Will Wightman's certain success

What was it about this project that appealed to you, and did you immediately know how you wanted to approach it? 

Along with Johannes Leonardo being such a wicked agency, I think I just loved the characters. We created a few new ones in development, but the original script was already packed with great ideas. Even from that first script you could really feel there was a chance to build a whole entire world in this ad, which is so exciting and so rare. 

From that first script you could really feel there was a chance to build a whole entire world.

Oh, and there was no fixed duration, that’s always a treat! 

Above: Wightman's Gold Screen award-winning spot for Ore-Ida.  

Were there other films/shows that you used as inspiration for the way the spot would look?

The Wizard of Oz was one of my key references; the way the effects are done in that is so charming, but also downright beautiful. If we made something even half as gorgeous as that film I’d die an happy man. 

We were making something super-weird, you gotta embrace it!  

We looked at a lot of  Disney classics too, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Snow White... they were all super-inspiring. I feel so lucky to get to sit down and watch Snow White and call it research.  

How challenging was it to make a film that's sweet, a bit surreal, but also quite knowing about its own sweet-and-surrealness? 

It was something we were balancing right up into the edit. I think, ultimately, it was about committing fully to the bit and going really over the top with it. Looking back, I’d probably even push it further now. We were making something super-weird, you gotta embrace it!  

Above: Director Will Wightman.

Many of the effects are done practically; why did you make that decision and what do you think it adds to the spot? 

I think that warm, nostalgic Hollywood aesthetic really matched nicely with this idea of things being predictable. Those old movies are comfort movies for a lot of people, like chips are comfort food? That feels like a clear enough link, right?  

I’m a massive believer in doing things for real as much as possible.

Honestly though, I’m also just a massive believer in doing things for real as much as possible. You can’t beat the texture practical effects bring, and you never see them these days. It was a dream come true to pack 2D animation, prosthetics and giant backdrops like that in one advert!  

Can you tell us about the theme tune; who came up with it and how long did it take? 

The agency wrote a rough track and then I expanded it. I like to work with music from the very beginning of the process, it helps me really refine tone and pacing, and gets everyone on the exact same page from the off. When you work with the music from the from start, it also makes the whole thing feel like one organism and it influences every creative step of the journey. Wow, does it get stuck in your head, though?!