Emmy Award-winning entertainment company Zoic Studios teams up with McKinney to drop viewers into a game that has no winner in a powerful new PSA for the Ad Council and Brady, “No Extra Life.” Crafted in the perspective of a first-person shooter video game, the spot follows the heart-racing experience of someone frantically racing through a home trying to find a loved one, only to discover that his unsecured gun is no longer where he keeps it in the top drawer, and that — to his horror — there is no response from his loved one from behind a locked bedroom door. Using the very genre that is often accused of desensitizing us to gun violence, the PSA delivers a poignant and sobering reminder that safe gun storage can help delay someone’s access to a gun by even a few moments, giving them a second chance at life. The PSA is a continuation of The Ad Council and Brady’s End Family Fire campaign originally launched in 2018 to highlight the importance of safe gun storage in the home and to introduce the term “family fire,” giving a name to any shooting that involves an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home.
Zoic Studios brought a wealth of experience in crafting dynamic storytelling for the gaming genre to this PSA, having created pulse-racing trailers for top publishers including PlayStation, Ubisoft and Capcom. The Zoic team designed the original cinematic CG game renderings found in modern triple A titles, with a meticulous eye towards art direction to infuse the video game experience with the comforts and familiarity of a home. Director Chris Jones led the team to bring viewers into the gamified world of the avatar, drawing them into what appears to be a thrilling chase, only to bring them along for a heart-wrenching search for an ending they could have never imagined.
Credits:
Client: The Ad Council and Brady
Agency: McKinney
Chief Creative Officer: Jonathan Cude
Group Creative Director: Alex Shulhafer, Jenny Nicholson
ACD/Art Director: Tyler Wriston (Print/Radio)
ACD/Copywriter: Robert George (Print/Radio)
Art Director: Jade Song
Copywriter: Chase Condrone
Account Supervisor: Melanie Wallace
Account Manager: Jaclyn Campbell
Project Manager: Elide Marks
Group Strategy Director: CJ Franzitta
Director, Data Strategy: Brian LoPiccolo
Data Strategist: Brianna Calderon-Roman
Executive Broadcast Producer: Naomi Newman
Associate Broadcast Producer: Taylor Osborne
Print Producer: Carolyn Petty
Integrated Producer: Kara O’Halloran
Digital Producer: Maggie Baker
Developer: Will Knowles
Digital Generalist: Alec Kunkel
Production: Zoic Studios
Director: Chris Jones
Creative Director: Julien Brami
Executive Producer: Jason Cohon
Senior Producer: Sabrina Harrison
Associate Producer: Ivan Barahona
Editor: Andrew Renfro
CG Supervisor: Christina Murguia
Compositing Supervisor: Andrew Bardusk
Lead Animator: Dave Funston
Previs: Delano Athias
Concept Artist: Laura Cosner
Model/Texture/Lookdev: Shamus McGlynn, Jeeah Huh, Renato Eiras, Pascal Polic,
Senior Lighter: Bill Spradlin, Christina Murguia
About Zoic Studios
Zoic Studios is an entertainment company based in Culver City, California, New York, NY and Vancouver, B.C., which creates computer-generated visual effects for film, television, commercials and video games.
“Visual Evolution” is their mission: to evolve the story, art, and technology of the moving image. Zoic’s accomplished artists and producers understand story, process, technique and relationships. Their team has a proven track record of success in a range of media including episodic, film, commercials and gaming. Masters in the fields of 3D, Compositing, and Production Management, their elite reputation attracts additional talent and encourages a strong work ethic. Zoic’s relationships with its clients are deep and long lasting. The company is known for results-driven excellence in all endeavors.