Directing collective Megaforce, Riff Raff Films and visual effect/post studio MPC team to conjure up a different kind of hailstorm and with it a deliciously contemporary take on Singin’ in the Rain in this spot for Burberry titled “Festive.”
Titled “Festive,” the piece centers on a quartet who dance through the streets; each step choreographed by the (La)Horde collective and creatively written, imagined and directed by Megaforce via Riff Raff.
A joint statement from Megaforce read, “We found the idea of this film digging though Burberry’s history. The founder, Thomas Burberry, created innovative weatherproof clothing that was used by polar explorers, which gave us this idea of a story that saw its characters braving the elements with ease. That iconic scene from the film Singin’ in the Rain came to our minds so we wanted to draw inspiration from it and make a version that speaks for our times. This year has been tough for us all, so we wanted to push the metaphor and transformed the rain to ice blocks. We also changed the narrative from a single character to a group of friends because going through the adversity is a thing that we’d better do together.”
Riff Raff owner/EP Matthew Fone noted, “The most pleasing thing for me about this collaboration is how Megaforce took the brief of capturing what Burberry stands for today alongside its prominent heritage; and made a festive film that encapsulates the notion of both, in a simple metaphor of adversity in their own, inimitable way, no baubles.”
Alex Lovejoy, creative director at MPC, added, “We always knew the Burberry ‘Festive’ film was going to be a special project. The film showcases our ambition to challenge the ordinary and push the boundaries of remote postproduction. A key element was building the falling ice blocks, to do this successfully it was essential to capture data on set, so we took detailed photogrammetry of the streets and referenced real ice blocks shattering. This was used as the base for our CG so that it could be synchronized exactly with the live action. We are all incredibly proud of the final film, which was a lot of fun to create.”
CreditsClient Burberry Ricardo Tisci, chief creative officer; Rod Manley, chief marketing officer; Rachel Crowther, VP, creative; Al Watts, Sean Bell, art directors; Rose Percy, director of production; Asha Joneja, sr. producer; Cara Gillies, producer; Rebecca Haddaway, production coordinator; Luke Stazaker, sr. manager, postproduction; Susie Miller, styling editor; Fran Dyke, jr. styling editor; Jake Clements, assistant stylist. Agency & Production Riff Raff Films Megaforce, creative & direction; Matthew Fone, exec producer/owner; Nick Goldsmith, producer; Hannah Fowles-Pazdro, Georgia Mills, production, managers; (La)Horde, choreographer; Ben Gill, first assistant director; Katelin Arizmendi, DP; Ib Kamara, stylist; Marco Puig, production designer; Lucy Fewell, stylist; Paul Mann, Neil Gawthrop, SFX. Editorial Final Cut Joe guest, editor. Postproduction/VFX Moving Picture Company (MPC), London Ryan Hancocks, VFX producer; Alex Lovejoy, creative director and 2D lead; Fabian Frank, Rob Richardson, 3D leads; Matthieu Toullet, colorist. (Toolbox: Nuke, Flame, Houdini, Maya, Arnold, Ftrack, Baselight) Sound Design/Audio Post 750MPH, London Sam Ashwell, sound designer/mixer. Song/Music “Singin’ in the Rain,” written by Herb Brown, Arthur Freed; published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd; vocals by Dreya Mac; produced and arranged by Lank and Tank for Twenty Below Music; Emily Pritchard, music producer at Twenty Below Music Cast Zhane Samuels, Kevin Bago, Robinson Cassarino, Chantel Foo.
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.”
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