Director Marc Wilkins, who’s repped in the U.S. by bicoastal Rabbit, captures a slice of Kiev nightlife frozen in time in the sultry and atmospheric new 2:20 “Shake,” for the Ukrainian alcoholic beverage of the same name, produced direct-to-client by Radioaktive Films, Kiev.
“Shake” brings the same ‘time-slice’ film technique used in the now-famed Philips “Carousel” to a swinging night out on the town.
Said Wilkins, “The solution is actually a “fake time-slice,” where people pretend to freeze–standing still on set–and the camera moves through frozen time. As a fan of unusual storytelling, I was excited to experiment with this approach myself.”
The spot consists of a single shot, opening on a statuesque model frozen in a pose on a city street. As the camera pulls back, we see the scene around her: a crowd of club-goers and a doorman opening the velvet ropes for her, all frozen completely still. The camera continues to move inside the nightclub as techno music throbs, passing more motionless beautiful people, picking up the same model again later on in the evening, locked in mid-stride away from the bar carrying a bottle of Shake.
Continuing to move through the club, where drinks are frozen mid-pour and revelers’ hair is suspended mid-dance, the camera picks up the model again. On the dance floor, we see a well-dressed, handsome man in the midst of reaching out to her. The camera continues to push past her, once again maneuvering through the clubscape of statue-like partiers. The camera’s serpentine movement through the club continues to pick up the model and her new boyfriend at intervals throughout the night: taking over the DJ booth, spraying champagne and, finally, locked in a steamy embrace. The two minute-plus camera move continues across the floor before picking up the couple one last time–this time, she is frozen in mid-motion again as she leads the handsome stranger by the hand towards the exit, where the dawning sunlight pours through the open door. In her boyfriend’s hand are two bottles of Shake.
To create the seamless camera move, Wilkins used six different Steadicam shots, shooting at 50fps with the ARRI Alexa. “Shooting at 50fps helped the actors maintain their frozen pose, but also forced us to move the Steadicam even faster. In post, we didn’t have the time or budget for a lot of VFX, so we had to do as much as possible in-camera. This adds a level of realism that I’m really proud of,” said Wilkins.
“Shake” is currently airing in the Ukraine.
Park Pictures Signs Director Rachel Morrison
Park Pictures now represents director Rachel Morrison for commercial filmmaking. Morrison first came into prominence as a cinematographer, working on indie features, television, and blockbuster hits, which put her on the path toward her directing career. Her feature film directorial debut, “The Fire Inside,” is set for wide theatrical release by MGM on Christmas Day 2024.
Morrison has a background in photojournalism and a master’s degree from the American Film Institute. She made history as the first woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for her work on “Mudbound,” directed by Dee Rees. Morrison was also the first woman to lens a Marvel film, “Black Panther.” She also served as cinematographer for hit movies like “Dope,” “Fruitvale Station,” and the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary “What Happened Miss Simone?”
As a director, Morrison has helmed many campaigns for brands like IKEA, Netflix, Gap, Michelob Ultra, Ford, a spot for Nissan starring Brie Larson, and a Coach ad starring Michael B. Jordan. She also directed many episodes of television for shows like “The Mandalorian,” “The Morning Show,” “American Crime Story: Impeachment,” “Hightown,” and “American Crime.”
“I believe in humanity above all else,” remarked Morrison. “Park Pictures similarly puts emotional and relatable storytelling first. Everyone I’ve met there is driven to push the envelope forward and create memorable and visual films. I’m excited to sign with Park and look forward to furthering my commercial career with them.”
Jackie Kelman Bisbee, founding partner of Park Pictures, added, “Her work is at once grounded and elegant. She deeply understands everyone’s process both behind the... Read More