Editor Sam Ostrove has relocated to Los Angeles from Cut+Run’s London office. His work was recently recognized at the AICE Awards, winning the Best in Show honor and the Automotive category for the four-minute Volvo “Vintersaga” short directed by Gustav Johansson. Last year, Ostrove and Johansson’s collaboration for Nike Fuelband was awarded the AICE honor for Best Alternative Media, and the duo has also collaborated on “American Band” for Chase and “Let Your Body Speak” for Levi’s.
The epic, AICE winning Volvo “Vintersaga” is an arresting piece of branded content inspired by the Swedish word "vemod" which translates to “a tender sadness, or something that is sad but at the same time beautiful.” The film, the cornerstone of a multi-spot campaign edited by Ostrove, was concepted by agency Forsman & Bodenfors. Ostrove flew to Stockholm to edit the project while director Johansson filmed throughout Sweden with his brother, DP Niklas Johansson who shot the project on 35mm. The visuals and edit are supported by the famous song “Vintersaga,” written by Ted Strom and recorded by Amanda Bergman, that echoes what’s presented on screen with references to geographic places in Sweden and traveling through a winter landscape. With a wealth of incredible footage, Ostrove delved in to find lyrical details and visual connecting points that build to evoke this sense of dark exquisiteness.
“It was a massive job that began with a client who was gutsy, and an agency and director who are visionary,” said Ostrove. “On the edit side, it was epic on many levels including the intensive two week window. I am really proud and honored to garner the awards on behalf of this fantastic project.”
Other editing credits for Ostrove include the recent “Made By You” for Converse directed by WE ARE FROM LA, “I am the PSM” for Adidas and “Evergreen Hero” for Google.
“Sam is a phenomenal editor and we are excited to have him based out of Los Angeles. He has developed a strong client base in the US and is a great addition to the talent and culture here,” said Cut+Run managing director Michelle Eskin. “This move is a natural progression in his career, and a reflection of Cut+Run’s philosophy of sharing editing talent and giving editors the opportunity to experience different offices and cities. It’s how we nurture the talent and foster creative growth.”
