Wearing your favorite baseball player’s jersey brings you closer to that player–literally, in this spot for Majestic directed by Randy Hackett of No Smoke Films for Minneapolis-based agency Periscope. We open on a loyal fan opening his closet from which he pulls out Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz as if he were a jersey. He puts Ortiz on his back and carts him around, going about his day.
One unfortunate part of that day is a condiments mishap with mustard from a hot dog spilled on Ortiz. So we next see Ortiz in a laundromat washing machine, enduring the spin cycle to get out the stain.
Our Ortiz-wearing gent then finds himself alongside a fan who’s a Toronto Blue Jays fan–he’s wearing reigning homerun champ Jose Bautista on his back.
A voiceover related, “Wear your hero. Anytime. Any place with Majestic jerseys.”
Hackett’s production team devised a rig that made it easier for the actor to hoist about Ortiz. Nevertheless there were moments when the fan had to get it out and carry Ortiz on his back.
“Part of the challenge,” said Hackett, “was to make the wearing of the players Ortiz and Bautista seem effortless, even enjoyable for those giving the rides. Since we didn’t have a ton of time with these guys, the rig had to be simple. But we also needed some longer shots where the actor had to carry Ortiz. Our lead actor was incredibly good natured and as someone actually from Boston and a Red Sox fan, it was dream come true for him to piggyback Ortiz.”
Hackett went on to observe, “I think what makes the spot really interesting is the onscreen relationship between Ortiz and the lead actor. It’s very natural and understated. My feeling is it’s a funny enough sight gag and paying it more matter of factly accentuated the humor.”
Hwang Dong-hyuk On Season 2 of “Squid Game,” Wrapping Production on Season 3; What’s Next?
Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix's "Squid Game," but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go.
The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was "really difficult" to manage everyone on set.
As characters would die, Hwang recalls saying to the actors on their last day, "'Oh no! How sad! I won't see you tomorrow,' but I was always smiling inside."
"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday. It once again stars Lee Jung-jae and centers around a secret competition in South Korea that targets people in debt and the winner gets a big cash prize. What they don't know is that losing the game is deadly.
Hwang originally conceived of the show 15 years ago as a two-hour film but it failed to gain traction with financiers or even interested actors. He put it aside and worked on other films instead. He then had the idea to make it a TV series instead and took the project to Netflix. There, it could reach a wide audience.
"I never in my wildest dream thought it was going to be this huge," said Hwang, who spoke about the show and what comes next. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What have you learned from "Squid Game"?
HWANG: I learned that I shouldn't give up. If you love something and if you want to create something, it might not work now, but the time might come later. Or that idea could be the source of inspiration for something else.
Q: You've already finished filming season three of "Squid Game." Have you thought about what your next project will be?
HWANG: I'm afraid to talk... Read More