Royal Ontario Museum - Nature's Symphony

This promotional video created for the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is truly a masterpiece of creative storytelling. It's one of those rare pieces of marketing that you simply have to see to believe. The concept defies conventional expectations, presenting an opera-singing chimpanzee as its central character - a surprising choice that instantly grabs attention and leaves a lasting impression. 

The three-minute video is packed with jaw-dropping visuals that seamlessly intertwine with the music, creating an immersive and unforgettable experience. These visuals are not just eye-catching; they are thought-provoking, aligning beautifully with the theme, “We live on in what we leave behind.” 

This poignant message speaks to the ROM's mission of preserving history and knowledge for future generations. Produced by Revolver Films and shot by Director of Photography Paul Meyers, the cinematography is nothing short of stunning. This promotional video is a bold and innovative approach to museum advertising, standing out for its creativity and depth. It’s a brilliant example of how art, performance, and storytelling can come together to communicate a powerful message.

Intelligence Test

Douglas Adams was right. More often than not we discover that we are not necessarily the brightest of animals on the planet. Here a scientist tries – somewhat vainly – to get a chimp to perform a few tests in order to measure his intelligence. He gets a little more than he bargained for. There is a moral to this story, somewhere!

This short but very funny animation was created by Lee Daniels, an independent Illustrator, animator, and all round graphic design professional with a sense of humor. It was created using the Adobe CS5 Master Collection, After Effects, Premiere, Illustrator, and our old friend Photoshop.

Space Chimp

Everyone is familiar with the chimps that were used in the space programs of several countries in the fifties and sixties. What would happen if one was sent on an incredibly long journey? What would they return to?

This is what Space Chimp explores. It shows the return to earth of our eponymous hero many decades after he first set out. It was reated as a collaboration between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Ben Lee and Leo Burnett. There is a definite and clear message about our planet carried by this very short film and you may well find yourself reaching for a hanky by the end. To make it pull at your heart strungs even further it features Ben Lee's track, Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe which celebrates a homecoming. Very cool altogether.

Alpha

A monkey is captured and coerced in to taking part in the space program.  Ultimately he will be launched in to space.  Yet, despite all of his conditioning, will the true nature of the chimp out in the end?  You might be able to guess the answer to that but the journey towards the denouement is one of, effectively, enslavement which culminates in emancipation.

The story is simple but effective.  There are some genuine comic moments and also - quite rare in much animation - grown up poignancy which might go over the head of some of the younger members of the audience but is not lost on the adults.


This is a great piece of animation.  With a Wizard of Oz type flourish it begins in black and white and – at a certain point – goes in to glorious technicolour.  There are visual jokes in abundance here and the expressions on the chimp’s face are wonderfully done.  The animation was created by The Animation Workshop, a widely regarded Danish establishment which trains people to work in the international film industry.