Director’s branded entertainment short film explores a man’s mysterious odyssey to discover his true self.
Peter Dietrich, represented in the U.S. by A Common Thread, has directed a branded entertainment short film for Chinese cell phone giant OPPO, about a man’s magical quest to find himself. Produced by Red Horse, Shanghai, for BBDO Proximity, China, The Loop of Life promotes the launch of OPPO’s new Find 7 smart phone.
The film centers on a callow young man (played by David Atkins) who spends his days at magic shows debunking the performers’ disappearing acts, card tricks and other illusions. That ends when a master magician, before a packed concert hall, transports him back in time. There, armed only with an OPPO smart phone and smart wristband, he’s instructed to “Find yourself. Find the magic.” What he ultimately finds is a moment of stunning self-revelation.
Dietrich shot the film over four days in Barcelona, working with Spanish cinematographer Oscar Faura. The production involved numerous locations, a large cast of extras, intricate special effects and two principal actors playing older and younger versions of the central character. The project marked Dietrich’s first foray into branded entertainment. “The agency wanted something cinematic,” he recalls. “They wanted it to feel like a small feature rather than a commercial.”
Dietrich pulled off the magic tricks depicted in the film through a combination of judicious camerawork, clever editing and CG. “It was quite demanding…challenging, but also fun,” the director says. “I also enjoyed the art direction of the scenes set in the ‘70s and ‘80s—the colors, the hair styles, the magazine covers—all the little details that contributed to the story.”
A Common Thread is located at 4081 Redwood Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90066. For more information, call 310.823.7300 or visit www.acommonthread.tv
Video Credits
Arthur Ma and Mark Chang, Executive Producers; Frank Zhao, Creative Director/Writer.
Peter Dietrich, Director (represented in the U.S. by A Common Thread); Oscar Faura, Director of Photography, Pancho Franciso Chamorro; Production Designer.
Prod. Svcs: Mamma.
Post: Glassworks, Digital Straik.
Audio: Vaudeville, London.
Music: Elastic Orchestra.
Leo Schmidthals & Friedrich Weiss.
J.P. McMahon
Executive Producer / Partner
A Common Thread
310.823.7300
Contact J.P. via email
Tristan Drew
Executive Producer / Partner
A Common Thread
310.823.7300
Contact Tristan via email
Sonic Branding For Social Media: Engage, Align, Connect
By Chad Cook -- With more than five billion people accessing social media daily, savvy brands understand the importance of cultivating a strong social identity. They devote massive resources toward brand awareness, audience targeting, content strategy and community engagement. Yet, while they know that social platforms are critical to boosting sales and attracting new customers, many neglect one of the most effective tools for connecting with consumers: sonic branding. Marketers often associate sonic branding with catchy mnemonics used by big brands like McDonald’s, Netflix and Intel in their advertising. But that is a very limited view of what sonic branding is and what it can do. Sonic branding is a way to build awareness and stimulate engagement across all touch points, from advertising to broadcast digital, in-person and social. And it’s not limited to members of the Fortune 500. Brands at all levels can benefit from a sonic identity that is memorable, engaging and reflective of its core values. Sound has been scientifically proven to be deeply tied to memory and emotion. There’s a reason that certain songs stick in your head and bring back memories formed years or even decades earlier. So, it’s surprising that sonic branding is often an afterthought in marketing plans. That is especially true in social media marketing. Faced with tight deadlines and strained budgets, creative teams are often tempted to select music for their content simply because it “fits.” Unfortunately, that may result in content that is in tune with what’s trending but is out of tune with brand identity. Effective sonic branding, by contrast, requires thoughtful strategic planning,... Read More