Kinka Usher wore two hats during a recent shoot for Apple via TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles. On the :60 "Beat," which promotes Apple’s iPod MP3 player, he served as both director and choreographer. Well, unofficial choreographer. More on that later.
The commercial opens on a bespectacled man (maybe in his late 20s, early 30s) sitting at a desk in his apartment, using an iBook laptop computer. His face is blocked by the screen, so we only see his eyes. It is quiet in the room, except for the sounds of his typing on the keyboard. Suddenly, we hear music: the rhythmic "Take California" track off the Propellerheads’ 1998 CD decksanddrumsandrockandroll.
Energized by the infectious music, the guy whips off his glasses and starts bobbing his head to the beat. We see that with just a few clicks, he has loaded the song from his iBook into his iPod. Ready to head out of the apartment, the guy disconnects the iPod from the iBook, and the music stops. He puts on his headphones, hits a button on the iPod, and "Take California" starts playing again. Transfer complete. Shoot Online subscribers may read this week’s Top Spot of the Week in full by accessing the Current Issue in the Members Area.
CLIENT
Apple Computer/iPod.
PRODUCTION CO.
House of Usher Films,
Santa Monica.
Kinka Usher, director; Paul Laufer, DP; Taylor Ferguson, executive producer; Nancy Hacohen, producer. Shot on location in Los Angeles.
AGENCY
TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles.
Lee Clow and Duncan Milner, creative directors; Moe Verbrugge, art director, Doug James, senior copywriter; Maya Frey, copywriter; Cheryl Childers, producer; Eric Voegele, assistant producer.
EDITORIAL
Nomad Editing Company,
Santa Monica.
Glenn Martin, editor; Susye Idema, executive producer; Shannon Preece, producer.
POST
Company 3, Santa Monica.
Noel Castley-Wright, online editor; Stefan Sonnenfeld, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Eleven, Santa Monica.
Jeff Payne, mixer; Chris Hildrew, assistant mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
Nomad Editing Company.
Francois Blaignan, sound designer.
