In the Christmas season, we all think about home. We go home, we invite people home, we prepare our homes to show off our homes. It’s a powerful time for WWF to talk about animals’ homes – the homes we are destroying.
Uncommon Creative Studio has created an emotive film for a desperate message from WWF, told without words, in black & white because these tools help it to get through our skins and into our hearts. The film highlights the vulnerability of our planet’s wildlife and the shared connection that people and nature have to the one place that is home to both. The organisation hopes to raise awareness and vital funds to help protect endangered species – as well as their natural habitats and landscapes – with the message that we would all be lost without a home, let’s protect theirs.
Uncommon’s story is accompanied by a wistful soundtrack, Them, from musician, Nils Frahm. The film was produced by MPC and directed by The Shirley Chipchase Collective, using both CG design and animation to craft the life-like elephant.
Since 1979, African elephants have disappeared from over 50% of their home-range, leaving an estimated 415,000 in the wild today. The species remains at risk due to poaching, with their habitat under continued pressure and fragmentation due to land conversion, infrastructure development and expanding agriculture, leading to conflicts with people. Around 90% of African elephants have been lost in the past century and across the globe, precious habitats are being destroyed at an alarming rate. As natural habitat is lost and human development increases, human-wildlife conflict is an increasing challenge, affecting both people and wildlife.
Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, stated “Every day, there are fewer places left that wildlife can call home. But we have the power to change things for the better. With the help of our supporters, WWF is working hard to protect elephants and their habitats as part of our mission to curb global nature loss.
“By adopting an elephant, you’re not only protecting this much-loved species, but also helping to develop solutions for people to live safely alongside elephants and benefit from conservation efforts. The generous donations we receive enable us to deliver positive environmental change across the globe and create a home where both nature and people can thrive.”
Christmas is the most important fundraising opportunity for WWF’s conservation work, generating important income to help protect species such as the elephant and restore their natural habitats.
The work is running in the UK and will debut during the Pride of Britain Awards on ITV, with other prime-time slots across Sky, Channel 4 and on-demand channels throughout the festive period, supported by a large digital presence.
Credits:
Client: WWF UK
Creative Studio: Uncommon
Production Company: MPC Creative
Director: The Shirley Chipchase Collective
Executive Producer: James Niklasson
Service Company: B2Y Production
Local Executive Producer: Alex Kenanov
Local Producer: Dani Vasev
Editor: Zoe Izzard
DOP: Krum Rodriguez
Post-Production: MPC
VFX Supervisor: Filip Popov
CG Lead: Matteo La Motta
2D Lead: Warren Gebhardt
Animation: Mack Knights
Asset Team: Silvia Bartoli, Amar Chundavadra, Matteo La Motta, Ria Banerjee & Ullas Thunga
Comp: Vaishali Awaghade, Anand Swain, Shaik Abdul Adil & Pratyush Paruchuri
VFX Producer: Sandra Eklund
Line Producer: Salil Thapa
Grade: MPC
Colourist: Matthieu Toullet
Soundtrack Composer: Nils Frahm
Track Name: Them
Published By: Manners McDade Music Publishing
Record Label: Erased Tapes Records
Audio Post-Production: Factory
Audio Engineer: James Utting
Audio Producer: Deborah Whitfield
Media Agency: Dentsu (Vizeum & Merkle)
Media Planners: Deborah Batchelor, Emma Bucknall & Simon Hiblen
