| Title | THE BITTER BOND |
| Brand | BORN FREE FOUNDATION |
| Product/Service | BORN FREE FOUNDATION |
| Category |
A10. Animation |
|
Entrant
|
ENGINE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Idea Creation
|
ENGINE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Media Placement
|
ENGINE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
PR
|
ENGINE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Production
|
BLINKINK London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Production 2
|
ZOMBIE STUDIO São Paulo, BRAZIL
|
Credits
| Jason Keet |
ENGINE |
Art Director |
| James Hodson |
ENGINE |
Copywriter |
| Paulo Garcia |
Zombie Studio |
Director |
| Daniel Salles |
Zombie Studio |
Director |
| Steve Hawthorne |
ENGINE |
Creative Director |
| Paul Jordan |
ENGINE |
Executive Creative Director |
| Bart Yates |
Blinkink |
Executive Producer |
| Katy Hopkins |
ENGINE |
Creative Director |
| Stefanie Forbes |
ENGINE |
Agency Producer |
| Eve Bui |
Engine |
Account Executive |
| Gemma Glover |
ENGINE |
Influencer Strategist |
| Tom Butler |
ENGINE |
Account Executive |
| Katie Gould |
ENGINE |
Account Executive |
| Natalia Gouvea |
Zombie Studio |
Executive Producer |
| Lucas Barreto |
Zombie Studio |
Cinematographer |
| Ben Leeves |
Jungle |
Sound Engineer |
| Alex Wilson-Thame |
Jungle |
Sound Design Arrangement |
| Bruno Monteiro |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Marcio Lovato |
Zombie Studio |
Producer |
| Antonela Castro |
Zombie Studio |
Producer |
| Leticia Harumi |
Zombie Studio |
Producer |
| Yohann De Geb |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Bruna Berford |
ENGINE |
Animator |
| Bruno Santos |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Christian Weckl |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Conrado Testa |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Francisco Catão |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Hannry Pschera |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Jonathan Edward |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Leonardo Felix |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Leonidas Felix |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Leonidas Maciel |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Marcos Elias |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Michel Denis Da Silva |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Rodrigo Dutra |
Zombie Studio |
Animation |
| Marcio Pasqualino |
Zombie Studio |
Colourist |
| Laura Sammarco |
ENGINE |
Strategist |
| Jack Cartwright |
Engine |
Social Strategist |
Write a short summary of what happens in the film
An innocent lion cub opens his eyes to see a friendly keeper, a woman. The two of them bond instantly. They do everything together. Some tourists want to take photos with the frightened cub, but she lets him know it’s okay. The cub meets lots of tourists as he grows into a fully grown adult. Then, one day, his keeper finally releases him into the wild. The lion trots around the Savannah for a while, enjoying his freedom, until he falls asleep on a rock. Then he hears the sound of a truck. Curious, he goes to see. It’s his keeper - the one who raised her! She waits with her arms outstretched as he runs to her – but then he’s shot by a waiting hunter. As our lion dies, the last thing he sees is her keeper taking money from the hunter. The ultimate betrayal is complete.
Cultural / Context information for the jury
In South Africa lions are raised in so-called sanctuaries that are little more than breeding pens for trophy hunters. Tourists are often duped into visiting these ‘petting facilities’ where they’re told that the lions are rescued orphans. Although these places might look friendly and innocent, they are not at all. They are prisons that exploit lions for commercial purposes and then sell them to be shot.
Tell the jury about type(s) of animation used and summarise any relevant challenges or techniques.
We shot all the sets and backgrounds for real and then animated the characters within it. We used 3D animation for its fluidity and the room it allowed for expressive characteristics but combined it with the beauty and richness from camera-captured scenes. All of the scenery was built by set design artists and then captured using studio lighting with motion control. After that, all of the camera footage was exported to 3D and then the characters were built and animated. Colour in particular played a major role in helping deceive the audience into thinking this is a beautiful story of friendship between cub and keeper, with light pastels at the beginning changing to darker colours as the brutal betrayal is revealed. The film is a great demonstration of how animation can emotionally and intellectually engage people on a subject that can be too horrific through live action.