This spec spot takes us into the Foley room where the sound effects are being created for a kung fu movie. As we see the martial arts combatants square off, an ingenious Foley artist is spicing up their battle with appropriate, well-timed audio effects. He bangs together two bowling pins to score a rapid-fire succession of blows in a kung fu sequence. Subsequent hits are accentuated by the popping of balloons.
Wooden boards are the next audio source. The Foley artist cracks one board over his knee, then puts his fist through another, all timed perfectly to the fight action visuals.
Then he needs a big furious impact to accompany a hellacious flying drop kick being delivered by one combatant to the other–possibly the decisive blow of the battle. First the Foley artist tries banging a huge gong. Looking for even greater impact, he puts a sledgehammer to a watermelon.
Finally, he comes up with the perfect effect, popping open a can of Mountain Dew. Yet while that proves to be apt audio accompaniment for the kung fu duel to the death unfolding on film, everything is aurally downhill from there. As the combatants continue their battle, we now hear a swallowing sound as the Foley artist is guzzling the Mountain Dew. Then we see one of the martial artists ready to attack only to hear a loud belch emanate from him–indeed the Foley artist may have chugalugged his Dew a bit too fast.
An end tag carries the Mountain Dew logo.
This comedic commercial, titled “Foley,” was directed by the team of Zack Resnicoff and J.C. Khoury–a.k.a. Zack & J.C.–via the Group 101Spots initiative, a nearly three-and-a-half-year-old program whereby aspiring directors turn out spec spots to gain experience, exposure and professional industry feedback. Since its inception on the West Coast, Group101 has helped a variety of up-and-coming directors get discovered by the commercialmaking community at large. Last September, Group101 went bicoastal and formally launched in New York. Zack & J.C. are among the first crop of directors to come out of the Big Apple leg of the Group101 program.
Zack & J.C. also wrote, produced, edited and handled sound design for “Foley.” The DP was Martin Ahlgren.
Colorist was Alex Berman at Post Logic, New York. Visual effects were done at R!OT Manhattan, with Randie Swanberg serving as visual effects artist. Audio post mixer was Mike Levesque via earth2mars, New York. Principal actor was Rob Huebe.
Based largely on “Foley” and another spec piece they directed via Group101, Zack & J.C. landed a real-world job, helming a client-direct Hispanic market spot for vitamin company GenSpec. To facilitate this and other planned work for GenSpec, Zack & J.C. just launched their own New York-based production house, Shoot First Entertainment. While they look to build that venture, the directorial team is also entertaining overtures from established commercial production companies for representation.
Zack & J.C.–who met and began working together in the graduate film program at NYU–have also made their mark in the Web space as their short, Eat Less Bacon, recently debuted as part of the Aquafina series of shorts out of Tribal DDB Dallas, appearing on ResolutionsOnFilm.com.
Robert Eggers and Willem Dafoe Reunite For “Nosferatu”
When Willem Dafoe enjoys working with a filmmaker, he'll often jump at the chance to do it again.
The list of directors with whom the 69-year-old has worked with more than once is extensive, including Wes Anderson,Yorgos Lanthimos,Paul Schrader,Lars von Trier and, now for a third time, Robert Eggers. "If it's good, you come back," Dafoe said plainly.
The pair spoke about Eggers' adaptation of "Nosferatu" that hits theaters Wednesday, some of the challenges they faced making "The Lighthouse" — their first project together released in 2019 — and the unique relationship that exists between actors and directors.
The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Willem, I read that you called Robert after you saw "The Witch." What did you say?
DAFOE: I want to meet you and I want to know who this filmmaker is.
Q: What is it about him that keeps bringing you back?
DAFOE: Well, if it's good, you come back. When I saw "The Witch," I thought, "Wow, this is a film about a period that I'm not particularly knowledgeable about, but I enter it so easily. This is relevant. It's rooted. It's my story. I'm with these people."
That's quite an incredible trick because a lot of period films, they're always pointing to themselves. They're always sending messages. They're always showing. This had a kind of energy and the kind of physicality and sensuality that I thought, "Who does this? I gotta see this guy." And then I had a wonderful experience in "The Lighthouse" and I played a part that was really fun in "The Northman." So, when he wants to do this passion project and offers me this beautiful role of Professor Von Franz, I say,... Read More