ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Category
Motion / Film / Personal Project
Annual ID
ADC104_MOT030S
The handcrafted puppetry film 'Group Session' is about finding your creative spark. It's made for the OFFF Festival, without a briefing or budget, but with loads of passion.
Idea
In the film we follow Geoff; a young and creative individual who struggles to figure out, if there’s something wrong with him. This ‘finding your creative self’ issue is a relevant issue among creative students and professionals. It's also the deeper level of this narrative that we told in a playful and positive way to inspire those fellow creatives.
Execution
We made a serious story lighthearted and playful by choosing to make and use handcrafted puppets, sets, and props. The level of detail in the script, song, and set design emphasizes the theme - finding your creative strengths. The effort, time, and dedication put into producing the project inspires fellow creatives even more.
Relevancy
It's curiosity that ties together the film and the audiences at OFFF Festival (+2000 people) and beyond. Curiosity is a sign that you're still creative, coming up with ideas, and capable of making great things. It's just that sometimes, this curiosity can manifest itself in anxious ways, as happened with Geoff and his intervention of tools. Our playful and positive way of storytelling is a way to confirm we're all curious.
Considerations
Making a short film was a completely new venture for us. Usually, we do photography, video, and short stop-motion animation for commercial clients but on a tabletop scale. We made this film with a super small team, in 3 months time, on zero budget but - as said before - with a lot of passion from everyone involved.
Idea
In the film we follow Geoff; a young and creative individual who struggles to figure out, if there’s something wrong with him. This ‘finding your creative self’ issue is a relevant issue among creative students and professionals. It's also the deeper level of this narrative that we told in a playful and positive way to inspire those fellow creatives.
Execution
We made a serious story lighthearted and playful by choosing to make and use handcrafted puppets, sets, and props. The level of detail in the script, song, and set design emphasizes the theme - finding your creative strengths. The effort, time, and dedication put into producing the project inspires fellow creatives even more.
Relevancy
It's curiosity that ties together the film and the audiences at OFFF Festival (+2000 people) and beyond. Curiosity is a sign that you're still creative, coming up with ideas, and capable of making great things. It's just that sometimes, this curiosity can manifest itself in anxious ways, as happened with Geoff and his intervention of tools. Our playful and positive way of storytelling is a way to confirm we're all curious.
Considerations
Making a short film was a completely new venture for us. Usually, we do photography, video, and short stop-motion animation for commercial clients but on a tabletop scale. We made this film with a super small team, in 3 months time, on zero budget but - as said before - with a lot of passion from everyone involved.
2025 Awards
Total Points: 21
Silver Cube
Credits
Design Firm
Studio Mals & Setreset Films
Art Director
Koen Berkhout
Martin van der Molen
Silas Nout
Composer
Maarten Smeele
Digital Artist
Koen Berkhout
Silas Nout
Director of Photography
Koen Berkhout
Editor
Koen Berkhout
Illustrator
Max Peterse
Silas Nout
Lighting Designer
Koen Berkhout
Producer
Eileen Boeijkens
Sound Designer
Lars van Leeuwen
Behind the scenes
Paula Paduraru
Character Design
Koen Berkhout
Max Peterse
Silas Nout
Color Grading
Koen Berkhout
Eye Animation and Tracking
Koen Berkhout
Lead Puppetmaker
Silas Nout
On set Assistant
Inge Groeneveld
Lotte Cremers
Paula Paduraru
Props Designer
Martin van der Molen
Puppeteer
Koen Berkhout
Martin van der Molen
Silas Nout
Puppetmaker
Anne van den Berg
Eileen Boeijkens
Marlice van den Oord
Paula Paduraru
Silas Nout
Set build assistant
Randy Beker
Set Designer
Martin van der Molen
Song mix
Koen Jansen
Voice Actor
Eddie Contento
Maarten Smeele
Shaun Leyden
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