The latest spot for the all-electric Nissan LEAF automobile is quite a departure from the anthem “Polar Bear” commercial yet cut from the same pro-ecological cloth. This time, we’re asked to imagine a world where everything is gasoline powered.
We open on a man waking up to his gas-powered alarm clock from which spews exhaust. Getting ready for work takes us to the kitchen where a gent jump starts the toaster while his wife gases up the microwave oven. In the bathroom, exhaust belches out from a woman’s hair dryer.
Out on the street, we see a female jogger with a gas-powered pedometer; she scampers past a man who’s talking on his petrol-powered cellphone.
Next we’re at the workplace where a man turns the key and puts his foot on the gas pedal to boot up his personal desktop computer. A repair man reads the oil dipstick on the copier machine. Fueling up the office machinery is as simple as going to the proverbial water cooler–but instead of H20, the cooler with a pump is filled with gasoline as workers stop buy to fill up.
We’re even taken to a dentist’s waiting room where we hear a drill being revved up like a sports car engine. Inside, a patient says “ahh” as the dentist pulls the cord on his power drill akin to how a gardener would be pulling the cord to start his gasoline-driven lawn mower.
The spot then takes us to a gas station where a hybrid car, GM’s Volt, is getting a fill-up.
A voiceover asks, “What if everything ran on gas?”
He continues, “Then again, what if everything didn’t?”
The spot concludes with an eyeful of Nissan’s 100 percent electric LEAF.
Dante Ariola of MJZ directed “Gas Powered Everything” for TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles, with visual effects from The Mill LA.
Matthew Libatique, ASC, was the DP. Editor was Gavin Cutler of Mackenzie Cutler. Colorist was Stefan Sonnenfeld of Company 3. Ren Klyce of Mit Out Sound was the sound designer. Music house was Black Iris Music.
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More