We identified the YouTube pre-roll platform as a uniquely interactive medium rather than a traditional linear format like television.  

There is more to this format than anemic cutdowns of tv commercials. Apart from being tailored to the viewers data-habits - essentially becoming a private experience, the medium also allows content with any running length. We found both of these parameters incredibly exciting in cinematic terms and approached the relationship with the viewer in absurdly literal terms.

The creative end-results reposition the YouTube interface as a window into a tangible alternative reality.  From a god-like perspective, viewers find themselves looking down upon an absurd scenario, confronted with the responsibility of aiding our seemingly trapped protagonist from an existential crisis. As the sole sentient character within each of these hopeless and dinner-less scenarios, the main character pleads directly to the viewer, possibly forever - until you take action to interact and alter the situation.

We worked with our lead actor in rehearsing long, single takes with dramatic tangents that were more akin to a live-action theatre of life than something you would ever see on television.

Pre-roll gets a bad rap too often, however, it’s likely to be the most commonly encountered interactive medium within the average person's daily routine. Though there are a handful of great examples that work with the format, pre-roll is still rarely used innovatively. We wanted to celebrate the unique aspects of the format rather than just let it become a place where ads go to die.

Director / Co Writer: Lachlan Dickie

Producer: Toby Webster 

On Set Producer: Marcus Butler

Executive Producer: Oliver Hammerton

Production Studio: Warren

Agency: Abel

Creatives: Nicole Heatherington, Simon Fowler

Client: Google x Dinnerly

DOP: Campbell Brown

Gaffer:  Steve Daley 

Art Director: Sofie Fletcher

Wardrobe: Alicia Clements / Rosie Hodge

Edit: Lachlan Dickie

Sound Design: Mitchell Dickie

Online / Grade: Matt Fezz