“Impossible Field,” a global adidas spot out of 180 Amsterdam which broke earlier this summer, is a visual tour de force. The spot opens on a soccer field, with footballers lining up to start a game; however, this is no ordinary field–it’s a series of metallic rails that make up the playing area, with no ground beneath. Suspended on the catwalk, the soccer stars deftly play a match, with a few near misses along the way, but all remain on the beams, proving the spot’s tagline: “Impossible is nothing.”
The ad is one of the latest from director Daniel Kleinman, of Kleinman Productions, London, and like most of the renowned director’s work, was cut by editor Steve Gandolfi, who works via Cut + Run, the editing house he started in London eight years ago; the shop has since successfully launched in the U.S., with offices in Los Angeles and New York. While Gandolfi and Kleinman have worked together on some of the most striking spots of recent years for clients like Levi’s, Xbox, and adidas, Gandolfi modestly credits the stunning work to the director. “I don’t collaborate with Danny. I just cut the footage together,” he states. “Danny Kleinman is a legend.”
Achieving the look of “Impossible Field” was a painstaking process. Gandolfi relates that he initially cut storyboards with Kleinman, then visual effects supervisor William Bartlett of Framestore CFC, London–the company also has a New York office–did the pre-visualization on the spot. “Danny shot for a week, using body doubles and stuntmen, which we edited on location. Every morning and evening we showed Danny the cuts, talked about them and from these conversations Danny had a good idea of any extra shots, problems or any different angles that needed shooting,” explains Gandolfi. “By the end of that first week we had a complete cut which we showed the agency and they quickly approved. Danny then shot the spot using the real soccer stars and again we cut each day on location, showing Danny the edits and enabling him to see it coming together as he was still shooting. We then combined both shoots, cutting between real and body doubles, and handed it over to Framestore to finish off all the effects.”
Kleinman and Gandofli have had quite a year: a Sony PlayStation 2 package out of TBWA/London, which included spots such as “Golfers,” “Athletes,” and “Traders,” scored impressively at this year’s awards shows, winning, among other accolades, a campaign Gold Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival. A poignant child-abuse awareness ad, “Ventriloquist” via Saatchi & Saatchi, London, also garnered a Gold Lion at Cannes, as well as other accolades. The PlayStation campaign features PlayStation Land, which is much like the Serengeti, except instead of lions attacking prey, porn stars attack golfers. On the opposite end of the spectrum is “Ventriloquist” which presents the helplessness of abused children by showing a young girl as a ventriloquist’s dummy, controlled by her abuser. (Both ads were produced via the now defunct Large.)
Gandolfi cut the PlayStation work on location in Africa. “My assistant and I flew out there and set up our kit on river banks, in sand dunes, dust fields and the back of a truck,” relates Gandolfi. While not shot in as exotic a locale–it was lensed in south London–“Ventriloquist” was also cut on location. “We knew that was going to be a very special spot,” says Gandolfi. “The amount of response and awards the spot received was incredible–it really moved so many people.”
ON LOCATION
For several of his recent jobs, Gandolfi has been editing on location, a process he says is beneficial to the directors and creatives he works with. “I’ll cut anywhere, anytime,” notes Gandolfi. “It’s great because it gives you the ability to get into the spot. It’s so important to speak to the director and the creatives, so that you totally understand the idea and where they’re coming from. That’s why I love being on a shoot, because as an editor it gives you such a feel for all of that.”
There are other benefits to editing on location as well, explains Gandolfi: “It also gives the director the opportunity to see everything cut together as it’s being shot. The director always has his/her producer and director of photography sit next to them, and now they can have their editor beside them as well. That said, I don’t get involved with the actual shoot–I sit at the back and do the editing. If I see something, then I’ll have a quiet word with the director. It’s not my job to put my two cents in; I’m just there to cut and make the film better.”
The editor has been keeping busy: he recently completed a Volkswagen spot with director Lenard Dorfman of bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander and agency BMP DDB, London. Gandolfi is currently in the midst of a large Guinness project, directed by Kleinman through AMV BBDO, London, and is then slated to start on another Volkswagen ad directed by Rocky Morton of MJZ. “In and amongst these projects, I also try to take time out to nurture our editors here in London and look forward to having the chance to do the same in the U.S.,” he relates. “Mentoring is one of the most satisfying aspects of the business.
Gandolfi has cut spots in the U.S., but has been on somewhat of a hiatus from the market, which will change come the fall. “I’ve been cutting jobs in the U.S. for the last ten years,” he notes, “but nothing in the last ten months due to the birth of my twins. I’ve had to turn a lot of work down–though the time spent being a father is amazing. As of September, I’ll be available for work in the U.S. and look forward to spending a lot more time there.”
Cut + Run opened in London in 1997, and has since expanded significantly, opening successful facilities in Los Angeles, and more recently, in New York. Gandolfi enjoys running the shop, and is pleased with its U.S. growth. “The best part for me of being a company owner is being involved in all the fantastic work that we do, and developing and nurturing people,” says Gandolfi. “However, even as a company owner and editor I will never stop honing my approach. I try to see the project from every angle, love watching dailies and just get a great amount of satisfaction from editing in general.”