This is fantastic, the final film 'UP THERE' produced over the duration of Stella Artois' 'Ritual Project' in New York in collaboration with Colossal Media. I've already talked at length about this work and my admiration for Colossal Media so I won't cover the old ground again here but what I love about this film is the mixture of old and new: the retired sign writer talking alongside the new apprentice/trainee; the modern twist on the old medium (they did a number of designs over a three week period); the evolution of the 'pounce wheel' into the electronic 'pounce pen' for perforating the layout sheets for chalking. It is all about the revival, taking from the traditional but adapting and changing, just as signwriters throughout time have learned from their masters and then added their own personality and individuality to their designs and techniques.
I think this is a brilliant project and to create the film alongside it has added an additional layer of depth. It's interesting that the idea was conceived by the advertising agency, Mother, who started life in the UK and who were responsible for moving Stella Artois away from their iconic rural France campaigns. If this is the direction they're taking in the states then hurry up and get something going over here in the UK.
Enjoy the film.
