Passion directors Kyra and Constantin created this film for China’s largest retailer, JD.com: ‘Joy Story: Joy & Heron’.

The film is the heartwarming tale of Joy, the brand’s dog mascot, and her comic trials with a heron.

The large scale of the production meant the work was shared across Passion’s network of artists and studios, with work taking place in Melbourne, London and Barcelona.

The film was commissioned by 180.ai and created to coincide with 2018’s Year of the Dog.
“We immediately fell in love with this energetic, adorable character”, says Constantin, “and saw an opportunity to play with the innocence of the character, and connect the audience with company’s ethos in a genuine and meaningful way.”

The dialogue-free film uses the characters’ facial expressions and nuanced gestures to bring the story to life.

Says Katie Mackin, Passion Pictures Melbourne Managing Director: “We jumped at the chance to tell a story utilising this iconic character. From the outset, the client gave us real freedom– their sole ambition was to make a great film. And so began a truly collaborative process that saw Kyra & Constantin writing scripts and working extremely closely with JD.com and 180.ai to realise this lovely story and reimagine this brand hero."

CREDITS
Client: JD.com
Agency: 180.ai Inc. 
Creative Director: Kenneth Kuan 
Producer: Nancy Wang 
Account Executives: Wang Mengdi and Bonnie Tian
Production Company: Passion Pictures
Directors: Kyra & Constantin
Executive Producer: Katie Mackin
Producer: Fiona Fry, Sibylle Preuss
Music & Sound Mix: Nylon Studios

Jon Creamer

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