That’s not fair, Spike Jonze. Wasn’t it enough all that cinematography goodness for one of the most beloved books of all time? You really had to put my favorite band playing on the trailer?

If the children don’t grow up,
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We’re just a million little god’s causing rain storms
Turnin’ every good thing to rust.

Rare Exports Inc, from the land of the original Father Christmas

A long, long time ago Father Christmases roamed free in Lapland. At some point in time, native people found out that these creatures could be caught, and trained to become well-mannered servants. In 1793, a group of native Laplanders set up a small company to export extremely rare Original Finnish Father Christmas ® all over the World. Today, Rare Exports Inc. is one of
the most successful companies in Finland trading with nearly 150 countries.

Rare Exports Inc, directed by Jalmari Helander and produced by Woodpecker Film (http://www.woodpeckerfilm.fi) shows the process of transforming a wild Father Christmas into a finished product, all the way from tracking and hunting in the wilderness, to the intensive training period and finishing touches made to the ready-to-be-shipped item.

A giant set
on a tiny scale.
Thousands of hands
made by hand.
A forest of cherry blossoms
made of popcorn?
A crowd of scottie dogs
to fill an entire theatre.
A drawer full of faces
for just one piece of dialogue.
Fake hair
that thinks it’s real.
5 miles of gold hair thread
for a 5-inch wig?
3500 flowers
that all light up.

This is Coraline, the first handmade film shot in 3d, the film that I’d love to see on screen this Christmas. Sadly, it will only premiere next February. A Laika production, with Henry Selick directing (of Nightmare Before Christmas), the film is based on Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book.

Before you head on to the website you’ll need these passwords to access the different videos:
stopmotion
buttoneyes
moustachio
puppetlove
armpithair
sweaterxxs

Enjoy.

Branded entertainment has found a new home on the web, with collaborations between brands and media industries. From sweepstakes to sponsored videocasts, the growth of online content is being fed by partnerships with brands.
One of the most active participants are movie studios, and altough many brands are only trying to cash in on the big names like “Star Wars” or “James Bond”, some campaigns actually feel relevant to the film plot.

Such is the case for Mercedes-Benz and their latest van, Viano. Together with Hamburg agency Syzygy AG, they’ve accomplished a beautifully executed website, The Best Place For Heroes.

Mercedes partnered with Disney, and based on the story of the blockbuster movie “Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian” created a interactive narrative where the beauty of their online video navigation stands out.

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From becoming a Narnia mythical creature (yes, that’s me above) to a hero message board (aren’t these the new guestbooks ?) the whole experience makes you wonder if you’re in a movie website, in a theater or just enjoying a road trip adventure on the new van. Be sure to turn you audio on and explore the online chronicle.

Source: Ars Thanea Blog