The Kia hamsters are back–in fact they’ve gone way back as time travelers, infiltrating an 18th century opera house where they show a stiff bourgeoisie crowd “A New Way to Roll.” Carl Erik Rinsch of MJZ teamed with visual effects house Method and agency David&Goliath on this commercial which begins with all the grandeur and scale of an epic Hollywood period film. We see an orchestra, ballet dancers, an opera singer and, well, a slightly odd conductor.
As the opera music and vocals fill the air, the conductor unexpectedly takes the performance in a new direction when he introduces a Kia Soul. The vehicle rises up through the floor, taking everyone by surprise. The conductor then rips off his mask, revealing he’s a human-sized hamster. From there we reveal the other hamsters whose positivity and energy turn the opera house into an epic fusion of old and new worlds–complete with a laser light show, the latest dance trends, and an equally epic hamster stage dive. The hamsters do their thing to the beat of the electronic concert anthem, “In My Mind” remixed by Axwell, a member of the DJ trio Swedish House Mafia. (The original track is by Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl and features Georgi Kay.)
The spot highlights the emergence of electronic music, which has quickly found its way into the mainstream and some of today’s biggest musical acts. This, combined with a trend where young artists are increasingly incorporating classical music and instrumentation into their music, comes together to create a modern-day remix of new and old.
All of this inspires even the crustiest of the upper-crust opera crowd to set aside their inhibitions and discover their inner party animal, or inner hamster. As soon as everyone is on their feet and moving to the music, the hamsters realize their job is done. They get back into their trusty Soul, then take off into hyperspace and head for, well, whatever’s next.
Hwang Dong-hyuk On Season 2 of “Squid Game,” Wrapping Production on Season 3; What’s Next?
Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix's "Squid Game," but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go.
The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was "really difficult" to manage everyone on set.
As characters would die, Hwang recalls saying to the actors on their last day, "'Oh no! How sad! I won't see you tomorrow,' but I was always smiling inside."
"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday. It once again stars Lee Jung-jae and centers around a secret competition in South Korea that targets people in debt and the winner gets a big cash prize. What they don't know is that losing the game is deadly.
Hwang originally conceived of the show 15 years ago as a two-hour film but it failed to gain traction with financiers or even interested actors. He put it aside and worked on other films instead. He then had the idea to make it a TV series instead and took the project to Netflix. There, it could reach a wide audience.
"I never in my wildest dream thought it was going to be this huge," said Hwang, who spoke about the show and what comes next. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What have you learned from "Squid Game"?
HWANG: I learned that I shouldn't give up. If you love something and if you want to create something, it might not work now, but the time might come later. Or that idea could be the source of inspiration for something else.
Q: You've already finished filming season three of "Squid Game." Have you thought about what your next project will be?
HWANG: I'm afraid to talk... Read More