Ancestry is Australia and New Zealand’s leading family history platform, which offers members access to one billion historical family records. To help more people discover their personal lineage, Ancestry came up with an exclusive offering which would provide free access to an extensive database of criminal and convict records dating back to the 1700s, for one week only.

Shotbox Films collaborated with long-term partners Workshop agency, to produce a multi-level advertisement campaign aimed at those wanting to unlock the secrets of the past. Shotbox developed an idea around our unique family histories and how they link to our present day.

The 30 second broadcast commercial was captured by director Jif Morrison and DOP Robert C Morton. Taking an approach that Workshop had not used before, the production team told an engaging, layered story all within a single shot, through the magic of post production.

Filmed within the barber shop at the QT Hotel in Sydney, the video transitions from appearing like 1900s damaged film through to a stylish modern-day grain. Period styling adds to the authentic feel of the clip, but it is the mastery of GFX that sets this commercial apart.

Motion designer James Anderson and the post production team built the film damage from scratch. Typical plugins and programs can appear over exaggerated and fake, so the team manually created convincing film damage effects from a combination of plugins and techniques, like exposure and water damage.

Music, background effects and an engaging voice over help build the creative narrative and act as the emotional hook of the commercial. Piecing together the story with director and editor working side by side made for a collaborative post-production process. The new story-telling approach that was developed and refined through this project is still in use by Ancestry today. It received huge domestic traction, new memberships and made for a very happy client. This project saw us take a single shot clip and elevate with an engaging story, innovative editing and a talented team of creatives.