This spec promo commercial centers on a homeless man who is looking to better himself, raising money every which way he can in order to pay for training as a boxer at a local gym. We get glimpses of his life on the streets, his makeshift sleeping accommodations near train tracks, and the various means he uses to make a living–or in this case to graduate to some semblance of a livelihood in the boxing ring.
We see him being paid for his blood at a blood bank, waiting for and getting a gig as a day laborer, pawning jewelry, even promoting himself as a street fighter which leads to a match in which he’s practicing a crude form of the so-called sweet science in order to get a piece of the wagering that’s been placed on him.
The hard work and his hard life finally pay off as we see him adorned in boxing trunks and a robe, accompanied by his trainer into a boxing ring in the center of a packed arena. He has arrived, in a sense victorious even before the first punch is thrown in the bout.
The spot then cuts to an end tag for HBO’s Boxing After Dark.
This intriguing portrait was conceived, directed, and edited by Liam O’Neil and Jason Koburov who comprise the directorial duo known as Contraband. They chose the Contraband moniker for its edgy feel, not wanting to simply opt for a more mundane Liam and Jason-like tag.
O’Neil and Koburov made the little over two-minute HBO spec commercial which is entitled “I Still Have A Soul,” under their informal production banner Paradise Square.
Koburov explained that he and O’Neil gravitated towards a boxing story based on their love of the sport.
“One of the great things about doing spec work is that you get to explore whatever your passions are,” said Koburov. “So we created a story about boxing and the New York scene.”
The HBO piece is Contraband’s second spec spot, the first being “Red Eye,” a promo for the Tribeca Film Festival which earned shortlist status in the spec category of this year’s AICP Show. “Red Eye” was one of 11 finalists that made the AICP Show’s spec shortlist.
Coming together
O’Neil and Koburov first met at RSA Films where they were support staffers–O’Neil serving as a production assistant, Koburov as a media manager. Koburov still works at RSA’s New York shop as a media manager and sales support person, but O’Neil has moved on to freelance production roles.
Upon getting to know each other at RSA, Koburov and O’Neil found they were on the same creative wavelength. This translated into their teaming to executive produce and direct episodes of the web series Rise of the Radio Show, which featured such comedians as Colin Quinn, Dave Attell and J.B. Smoove as well as several notable actors.
One of the comedians Koburov and O’Neil ran across during that endeavor was Wil Sylvince, whom they would later select to play the homeless, aspiring boxer in “I Still Have A Soul.” The choice proved to be an inspired bit of dramatic casting.
Prison prism After Rise of the Radio Show was wrapped, Koburov and O’Neil decided to return to where their filmmaking education began, in commercials. Under the Contraband label, they directed the alluded to Tribeca Film Festival spec promo ad, a cinematic piece in which we see the inside of a prison through the eyes of an incoming inmate.
As he is escorted by a guard to his cell, he walks by and glances at other prisoners who are behind bars. Stark black-and-white flashbacks show how each of these men wound up in jail. As the camera focuses on the new prisoner, a message appears on screen which reads, “Everyone has a story. What’s yours?” Then the Tribeca Film Festival logo appears as the spot concludes.
Koburov noted that he and O’Neil received a great filmmaking education simply by being at RSA, getting the chance to see directors work there, even getting feedback from them on their spec pieces.
“Everybody is extremely supportive around here [at RSA],” said Koburov, noting that he is also afforded a measure of scheduling flexibility for going out and shooting Contraband’s work. “It’s just been a great environment here.”
Koburov hopes that the spec work will help Contraband secure a production house affiliation and dedicated representation.
