Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

Established in 1977 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Paradowski has outposts across the United States, Austria and the UK. We partner with brands from sectors as diverse as agriculture, technology, consumer goods, mobility, pets, entertainment and more.

Our specialties include brand building, media production, social and content marketing, experiential marketing, and emerging technology. We value play and curiosity, and we believe creativity thrives when people feel free to explore. We create space for all voices and put as much care into relationships as we do into craft, because when people feel respected and connected, the work gets better. All of these specialties are woven into our client work, including the Saint Louis Zoo and our Wild Lights campaign.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

Play Works. At Paradowski Creative, we use the power of play to make brand marketing that truly engages. It helps us solve business problems, meet audiences where they are, and turn interruption into participation. We believe great work starts with great culture. We value play and curiosity, and creativity thrives when people feel free to explore. Good ideas can come from anywhere, and we create space for all voices to be heard. We prioritize autonomy, trusting people with the flexibility to do their best work. We put the same care into relationships as we do into craft, inside our walls and with our clients. When people feel respected and connected, the work gets better. This ethos differentiates us in how we build brand value. When everyone is shouting, only smart brands win someone over with a smile.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

You can follow Paradowski Creative on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Facebook, and check out our website. Or if you want to have some real fun, play our game Purina Arena on Roblox.

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

“See Yourself in the Magic” is Paradowski’s second campaign created for Wild Lights, the Saint Louis Zoo’s annual winter holiday event. This year’s piece builds on our original Rankin/Bass-inspired Zoo world, as the event wonderfully unfolds before a cast of animated Zoo animals.

To drive attendance and revenue for 2024’s Wild Lights season, we asked the question: What makes the holiday season at the Zoo so magical? The answer lies in the Zoo’s unique role as a place of self-discovery. At Wild Lights, people of all ages can see themselves reflected in both the magic of the holidays and the wonder of the natural world. We brought this idea to life with a nostalgic aesthetic, a stop-motion feel, a vintage 4:3 aspect ratio, and a custom music track, creating a heartfelt celebration of the season.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

We’re most proud of the caring, creative village that helped bring this warm and fuzzy world to life for a second time. Not only did Paradowski, our Saint Louis Zoo partners, and our music partner Marmoset bring to life a magical commercial, but we also built brand recognition and affinity to drive excitement for the beloved Wild Lights event for years to come.

Our biggest challenge involved a lot of species research and collaboration with the Saint Louis Zoo team. Even in this animated 3D world, we took care to reflect the physical attributes and behavior of each species as you would observe them in nature. This involved frequent check-ins and trial and error with textures and styles, including counting the toes of a polar bear and mimicking a giraffe’s natural “sploot” stance.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

Our Zoo animals and environments were first brought to life by putting pencils on paper (yes, real pencils and real paper!). From there, we created 3D models in Blender, applied textures in Substance Painter, then plopped our cast of characters back into Blender for rigging and animating. In close partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo team, we ensured the Zoo animals reflected the natural physical attributes and behaviors of the actual species, even in this animated 3D world. Our 2D animators put on the finishing touches as well.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

Anytime someone tears up or says they’re going to cry, we know we did something right.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… about distilling universal themes into compelling narratives and giving yourself permission to play and experiment with the different ways you can bring them to life.