A man goes to superhuman lengths to take advantage of “the greatest sale ever” in a new spot directed by Fredrik Callinggard for Scandinavian retailer El Giganten. Conceived by Swedish agency Draft FCB, the spot was created to promote a giant sale at El Giganten megastores, an event known to attract huge crowds of bargain seekers.nnA man, reading a newspaper in his kitchen, spots an ad for the store and immediately jumps out a window. He lands on a balcony two floors below and then proceeds to execute dozens more acrobatic leaps while swinging through a stranger’s apartment, diving down a winding stairwell, racing across the suspension beam of a bridge, plummeting into a parking lot (and through an open van), tiptoeing across a pedestrian overpass and, finally, landing in front of the store.nnCallinggard, represented in the United States by Bully Pictures, shot the spot in Vilnius, Lithuania and staged all of the stunts (including 100 jumps) practically. Pulling it off, required pinpoint planning and a talented, professional parkour athlete, ranked in the top 5 in the world. “For the first leap, he jumped out of a 12th floor window to the 10th floor, then jumped to the 9th floor, before swinging over a railing to the floor below,” recalls producer Mads Norfeldt Marstrand. “And it was all done in one take. The actor only had to do it once, because he was so precise.”nnTo lessen the need to shoot multiple takes, Callinggard worked with two camera crews. “The main crew shot with a RED camera, while the second unit ran around with Canon 5Ds grabbing extra shots and angles to help with the editing,” explains Marstrand. “The scene with the actor dropping down the staircase was shot with a 5D on a wooden rig that was lowered on a rope as he was jumping. It was a simple solution that worked really well.”nnMarstrand credited local filmmaking authorities with helping them pull off a practically and logistically difficult shoot in just two days. “The spot could not have been done without the open and friendly approach to filming in Vilnius,” he says. “It made it possible for us to shoot all over the city with our actor running across rooftops and jumping from buildings.”nn
nThe spot is currently airing across Scandinavia.nnnYou can see a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the spot here.nnCreditsnClient: El GigantennDirector: Fredrik CallinggardnAgency: Draft FCB, StockholmnProduction Company: TV Dinner, StockholmnnAbout Bully PicturesnBully Pictures was formed in 2004 by Executive Producer Jason Forest as a full-service TV commercial, internet viral, short film, and international production service company. The company represents directors P.R. Brown, Fredrik Callinggard, Dana Christiaansen, Gaute Hesthagen, Daniel Kaufman, Christian Lyngbye, Franco Marinelli, Jeroen Mol, Michael Shapiro and Craig Tanimoto. For more information, write info@bullypictures.com.Jason Forest Executive Producer Bully Pictures Contact Jason via email
Contact:Linda Rosner ArtisansPR 310.837.6008 Contact Linda via email
The Light and BIEN Form Creative & Strategic Alliance
Production company The Light and motion design studio BIEN have forged a strategic alliance that nurtures inclusivity and sustainability throughout the life cycle of every project.
The Light Founder/CEO Becky Morrison and BIEN Co-Founder Ricardo Roberts were first introduced by a mutual client who recognized their parallel ethos. Both Morrison and Roberts are advocates for industry change, and have built successful companies that demonstrate the benefits of human-centered and sustainable production in live action and motion design, respectively.
“I admire the thoughtfulness, specificity, and artistry with which BIEN produces animation and design and their attention to representing the full spectrum of humanity,” notes Morrison. “Their work behind the scenes to foster a diverse creative community is equally impressive. It feels like the perfect moment to partner with another mission-driven company who cares so deeply about creative excellence and social change.”
“I immediately hit it off with Becky and love that she has so many ideas that are tactical, scalable and make a powerful difference,” adds Roberts. “She challenges the status quo while producing beautiful, world-class content. With this partnership, we can better serve our clients and carry our mission forward together.”
The Light is a production company guided by the principle that an emotionally healthy environment is paramount for creativity and high performance. From its inception in 2014, The Light has centered under-represented talent, with equity and sustainability as key pillars to delivering creative projects for... Read More