David Findlay wrote and directed this music video for singer and professional skateboarder Austyn Gillette’s latest single “Leaning Into Your Palms.” Featuring acclaimed French actress, model, and journalist Agathe Rouselle, the video tells a tale of human connection as two siblings share a surreal moment out of time.
Findlay–an alum of SHOOT’s 2019 New Directors Showcase–shared that among the prime challenges was the long tracking shot at the end. “We had to be meticulous with the speed of it, how long it lasts and so on, so that it would perfectly fit in the song’s finale. So again, it was a matter of finding the perfect location, and once we had it, a question of rehearsing as best we could in advance. It was indeed all done in camera. A stabilized head was mounted to the front of a pick up truck. On the day I think we shot 6 or so takes. With the help of my 1st AD Brock Newman and the entire team we would review takes on the monitor and jot down precise notes to give to each performer and how to choreograph and time the whole thing. It was a real team effort but the hero here is [DP] Jeremy Cox who on top of framing and coordinating, mounted all these lights, assisted by his team, to create the beautiful silhouette effect.”
Findlay recently joined Farm League for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Credits
Client Austyn Gillette Production David Findlay, writer-director; Rebecca Steel, producer, Kind Stranger Productions; Jeremy Cox, DP; Brendan Megannety, production designer; Amy J. Gardner, movement coach; Zauberberg Productions & Solap Pictures, exec producers; Section 80, Farm League & Tim Lynch, Genevieve Andre de la Porte, Ariel Ho Kjar, Miguel Angel de la Gampa, co-producers; Twin Brain Films, Motif LTD, Palm Film, Michael Kuna, associate producers; Owen Walstrom, stunt coordinator; Courtenay Mayes, stylist; Elan Fortin, stylist assistant; Maddy Hermans, hair & makeup artist; Melissa Neilson, additional hair & makeup artist; Anastasia Itkina, production manger; Brock Newman, 1st AD; Dide Su Bilgin, 2nd AD; Zenia Yim, production coordinator; Megan MacAulay, on set props; Michael Maruniak, Tarah Doheny, art assist; Scott Kinnon, set builder/art assist. Casting Vaka Street Casting Katrin Braga, casting; Hailey Poole, casting associate. Editorial Emmy Backman, editor; Sophie Reynolds, Camilla Strandskov & Bacon X, Aryane Fournelle, Camille Julien, Olivia Couchesne & Post-Moderne, Antoine Bourges, Bojan Bodruลพiฤ, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Tait Jordan, Dora Prieto & Farhad Ghaderi, Adam Maruniak, editing. Color Grade Sam Gilling, colorist. VFX Yacine Gueddari, Alexandre Frรฉchette. Cast Austyn Gillette, Agathe Rousselle, Rebecca Steele, Lincoln Cann, Aralyn Walker, Ben Stephenson, Suge Blanco, Cedric Cox
Tonal, the strength training system combining revolutionary digital weight technology with personalized, AI-powered coaching, has introduced its new brand platform, โPower Progress,โ and advertising campaign developed in partnership with Quality Experience (QX), the creative independent agency founded by Ari Weiss.
Directed by Aube Perrie of Pulse Films (UKMVA Director of the Year 2023 & 2024, UKMVA Best New Director 2021 and Webbyโs Best Music Video 2022) with visual effects from The Mill NY, this brand film contrasts how the heavy chains of the past still shape how we work out today, with Tonal representing the future of fitness.
In addition to the brand film, the campaign includes cutdowns ranging from 90 seconds to 15 seconds, with even the shortest spot clearly connecting the old and the new. French director Perrieโs body of work includes music videos for Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion, and RMโs โLOST!โ
โSports marketing has had a long history of breakthrough advertising,โ said QX creative chairman Weiss. โWe wanted to launch with an idea as disruptive as the product itself. Not an easy bar to live up to. Like any great idea the insight is dead simple but the execution is unexpected and riveting. Great sports marketing doesnโt happen without great sports marketers and the team at Tonal shared our ambition to make the marketing as disruptive as the product.โ
