MPC partners with Droga5 for Amazon’s ‘Before Alexa’ big game blockbuster, featuring Ellen DeGeneres

The Super Bowl spot begins with the comedian asking Amazon’s virtual assistant device to turn down the thermostat as she and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, get ready to leave the house. As DeGeneres wonders what people did before Alexa, the spot journeys back through history in an increasingly absurd set of scenarios that unravel without Alexa.

A lot of work was done to reinforce the humoristic side of the film, and to give each sequence its own feel. Colourist Jean-Clement Soret set the grade with director Steve Rogers and DP Emmanuel Lubezki “Chivo”.

Jean-Clément Soret said: “We were pretty much in tune all the way, subtle grade differences were enough to complement the art direction, the slick modern set contrasted a lot with the muddy cold medieval village and the dusty warm Far West, we just tried to make it even more funny. We refined the grade all along the post while running through the latest VFX deliveries.”