Hotspur and Argyle

Lionel Messi has been named the world’s greatest footballer for an unprecedented fourth year in a row and within seconds of his receiving the Ballon D’Or trophy in Zurich this sumptuous tribute film, created by Hotspur & Argyle’s Richard Swarbrick, was released by Adidas.

Richard has achieved pre-eminence as a football animator with his widely lauded films of Gareth Bale, Wayne Rooney and others so he was the obvious choice when Adidas charged agency Iris Worldwide with the task of marking this unique moment.

The stunning film was rendered in apposite gold by Richard and his animation assistants Hannah Wroe and Amy Philpot. The editor was Simon Hargood at the Assembly Rooms, Iris Worldwide’s producer was Fiona Campbell and creative was Adam Fish. Danny Fleet produced for Hotspur and Argyle.

There is no Great British festive season until the BBC1 Christmas campaign is in full swing, so it gives us great pleasure to announce that this year’s star studded extravaganza – directed by Hotspur & Argyle’s David Kerr – is now ringing out on TV screens up and down the country.

It tells the story of a vainglorious BBC producer played by Rob Brydon who takes on responsibility for the channel’s Christmas output after Danny Boyle turns the job down for being ‘too big’. Assisted by Sarah Alexander, Brydon’s other recruits include David Walliams, Miranda Hart, Matt Smith, the cast of Call the Widwife, Lee Mack, Mrs Brown, Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood, the starts of EastEnders, Pudsey the dancing dog and Shrek.

Yes, Shrek.

The campaign was scripted by RKCR/Y&R’s Algy Sharman, Al Brown, Steve Moss and Jo Finch, David’s DP was John de Borman, the editor was Simon Wilcox and the producer was Carrie Hart.

Click here to view the first episode of the campaign.

The second episode is now on air! Click the image below to take a look.

Merry Christmas!

Richard Swarbrick’s new film for Google’s Crisis response service was rushed out ahead of schedule last week as Hurricane Sandy battered the East coast of America. The service is part of Google.org, the company’s nonprofit arm, whose focus is to use Google products and engineers to help solve problems. Richard’s trademark painterly style was employed to bring a visual unity to the disaster footage with compelling results. Assisting in the animation were regular collaborators Amy Philpott, Hannah Wroe and Lucy Watkins. The film was produced for Google by Across the Pond and Fred & Eric in collaboration with Hotspur & Argyle.

Richard Swarbrick‘s latest football animation is of arguably the greatest goal ever scored. Using a new, newspaper-collage technique Richard reincarnates Maradona’s second for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter final with renewed beauty and resonance. The film will be part of the Fantasista project celebrating football art, devised by Richard with Chris Platt. To find out more read the duo’s interview with seminal football blog In Bed With Maradona.

The Second season of David C Kerr’s multi award-winning student sitcom ‘Fresh Meat’ is finally here and the reviews are giving new meaning to the word rave.

‘It’s a witty, sordid delight’ says the Metro and ‘cringe-inducingly hilarious’ according to GQ who add: ‘at this rate, we hope they never graduate’.

Remembering his own student days, Stuart Jeffries in the Guardian says ‘We used to dream throughout the Thatcher years – dream I tell you – of a sitcom as sharp as Fresh Meat’. Warming to the theme, Daily Telegraph’s Bryony Gordon adds: ‘watching Fresh Meat feels like being privy to something special. It’s also well-crafted, poignant and very, very amusing – let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 30 years for something just as good’.

Amen to that.

We are delighted to announce the addition of esteemed food director Emma Reynolds to Hotspur & Argyle’s roster. The world’s been watching Emma’s irresistible food photography for years through numerous programmes she has made with elite TV chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc, Marco Pierre White, Michel Roux Jnr, Jean Christophe Novelli and Gary Rhodes. She is new to commercials but her filmmaking experience is extensive: her work in TV encompassed Sport, Wildlife, News, Light Entertainment, Kids and Music before she discovered that making food look delicious and beautiful was her true vocation. Click the image above to see examples of her work and get in touch with Danny Fleet here at Hotspur & Argyle if you’d like to know more.

Behold the gorgeous director’s cut of Martin Aamund’s Budweiser FA Cup commercial. We urge you to click here to see his ebullient celebration of the British pub and the ritual of the match. Made for legendary creative director Walter Campbell, then at Anomaly, now at TBWA, this version is accompanied by The Drinking Song from Romberg’s operetta The Student Prince. Watch full screen if you can.

Director of Photography was Mattias Rudh, editor was Billy Mead at Tenthree with post production by The Mill. Anomaly’s Producer was Poppy Manning and Danny Fleet produced for Hotspur & Argyle.

Theo Delaney’s new campaign for Blue Square takes aim at the nonsense that is synonomous with modern football. The opening ads Feigning Injury and Manager Gesticulations, shot in a reportage style, show ordinary members of the public acting like Premier League prima donnas on the sleepy suburban streets of Chiswick. Click the manager above to check out his moves.

Adam Lyne produced for Hotspur & Argyle, with Nigel Foster producing for Arnold KLP. Creatives were Jim Thornton, Matthew Walker and Adam Kirby. Editor was Simon Hargood from the Assembly Rooms.

Written, shot, cut and finished in little more than an afternoon, Theo Delaney has directed a new film for Code Club starring HRH The Duke of York and the inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. The film is the result of a collaboration between Hotspur and Argyle, Albion, Unruly Media and Founders Forum to help Code Club spread the teaching of computer code to children in after school clubs up and down the country.

The film’s illustrious cast also features European Facebook boss Joanna Shields, YouTube founder Chad Hurley, newly ennobled ex-minister Dame Tessa Jowell, Lastminute.com founders Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman and the man who sold skype for eight billion dollars, Niklas Zennström. Each is subjected to an irreverent grilling by a panel of nine year olds looking for a new Code Club recruit – but only one is fortunate enough to get the job.

The once in a lifetime casting opportunity was the result of the Founders Forum event for three hundred leading digital entrepreneurs at the opulent Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire. Attendees were invited to pitch ideas for the film before lunch and the winning concept was turned into a script by an Albion team led by creative director Nick Darken. The film was screened after dinner to a rapturous reception from the assembled millionaires and luminaries.

Editor was The Quarry’s Jonathan Casey, Cameraman was Ciro Candia and Producers were Adam Lyne for Hotspur and Argyle and Petrina Kilby for Albion.