Kellogg's Nutri-Grain - "Meet the Mortons" - (2013) :30 (USA)

Filmworkers and Vitamin recently provided visual effects and post-production services for a new, national spot about a family of vampires who learn to love mornings thanks to Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain.

Conceived by Leo Burnett, Chicago, the spot opens on a vampire couple who are interviewed in their suburban home. Admitting they weren’t “morning people,” the couple tells how their lives have been turned upside down by the crunchy taste of Nutri-Grain Fruit Crunch Bars. The whole family is now rising early and accomplishing much more. Dad even has time to walk the family bat.

The visual effects crews from Filmworkers and Vitamin contributed a number of effects to the spot, including a 3D bat that the vampire dad takes for a stroll. Vitamin artists went to great lengths to make the creature as realistic as possible and also drew inspiration from classic Hollywood vampire films.
“Real bats are not all that interesting because they move too fast,” explains Vitamin Creative Director Danny DelPurgatorio. “Instead, we took our bat into a more theatrical world and gave it a playful movement, as if often done in movies.”

Filmworkers applied additional effects work and also completed final post-production. Colorist Fred Keller applied the final color grade, using a Baselight system to give the spot a slightly macabre cast. “We gave it a vampire feel,” Keller says, “There’s not too much skin tone, but it still has an interesting color palette.”

DelPurgatorio says that the cleverness of the spot’s concept made it fun to work on. “It was a great idea,” he observes. “Our work needed to be subtle and to blend into the overall vision.”

Filmworkers is located at 232 E. Ohio St. Penthouse, Chicago, IL 60611. For more information, call (312) 664-9333 or visit www.filmworkers.com.
Vitamin is located at 232 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611. For more information, call 312.664.6683 or visit www.vitaminpictures.tv

Agency: Leo Burnett, Chicago. Bruno Pieroni, Creative Director; Ed Tua, Creative Director/Writer; Tony Wallace, Executive Producer.
Production: MJZ. The Pelorian Brothers, Directors.
Edit: Spotwelders. Lucas Spalding, Editor.
VFX: Vitamin. Daniel DelPurgatorio, Creative Director; Sam Gierasimczuk, Associate Creative Director; Michael Siegel, 3D Artist; Daniel DelPurgatorio and Rob Foster, Compositing; Larissa Shames, Executive Producer.
Post: Filmworkers. Fred Keller, Colorist; Justin Winkler, Flame Artist; Lisa Long, Executive Producer.