Minnesota Lottery: The Lighthouse Mouse

Summer 2021 update: Our little Lighthouse Mouse continues to impress. The National American Advertising Federation awarded The Lighthouse Mouse with a Silver Addy for Cinematography and a Gold Addy for CGI. Once again we’re so proud to have been able to work with The Minnesota Lottery and Periscope on this amazing project. 

As the seasons change and our routines adjust to the world around us, we sometimes forget that it’s not just humans affected by these developments. When the Lighthouse closes earlier than usual, a lonely mouse, who’s not yet ready to say farewell to the people who visit Split Rock every year, decides he needs to connect with people in one more exciting way. It seems like an impossible task, but sometimes, the biggest surprises come in the smallest packages.

With this ambitious project, Gasket Studios and Engines Running really tested what’s possible for small productions and short timelines. With the historic Split Rock Lighthouse as our base, we spent 3 days shooting inside and outside the state landmark, trying to find as many “perfect shots” as possible. While the Engines Running crew was up in Two Harbors, the animation team was hard at work developing the mouse character featured in this short film. Characters with fur are always a challenge, but once we saw how cute our little mouse hero was turning out to be, we didn’t rest until every shot looked as beautiful as it needs to.

Working with the brilliant creative minds at Periscope and a client dedicated to spreading joy like the Minnesota Lottery, it was the perfect fit to give our little mouse the stage he needed to shine. And to show that yes, sometimes, the biggest surprises come in the smallest packages.

Speaking of stages, we’ve been privileged to receive multiple awards and accolades for this little project of ours. Most recently, the American Advertising Federation awarded the The Lighthouse Mouse with a Gold Addy for CGI and a Silver Addy for Cinematography. We are so honored to have been able to pour our hearts into something that others have also found as heartwarming and remarkable as we do.