Tennessee Aquarium “Look Deeper” TV Commercial
“Look Deeper” is a cinematic TV commercial with a dash of quirky. It was directed by Leif Ramsey for the Tennessee Aquarium. The spot was produced by Pathfinder Films, a Tennessee-based production company.
TV COMMERCIAL DIRECTED BY LEIF RAMSEY
The Ask
Find all the “little wows” along the way.
The Solve
A cinematic TV commercial with a dash of quirky.
Leif’s Director Statement
My goal was to create authentic moments that had a storybook finish. The brand wanted to feature the unexpected creatures and moments, and how educators come alongside visitors to enhance the wow moments.
I felt that the character reactions and filming from a unique camera perspective was key:
For lensing, we used a probe lens to get closer to small animals and make them feel more important — poison dart frogs, turtles, butterflies. The key character reverse that plunges us into the world, was shot fish-eye to exaggerate the scale of the visitors.
Character blocking and camera movement should always work to draw us in. For the opening scene with the aquarium’s educator, I borrowed the blocking from a scene in Dead Poets Society where the boys were all gathered around Robin Williams.
I wanted the visitors to feel as unique as the animals, part of that was casting the right faces, the other part was brought to life through the fantastic eye of our wardrobe lead, Haven Howell.
CREDITS
Director: Leif Ramsey
EP: Lucky Ramsey
Line Producer: Derek Peters
Key PA: Luke Chandler
DoP: Chris Stiles
1AC: Dillan Forsey
2AC: Garrett Henderson-Black
Gaffer: David George
Key Grip: Glenn Stegall
Grip: Rhyan Simmons
Wardrobe: Haven Howell
Editor: Edy Recendez
Sound Mixing: Daniel Cooper
Colorist: Chris Stiles
PF Wins Three Telly Awards
Pathfinder Films wins three Telly Awards. Award-winning ads include projects for Ford, Bang & Olufsen, Tennessee Aquarium, and Twin Lakes Fiber. The spots were directed by Leif Ramsey, and DoP’d by Chris Stiles and Bryan Fowler.
“The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work created within television and across video, for all screens…. [It] receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 States.”
Gold Winner: Ford + B&O “Sounds of Adventure”
The open road has never sounded so good! Directed by Leif Ramsey and captured by Chris Stiles, the ad won a national Gold Telly Award for Cinematography.
Collaborating with Ford, B&O, Miles Partnership and DMO Chattanooga Tourism Co. the commercial was a unique audio-first experience that brought the sounds of adventure to life.
Silver Winner: Tennessee Aquarium “Endless Adventures”
Like the opening sequence of an epic IMAX movie we fly across a great space revealing a world of water and striking architecture. This grand, sweeping tourism commercial won a Silver Telly in Travel / Tourism for the Tennessee Aquarium. It was directed by Leif Ramsey, written by Steven Preisman and captured by Chris Stiles.
Silver Winner: Twin Lakes Fiber “Sorry for Your Internet”
Killing lag with kindness, that’s what fiber internet providers do in the South. Ready? And…cue death joke! “Sorry for Your Internet” is comedy dialog ad for Twin Lakes, a 10-gig rural internet provider. It won a Silver Telly for Regional TV and was directed by Leif Ramsey, written by Steven Preisman and captured by Bryan Fowler.
“Endless Adventures” TV30 Tennessee Aquarium
BROADCAST CAMPAIGN DIRECTED BY LEIF RAMSEY
Like the opening of an epic film — we fly across a great space slowly rotating in a world of water and grand architecture. At each stop a different group of people stand silhouetted against the scene reacting to what they see. "Explore a world of endless adventures at the Tennessee Aquarium."
”Endless Adventures” is a broadcast TV campaign produced for the Tennessee Aquarium, a popular family tourism destination.
Endless Adventures TV30
Endless Adventures TV15
Endless Adventures :10
Director’s Treatment
BY LEIF RAMSEY
“These spots are dynamite.”
“The Curious Map” for the Tennessee Aquarium
A WES ANDERSON INSPIRED TV SPOT DIRECTED BY LEIF RAMSEY
A child’s hand smoothes a Wes-Anderson-style world map. Another child’s hand reaches in and taps on a continent: Antarctica. Eyes raise with a question? Eyes respond with a nod. Narrator: "Explore the world in one amazing place, at the Tennessee Aquarium."
We produced a hero TV30 spot for broadcast and social, and :15s and :10s cutdowns. Just for fun, there’s a director’s cut :60 that gives the commercial a full Wes Anderson treatment, featuring the map and characters.
Leif Ramsey directed the commercials. The production for the spots was a collaboration with the marketing team at the Tennessee Aquarium.
The Curious Map :30
The Curious Map :15
The Curious Map :60
GET BEHIND THE SCENES
Did you know that otters are treat motivated? They’ll do anything for a carrot. Trust us, they were shameless in their frolicking. You can browse the director’s treatment and see behind-the-scenes photos from production here.
CINEMATIC MOMENTS
To bring the director’s treatment to life the DP, Chris Stiles, leaned in with the perfect marriage of pixels and glass. The spot was filmed on IMAX spec’d Sony VENICE with anamorphic lenses.
