Jake & Will: CONTEST WARRIORS

Two filmmakers chasing the dream of producing their first feature film...
...and financing it solely through winning video contests.


THIS VIDEO won $10,000 and a trip to London in the recent Mofilm ad competition.

The thing is... it is almost exactly the same ad that we made. Compare it with our entry in the competition:



Where do you think they had an edge? Or do you think we got robbed? Discuss.

8 comments:

Prince Gomolvilas said...

Your video had way better production value and execution, so I'm guessing the special effects of the other video was what did it. Damn!

Baggy2525 said...

I agree the only thing they had over you was the CGI for the mouth on the cake. However, that was very poorly done. The production value were much higher in your video. The food styling was much better in your video. You also did a more complete job of selling the brand and why using their product would help you beat the temptation of the food. I say you were robbed. Especially since all their images are all distorted funny and from photographic perspective they're driving me nuts. I'm not quite sure what they saw as being over yours. Unless they were just blown away by the intro Logo animation, which shouldn't factor into it. Keep up the good work I don't see anything specific that you did wrong in this video.

Donovan Keith said...

Okay, since no one else is saying it: Funny ethnic voice.

Your video totally owns with regards to production value, it's definitely the more television-ready of the two. It also feels a lot more like a Yoplait ad (especially the second-half).

Yours is a more dramatic take on the subject and perhaps is painfully close to the internal monologue of a lot of dieters. The other video is more playful. If your cheesecake had been more charismatic in its temptations and less creepy you would have won with this set of judges.

-Donovan

Will said...

I can definitely see that. Great feedback.

Casey said...

My knee-jerk, singularly unqualified response is that the judges chose the wrong video. Yours was more professional, more enjoyable, with better production and better execution of essentially the exact same concept. Sorry this happened to you, guys. Not to worry, though! When talent and opportunity meet again you'll come out on top.

Anonymous said...

Well I think the vintage Austin-Powersy music with the ethnic voice probably had that "comedic edge" they were looking for. It was kitschy and palyful in all the right ways.

But your video IS better produced, and more to the point. Its one of those things. There is no "better" or "best" once you reach a certain threshold of quality. Just "different."

Anonymous said...

Overall, I'd say your ad is the better of the two but something in the way it's executed makes the product seem like an unattractive or boring alternative to the temptation itself.

In your ad, once she decides to go with the Yoplait, she has a fleeting expression of unhappiness - as if she's settling for the yogurt. She's sacrificing what she wants for the healthier choice.

In the winner, the yogurt literally crushes the Boston cream pie. There's no doubt in the message: this yogurt is better than this pie.

It seems like a minor quibble but who knows with ad agencies or clients. It could also be something as simple as - your ad just looks too slick and they want something that reads as "homemade" or slightly amateur.

P.S. Why did a "Boston Cream Pie" have a Spanish accent anyway? Although, I guess a Boston accent wouldn't really read "seductive".

Anonymous said...

Well, why don't you just ask MOFILM?

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