April 10, 2025
Xbox
In Xbox’s Wake Up, directed by Romain Chassaing and Co-Directed by David Fincher, a wonderfully off-beat fairy tale unfolds: Horatio, a rat, rekindles his humanity through the joy of gaming. We follow Horatio through a day in the rat race: a packed commute, the drudgery of the office, a rushed lunch at his desk. The mundanity is interrupted by glimpses of mysterious gamers—the only humans we see amongst the rats. After a long day, Horatio powers on his Xbox on his Samsung OLED TV and connects with his friends. A much-needed dose of fun transforms him into the human he always was.
Xbox – Wake Up (Short Version, 1:23)
Xbox – Wake Up (Long Version, 1:43)
Watch the Concept Designs and VFX Breakdown at 1920 vfx
Tagline
“What brings us joy, brings us back.”
CREDITS
Client
Xbox (Microsoft Gaming)
Partner
Samsung
Products
Xbox video gaming system and Samsung AI TVs
Title
Wake Up (Brand Trailer)
Agency
Droga5 (New York)
Chief Creative Officer
Scott Bell
Executive Creative Director
Tres Colacion, Giancarlo Rodas
Creative Director
Joseph Russomano, Temnete Sebhatu
Producer
Connor Hagan
Copywriters
Jared Schermer, Tomas Coleman
Post Production / VFX
1920 vfx
Colourist
Kai Van Beers
Creative Director
Ludo Fealy
VFX Supervisors
Ryan Hadfield, Chris King, Jorge Montiel Meurer, Chris Gill
VFX Artists
Adam Gramlick, Ahmed Ugas, Alejandro Marzo, Alex Rumsey, Andrea Umberto Origlia, Andreas Georgiou, David Rencsenyi, Eva Bennet, Joe Baker, Juan Francisco Saravi Migliore, Klaudia Skalska, Lewys Rhodes, Lucas Warren, Mattias Lullini, Miles Tomalin, Monika Lesiecka, Robert Lilley, Ross Gilbert, Sergio García Castro, Taylor Webber, Tom Cowlishaw, Joe Baker
VFX Producer
Ross Culligan
VFX Co-Ordinator
Lena Almeida
Digital Matte Painter Artists
Jordan Haynes, Carlos Nieto, Grant Bonser
Proschetic / SFX
Anarchy Ltd. (UK)
SFX Supervisor
Dannielle Boyne
SFX Technicians
Hannah Cooper, Olivia Loughton
Production Company
RESET
Managing Director
Dave Morrison
Director
Romain Chassaing
Co-Director
David Fincher
Director of Photography
Jeff Cronenweth, ASC
Production Designer
David Bersanetti
Art Director
Caroline Soussen
Executive Producer
Jen Beitler
Line Producer
Ash Lockmun
Production Service
B2Y Productions, Bulgaria
Service Producer
Simeon Vasilev
Production Manager
Ivanina Burneva
Editorial
Cut+Run
Editor
Paul Watts
Assistant Editors
Roman Kuznets, Eli Beck-Gifford
Executive Producer
Ellese Shell
Head of Production
Marcia Wigley
Sound
WAVE Studios
Sound Designer & Mixer
Aaron Reynolds
Sound Producer
Eleni Giannopoulos
Executive Producer
Vicky Ferraro
Music
APM Music
Xbox helps you flee the rat race in cinematic spot directed by David Fincher and Romain Chassaing
Droga5’s ‘Wake Up’ film aims to recapture the glory days of gaming ads two decades ago.
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