far in that category.

[Tiziano]

They say that all the jokes nowadays are evolved originally from five jokes.
Does that make jokes bad? Dont think so.

Well, that says it better than I did. :thumbsup:

Just providing food for thought.

[Chrissyboy]

There is CG in that ad. Not much, but some.

Which bits? I thought the whole point was that it was filmed live?

I'd dispute that it even could be made with CG - the whole point that makes it mesmerizing is that it's obviously real, and it's clearly one take. CG is obviously capable of all sorts of magic, but I don't think a slow, precise animation like this could be convincing to people who by their very nature are great at spotting fakes.

[dann_stubbs]

Which bits? I thought the whole point was that it was filmed live?

I'd dispute that it could be made with CG - the whole point that makes it mesmerizing is that it's obviously real, and it's clearly one take. CG is obviously capable of all sorts of magic, but I don't think a slow, precise animation like this could be convincing to people who by their very nature are great at spotting fakes.


http://www.snopes.com/autos/business/hondacog.asp

geez i thought this was all argued out over a year ago...

heres a nice res quicktime version

http://194.29.64.17/thecog/movie.html

dann

[jsls]

Thats a brilliant piece of cinematography not to mention all the time and pain to set up and execute the set correctly. As far as the controversy over it being a "stolen idea", thats just crazy talk, so every "mouse trap" type of chain reaction is now the property of the first person who put it on film?...I think not.

[AkaKico]

Thats a brilliant piece of cinematography not to mention all the time and pain to set up and execute the set correctly. As far as the controversy over it being a "stolen idea", thats just crazy talk, so every "mouse trap" type of chain reaction is now the property of the first person who put it on film?...I think not.


Seconds to that! :)

[marcom]

Thats a brilliant piece of cinematography not to mention all the time and pain to set up and execute the set correctly. As far as the controversy over it being a "stolen idea", thats just crazy talk, so every "mouse trap" type of chain reaction is now the property of the first person who put it on film?...I think not.

while i think that this nowadays old honda ad is very beautifully done (set-up, lighting, timing etc.). beautifull but nonetheless a rip off. not because fischli&weiss were the first ones to put one of this kind of chainreaction thingies on film, but because the honda-ad mimicks the "first" movie very closely.

cheers
marcom

[martinp]

Seconds to that! :)

Thirds! I was just going to say that we'd have to compare both of them to the computer game "The incredible machine" from years ago and then right back to "MouseTrap" the board game and beyond to anything vaguely Heath Robinson (for you UK readers :) )

On a different note, a friend in the ad business told me that these guys were the heros of the industry for some time when they did this. This was mainly because they didn't just take the 6 mil and spend it on first class flights for all the crew to film another "same-old" car ad in an exotic location. He cited a bath-cleaning product (or some such) for the UK that had to filmed in Oz "for the light".

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