Justin Wilson of Liberal Media Films, Dallas, directed this Sharp’s non-alcoholic brew spec spot in which we see police have stopped a young woman they suspect of DUI and put her through a sobriety test. Shot in the guerilla style of a police/security surveillance camera, we see the woman pass every aspect of the test–adding the flourish of some impressive acrobatics as she does far more than just walk a straight line.
We then hear one of the police officers apologize to the woman for pulling her over and wasting her time–at which point the logo appears for Sharp’s non-alcoholic brew.
Director Wilson also edited the spot, which was based on creative from the team of Clint Carter and Janet Mistretta of agency Johnson & Sekin.
“Sobriety Test” is one of five spec spots that emerged from the “Flex Your Specs” competition sponsored by charlieuniformtango and sister shop Liberal Media Films. “We sent the word out nationally inviting advertising agency creatives to send in scripts for their dream spots–spots that might never make it to production in the real world,” said Lola Lott, charlieuniformtango principal/president.
“Over 280 scripts came in from creatives coast-to-coast. Then, we had the process of gathering a prestigious panel of judges to review all the scripts, and pick the winners that would be produced. That took a good six months. Among the five winners we had two scripts from the East Coast, one from San Francisco, and the other two from Texas.”
The Flex Your Specs script criteria were: Good, solid commercial length creative, must be budget-friendly, and for an actual product. Judges selected five winning scripts from hundreds of submissions. “The script selection process was another six months,” Lott said. “Then came the selection of locations and casting as our LMF directors collaborated with the creatives around the country; charlieuniformtango and Liberal Media Films produced and paid for all five winning scripts. It was a win-win for everyone. Everyone got an amazing spot for their reels, and Liberal Media Films’ breadth of work really increased.”
A screening of the winning spots was held Thursday, March 19, at The Sundown at The Granada in Dallas.
CreditsClient Sharp’s Beer Creative Clint Carter, Janet Mistretta (Johnson & Serkin). Production Liberal Media Films Justin Wilson, director/editor; Roger Peters, DP; Jeff Elmore, Jessica Cramer, producers. Post charlieuniformtango Artie Pena, online/color; Jake Kluge, mix.
Director Gia Coppola Teams With Mejuri For “A New York Minute”; 1st Episode Takes Us To The Grocery Store
Mejuri, known for turning fine jewelry into an everyday luxury, has partnered with director Gia Coppola (The Last Show Girl, Palo Alto) and The Directors Bureau in Los Angeles, for the first time reimagining the brand’s story as episodic content. In a series of microfilms, co-created by Coppola and premiering following New York Fashion Week, Mejuri eschewed a typical celebrity campaign and cast us as voyeurs to a group of aspiring young women--real people, not actors--at the crossroads of their adult lives against the backdrop of New York City.
Titled “A New York Minute,” the series features five real-life friends, who include one perfectly imperfect heroine named Emma. The women celebrate ordinary moments and interactions which reveal, sometimes retrospectively, the extraordinary within the mundane. Adjacent to the brand’s own community, the 30-something year old cast includes Laura Love (Emma), Rebecca Ressler, Natalie Vall-Freed and Rozzi Crane. Mejuri’s jewelry makes an appearance as the best supporting actor.
“When I met with Gia and The Directors Bureau team, there was instant creative and personal chemistry and a natural alignment on the desire to push and blur the lines between marketing, storytelling, and the construct of what a ‘campaign’ could be,” said Jacob Jordan, chief brand officer, Mejuri. “Gia was able to push that idea into something that truly feels new and artful, with a realism and relatability that almost feels jarring. Gia was such a perfect collaborator and partner, someone I had complete trust in to be a catalyst for Mejuri’s values of celebrating women as their truest selves. I can’t wait for us to continue to tell the next chapters of this story.”
To land the relatable... Read More