This holiday video shows people connecting with other people via social media. Our assumption is that they are all passengers on airplanes, a notion which is reinforced when a woman, presumed to be a flight attendant, tells folks to put their mobile devices in “airplane mode.”
It turns out, she made this request so everyone would come to the dinner table and share some personal face-to-face time with family and friends. A super reads, “Celebrate the joy of presence this season,” a holiday message from American Airlines.
Jefferson Stein of 3008 directed this piece for agency The Marketing Arm. Stein gained inclusion earlier this year into SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase.
Titled Airplane Mode, this short went online and was emailed to American AAdvantage users worldwide.
Director Stein shared, “One of the biggest challenges in figuring out how to make this spot work was in convincing the audience that we were on an airplane, without ‘cheating.’ We were not going to shoot on an airplane because the characters you see before the reveal aren’t on an airplane, but rather in a house. With this in mind, we had to think through the entire opening in terms of lighting, framing, character actions, etc. that would convince people that the characters were on a plane, but were in fact, in a house. We designed much of the lighting to emulate the small source overhead lighting found on a commercial airplane to make them double as overhead lamps or lights in the house or around the dinner table.
“We approached the camera positioning by asking ourselves with each shot, ‘is this possible to shoot inside an airplane cabin?’ We wanted to put the audience in the space, so we didn’t shoot any shots in the house that wouldn’t be feasible in an airplane cabin. The character’s actions were considered as well. We needed them to be doing things with their devices that (1) couldn’t be done once you switch to airplane mode (i.e. most communication stuff). This was in emphasis of the concept of switching your phone off and being present with your family during the holidays. And (2) actions that give the sense that each character is about to take off on an airplane, but is really about to eat a holiday dinner.”
CreditsClient American Airlines Agency The Marketing Arm Rob Neatherlin, creative director; Ed Johnson, copywriter; Ashley Colunga, digital director. Production/Post 3008 Jefferson Stein, director; Brent Herrington, editor/partner; Anne Strock, executive producer; Brian Hwang, executive producer, live action; Jennifer Brannon, sr. producer; Marc Stone, editor; Mark Sullivan, Flame artist; Tim Howe, graphics; Greg Carlson, audio
Filmmaker Natalie Johns Creates Spec Gun Violence Prevention PSA
Her social media feed is filled with frustration and “prayers” for families torn apart by yet another mass shooting as filmmaker Natalie Johns is engaged in the morning ritual of negotiating school attendance with her 4½-year-old. Between laughing and arguing with their daughter, the Johns think deeply about the prospect of waking up without her--deeply enough to feel an inch of what it might be like to lose her--a feeling profound enough inspire her most personal commitment to date as a filmmaker.
“Gun violence should not be a normalized part of life in America,” she noted. “I felt it was worth putting my whole heart on the line to deliver this message.”
The director invited her long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Bill Kirstein (Mean Girls, Happyend), to capture their family’s experience over several mornings in a spec PSA. She wanted to capture her own joy and truth as a parent with a view to inspiring action from the deepest love she has known.
On the third day of filming, Johns received an email from their daughter’s preschool notifying parents of a lockdown that had occurred due to a gunman outside the school. The children, aged 2-5, were gathered in a small bathroom for an hour, singing songs with their teachers while the man was apprehended by law enforcement. This was the family’s first narrow escape from tragedy.
“The coincidence of filming this PSA and experiencing my family’s first lockdown was both shocking and surreal. I simply could not wrap my head around it,” said director Johns.
Even more terrifying for Johns was discussing the incident with other parents who had already experienced several lockdowns with their older children. This reality is all too common and far too... Read More