Summer is camping season and a high-risk time for wildfires, nine out of 10 of which are caused by human carelessness. With wildfire prevention in mind, DraftFCB tapped Director Jason Zada of Tool of North America and visual effects company Ntropic to create a new PSA called “Bonfire” on behalf of the Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

For “Bonfire,” Ntropic was presented with the challenge of redesigning Smokey Bear to add greater CG realism to the classic icon of wildfire prevention in an intensive 4-week production cycle. Ntropic’s animation acumen produced a full cinematic treatment for Smokey including lifelike hair and movement and physical proportions appropriate for the ultimate protector of the woods.

Ntropic worked hand in hand with both the agency and Jason Zada who directed the charming cautionary tale of the potential pitfalls of having a casual attitude towards fire and wildfire prevention- from an annoyed girlfriend to the impact on communities.

“It was amazing to work with the agency team and Jason on the rollout of the newly designed bear on Smokey’s 65th birthday,” says Ntropic’s Andrew Singara. “We were honored to help bring such a classic character to full 3d life.”

“Working closely with Jason Zada, our director from Tool of North America, and Andrew Sinagra, our VFX guru from Ntropic, reminded me just how lucky we are when given the chance to truly craft and shape and mold an idea into something special,” concludes DraftFCB Group CD Scott Murray. “These guys and their teams were the heart and soul of bringing this idea to life in a way that was fitting of an iconic figure like Smokey Bear.”

About Ntropic
Ntropic is a boutique VFX company with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since opening its doors in 1996, the studio has thrived on creating 2D and 3D visual effects for cinematic high-concept work from feature films such as ‘Underworld Evolution’ and ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ to commercials for Nissan, Mercedes, Coca-Cola and Kohl to music videos for My Chemical Romance, Justin Timberlake and Green Day. A staunch believer in creative collaboration and integrating all aspects into the whole, Ntropic partners with filmmakers to envision and design shots, and incorporate music and sound design.

About Tool
Tool of North America is known for its mastery of “very, very short films, with blatant product placement.” The aptly-named production company serves as an implement, enabling directors to discover-and then endlessly rediscover-what they do best. Tool’s talented roster and knack for delivering laugh-out-loud comedy and arresting visual style engenders advertising’s top honors. Well-established in the integrated media arena, Tool serves as a resource for agencies, collaborating with creatives to develop compelling content.

About DraftFCB
DraftFCB is a full marketing communications agency designed to build clients’ businesses by focusing on consumer behavior. DraftFCB create ideas that drive consumer behavior in the most creative ways.The Draft FCB objective is simple. To offer total integration that is effective and efficient and optimizes consumer behavioral insights to drive results.

Credits
Agency: DraftFCB
Sr. Producer: Tom Anderson
Associate Producer: Jeffrey Perino
Exec. CD: Teddy Brown
Group CD: Scott Murray

Production Company: Tool of North America
EP: Brian Latt
Director: Jason Zada
DP: Ross Richardson
Line Producer: Joby Oschner

Animation/VFX: Ntropic
Creative Director/VFX Lead: Andrew Sinagra CG Artists: Dustin Zachary & Rob Hubbard
Animator: Joel Fletcher
Producer: Esther Gonzalez
Executive Producer: Dana Townsend

Related Links
www.ntropic.com
www.toolofna.com
www.draftfcb.com