Tony Petrossian of Rockhard Films, West Hollywood, thinks of his music videos as branded content. “The challenge is to write an idea that is intriguing enough to get people to watch, while always keeping a close eye on how the brand–the artist–is presented,” explained Petrossian, who was chosen to be in SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase also featured in this issue. But it wasn’t until recently that he worked on his first official branded content piece–a “music video” sponsored by Nike, Inc. China via Wieden + Kennedy, Shanghai.
“Beijing Ballers” is essentially a short film set to the music of Chinese hip hop artist MC Webber that was slated to air in conjunction with a huge basketball tournament that Nike was sponsoring in May. Shot at Zhou Zhou in Beijing, the film shows three “ballers” outdoing the competition with their awesome street moves and speed no matter how outnumbered they are. “The client’s goal was to create a riveting action piece that would keep kids engaged,” said Petrossian. “We worked together to make sure that the branding that resulted in the cut stemmed out of the necessity of a given scenario in the film, as opposed to forcing shots of branding into the film.”
Petrossian also took on the role of editor and VFX supervisor, which was crucial to getting the film done on time and on budget. “It allowed me to take quick and decisive action when it was necessary, with full knowledge and responsibility for the consequences of such moves.”
Throughout the process Petrossian used an interpreter to speak to all key personnel except for his producer. “I really paid attention to non-verbal cues from others and established my own to communicate my vision. I was always hyper aware of my own body gestures and energy–trying to maintain a confident and relaxed, positive example for everyone to rally around. Had I panicked or shown lack of confidence given our time constraints, I may have lost the crew’s loyalty and faith. As it turns out they stuck it out with me all the way and hustled like mad.
“That experience is something I could not have learned in film school,” said Petrossian.
Beyoncé’s Halftime Show Highlighted Netflix’s NFL Debut On Xmas Day
Beyoncé provided more excitement than either game during Netflix's NFL debut on Christmas Day.
Riding into her halftime appearance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked her hometown Houston crowd with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday.
She surprised fans by bringing along Shaboozey to perform "Sweet Honey Buckiin" and Post Malone joined her for "Levii's Jeans."
The action on the field didn't live up to expectations as the NFL showcased four of the AFC's top five teams.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce exposed a glitch in Pittsburgh's defense during Kansas City's 29-10 rout in the first game.
The broadcast itself went off just fine, quickly becoming the second-most popular live title on Netflix to date, according to NFL Media.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens led C.J. Stroud and the Texans to 17-2 at halftime before Beyoncé stole the show.
Mariah Carey opened Wednesday's doubleheader with a taped performance of "All I Want for Christmas is You" and then the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs trounced the Steelers to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
There were no signs of any major streaming issues during the game after Netflix experienced minor blunders at the start of the pregame show. The broadcast opened with roughly 10 seconds of silence because it appeared studio host Kay Adams' microphone wasn't turned on.
Beyoncé's live performance at NRG Stadium was supposed to be the biggest test for the streaming giant and it seemed to go off without a hitch.
Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns and Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and one score as the Chiefs (15-1) earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The... Read More