Good Books launches 2nd installment ‘Havana Heat’ in Great Writers series via String Theory
Following on from the indie success of the original viral movie ‘Metamorphosis’ – a twisted look at the Good Books story as might have been told by the dark lord of Gonzo, Hunter S Thompson, Good Books presents Havana Heat – the second film in the Great Writers series via String Theory, Auckland and The Mill, London.
Animated by world-famous duo McBess and Simon of The Mill in London, Havana Heat is a steamy love letter to Good Books, in the bodice-ripping language made famous by Mills & Boon books. The Mill team has just won Production Company of the Year at the LIA (London International Awards) on Tuesday 6th November, 2012.
Each of the Great Writers films builds on the concept of telling the Good Books story in the style of some of the world’s greatest authors. All time and effort is donated for free fuelling the cornerstone of Good Books, for the collective good.
And, as producer Nick Barnes says, the rationale behind this campaign was simple: since it started the charity, they thought it was about time they set about using their creative powers to raise awareness of it.
Jeremy Taine, ECD of String Theory and author of the series and colleague Tom Paine came up with the original concept–to tell the Good Books story in the style of different authors. Taine then sat down wrote a few scripts, one in the style of Hunter S. Thompson, one in the style of Mills and Boon, another in the style of mystery legend Raymond Chandler, and one in the style of J. R. R. Tolkien. And Barnes was then tasked with convincing some of the best animation companies in the world to get behind the scheme, pro bono.
Says Barnes: “It’s just about creative people coming together to do good. That’s what String Theory is all about. We’re new and we’re trying to set ourselves apart. We’re not just about selling things. We care about society, and the greater good.”
Taine is understandably thrilled.
Says Taine: “To work with the likes of Buck TV and now The Mill is a writer’s dream. To have them get behind the Good Books concept and donate a staggering amount of time and resources to the cause for free is more than we could have ever hoped for.”
Says Luke Colson, head of Mill Studio: “We became involved when New Zealand based creative agency String Theory sent us two wonderfully clever and funny scripts to choose from, and asked us which one we would be interested in bringing to life! We all agreed that we simply had to opt for the Mills and Boon muscle ripping epic and couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
“We were also really inspired by the amazing work design house ‘Buck’ did for the original Good Books film, bringing the clever ‘Metamorphosis’ script to life in brilliant style. So after deciding on the double entendres world of Mills and Boon’ we were naturally led to the conclusion that our talented French animating-directing duo, mcbess and Simon would bring something really special and saucy to the table.
“After String Theory had and approved the treatment, we embarked on what would end up being three months of illustration, Flash and After Effects work… not forgetting 3D Matte paintings and background work… but this was for such a great cause everyone involved was more than happy to donate their time and talents to get the results everyone wanted”.
Good Books strategic partnership lies with Oxfam New Zealand.
Barry Coates, executive director of Oxfam New Zealand, is equally humbled.
Says Coates: “With charities competing more and more for the same dollar, hopefully this collaborative model is a new era in charity fundraising. We are eternally grateful to the worldwide creative community for giving their time and talent to benefit those who struggle for the very basics of life.”
The Good Books model is unique – and simple. Online book buyers are asked to do no more than just buy the titles they want through Good Books. All retail profits are then given to Oxfam to help fight its global battle against poverty and social injustice. There is no mark-up and delivery is free worldwide.
Good Books was created by Dr Jane Cherrington, a keen observer of human consumer behavior. As the world’s altruistic community becomes harder to tap, she proposed a new model to provide a perpetual revenue stream for charity by converting an everyday purchase opportunity into a vehicle for gifting – in this case, books.
More films are planned, and fans of the series could find themselves with a role to play in sharing the story. Fans of books (and indeed films) are welcome to pitch scripts, offer services, or make suggestions for film subjects to help bring the Good Books story to life.