Director Bram Van Riet of Caviar, Los Angeles/Brussels/Amsterdam, choreographs an athletic dance in this :30 for Sporza, out of Duvall Guillaume, Brussels. In preparation for this summer’s Olympics in Beijing, the Belgian sports network is promoting itself as the place viewers should tune into for comprehensive coverage of the upcoming Games.
“Duel” opens on a close-up of a boxer’s face, ostensibly sizing up his opponent. Cut to a fencer, standing on a grounded mat and positioning his foil, preparing for a challenge. As the camera angle changes, the boxer is revealed, gloves up, at the ready. An usual match indeed–is it a new sport? What are the rules of the game? The bout begins, each athlete moving strategically and gracefully, true to his discipline, each watching for an opening to best his opponent. The dance continues without a sound, except for the jabs of the foil or glove as it swiftly moves through the air and makes contact. A super appears over the match, “68 disciplines in 17 days can cause confusion.” As the challenge continues to intrigue, the tag appears, “Sporza give you a clear overview,” with the Sporza and Olympics–Beijing 2008–logos closing the spot.
The Duvall Guillaume creative team consisted of creative directors Peter Ampe and Katrien Bottez, art director Frederic Lootens and copywriter Bart Van Peer.
Caviar exec producers were Bert Hamelicnk, Kato Maes, Tom Weissferdt and Michael Sagol. Mattias Schellens was the line producer. Stijn Vander Veken was the DP.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More