Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong doesn’t appear in this spot until towards the end. But his voice and pertinent reflections about cycling accompany shot after shot of the rear-ends of vehicles, each with tailpipes spewing forth pollution.
He observed, “In twenty years of cycling, even when I was ahead, I was always behind. Behind cars. Behind trucks. Behind those guys.” (The latter referencing media coverage vehicles with a man pointing his camera back toward the bike race.)
After viewing “tailpipe after tailpipe after tailpipe,” we finally see Armstrong for the first time–he’s cycling and breathing easier. That’s because this time he’s pedaling behind the new Nissan Leaf electric car, which has no tailpipe, representing, says Armstrong, “innovation for the planet.”
Oskar Holmedal of Stylewar directed the spot via Smuggler in the U.S. and Louka Films in France for agency TBWAChiatDay, Los Angeles.
Visual effects house was Digital Domain.
Director Rodney Passé Joins Eleanor For U.S. Representation
Director Rodney Passé has come aboard the U.S. roster of production company Eleanor for representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos.
His films include the heartwarming Li of Photos and Perserverancia, Son My Gente. Of the former, he shared, “I wanted to show these intimate, human moments. Photography is sentimental. You’re capturing a memory to keep it forever. I wanted to focus on the human connections between families, between friends, between lovers. I wanted to focus on the sentimental moments we want to capture forever.”
Unfolding a story told in precious coming of age moments, Passé invites audiences to flip through a cinematic memory book. The elevated visual language of enables audiences to delve into the glowing excitement of new parents.
The aforementioned Perserverancia, Son Mi Gente--an immersive photographic exploration of women’s boxing in Cuba--pulls audiences into Passé’s unique weaving of striking imagery and textured, layered soundscapes. Passé creates a lyrical visual symphony, flashing between photographs of the boxers to the rhythm of his resounding sonic world. Havana itself is a main character in this film--the cityscape, the bustling streets, the passersby, the churches that surround them.
“I draw inspiration from my mentor, [filmmaker] Khalil Joseph,” said Passé. “I always ask artists for stems. It’s transformed how I build a visual and sonic language. Working with stems, you have your vocals, you have your instruments, you have all the soundscapes and you can build your own soundscape. And it’ll still be in the same sonic tune, even if you’re incorporating different soundscapes.”
Passé’s distinct directorial... Read More