Writer-director Christian Schilling headed a team of commercial film students from the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany, to make this branded spec short for Duracell. Schilling is an alum of SHOOT’s 2018 New Directors Showcase.
Titled Revived, this piece introduces us to Carl who was born with a cord on his back, on which you have to tug, serving to wind him up like a music box. As a young soldier he awakes on a rubber boat in the middle of a rapid river. Suddenly they are attacked and his friend Henry floats lifeless in the water. A race against time begins, while fragments of his childhood shoot through his mind.
In the end for our main character with his wind-up cord, the power of friendship and the power of the battery is the salvation. The power of friendship charges the main character like a Duracell battery.
The film–which went toward earning diplomas for its creators–was made over the past couple of years with two shooting blocks–during mid-2019 and then at the end of that year. Approximately 80 crew members and just over 100 extras were involved in the making of the film. Just a few weeks ago, visual effects were wrapped on the project and it was released.
Credits
Production/Creative Christian Schilling, writer-director; Simon Drescher, David I. Dincer, DPs; Christian Arnold, Daniel Kottirsch, executive producers; Jan Scheurer, production design; Laura Schaffler, costume designer. Editorial Ernst Lattik, editor Music Alexander Wolf David (wolfsrudelmusic), Peter Sainio, composers; Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, orchestra; Meike Katrin Stein, orchestration. Sound Design hyve.audio Robin Harff, Floyd Fürstenau, sound designers; Johanna Roth, Foley artist; Max Hartstang, Foley recordist. Audio Mix Robin Harff, mixer. Postproduction Slaughterhouse Philipp Breidthardt, post producer. Color Grading acht.studio Maximilian Baule, colorist. Crew Austria/River David I. Dincer, underwater cam operator; Justin Braun, on-set VFX supervisor; Jeannine Bieri, makeup artist; Vanessa Kilchenmann, costume design assistant. Crew Germany/Village Michael Hessenbruch, production coordinator; Boris Katrev, additional VFX; Coline Cisar, costume design assistant; Paolo Celano, Jeannine Bieri, makeup artists/prosthetic. Casting Kastwork Ltd. Cast Agencies BCCreative Ltd, Katie Threlfall Associates. Cast Alex Hope, Angus Dunican, Oskar Netzel, Anton Krymskiy, Natascha Kuch, Gesine Hannemann, Anna Maleika
Renault’s new ad campaign from Publicis Conseil Paris takes the form of an immersive journey through time, paying homage to its 1984 film “Les voitures à vivre.” That innovative campaign focused on the driving experience and the joy of everyday life in a car rather than technical specifications. Today, Renault reimagines four of its icons: the R5, R4, Megane, and Scenic. These ultra-modern, 100% electric “retro-futuristic” vehicles are equipped with technologies designed to be human-centric and accessible.
This film--directed by Cole Webley via Big Productions--draws a parallel between the vehicles and slices of life from the past that feel straight out of the 1984 film, alongside new contemporary scenarios featuring the latest range of electric vehicles. It invites viewers to travel through eras and societies, transitioning seamlessly from the original lineup to the new E-Tech electric range.
Shot with a constant left-to-right tracking shot symbolizing the passage of time, the ad transports viewers across decades using a distinct visual treatment for each era. From the nostalgic grain of Super 8 cameras for the 1960s to the retro hues of VHS recordings in the 1990s, every sequence authentically captures the spirit of the period when Renault’s iconic models left their mark on automotive history.
The result is an emotionally rich story that illustrates Renault’s ongoing evolution to meet the needs of each generation.
The legendary track “Johnny and Mary” by Robert Palmer has been reorchestrated for the occasion by Start-Rec, featuring vocals by Victor Solf.
The film is on air on television and social media in France.
