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.
Does “Hundreds of Beavers” Reflect A New Path Forward In Cinema?
Hard as it may be to believe, changing the future of cinema was not on Mike Cheslik's mind when he was making "Hundreds of Beavers." Cheslik was in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with a crew of four, sometimes six, standing in snow and making his friend, Ryland Tews, fall down funny.
"When we were shooting, I kept thinking: It would be so stupid if this got mythologized," says Cheslik.
And yet, "Hundreds of Beavers" has accrued the stuff of, if not quite myth, then certainly lo-fi legend. Cheslik's film, made for just $150,000 and self-distributed in theaters, has managed to gnaw its way into a movie culture largely dominated by big-budget sequels.
"Hundreds of Beavers" is a wordless black-and-white bonanza of slapstick antics about a stranded 19th century applejack salesman (Tews) at war with a bevy of beavers, all of whom are played by actors in mascot costumes.
No one would call "Hundreds of Beavers" expensive looking, but it's far more inventive than much of what Hollywood produces. With some 1,500 effects shots Cheslik slaved over on his home computer, he crafted something like the human version of Donald Duck's snowball fight, and a low-budget heir to the waning tradition of Buster Keaton and "Naked Gun."
At a time when independent filmmaking is more challenged than ever, "Hundreds of Beavers" has, maybe, suggested a new path forward, albeit a particularly beaver-festooned path.
After no major distributor stepped forward, the filmmakers opted to launch the movie themselves, beginning with carnivalesque roadshow screenings. Since opening in January, "Hundreds of Beavers" has played in at least one theater every week of the year, though never more than 33 at once. (Blockbusters typically play in around 4,000 locations.)... Read More