When partner/editor Marco Perez of bicoastal Union Editorial read the script for his latest project, Lovebirds, the humor leapt out at him. “There were many clever elements to explore, so many notes to hit,” he recalls. Apparently, the film – written and directed by Martin Garde Abildgaard – hit every one of those notes: Lovebirds won the 1.4 Awards Jury Prize this month, and 1.4 is hosting the film’s debut on its online platform. Lovebirds marks the first collaboration between Abildgaard and Perez, who was referred to the director by the film’s producer, Rikke Katborg.
“Marco did an amazing job telling the story in Lovebirds and finding the perfect balance between the serious message of the film and the quirkiness and humor,” Abildgaard says. “He quickly found the perfect tone of voice of the film and executed everything very sharp and precise. My vision was to create a film which was both timeless and modern at the same time, and this paradox was shaped perfectly in the hands of Marco. It was a true pleasure to work with everyone at Union Editorial, a family that is extremely professional, but also very creative.”
Lovebirds tells the story of an older woman, living alone and very set in her ways, who nonetheless seeks companionship. Through a slight suspension of disbelief, a mail-order clone is delivered to her home. What ensues is a trial period of sorts, during which the woman must determine whether or not the clone meets her very particular qualifications. Spoiler Alert: you really should view the film before reading on. Go ahead, view it here (or below). OK. Having watched Lovebirds, you’ve now discerned that the woman and her clone are played by twin sisters (Mady and Monette Malroux), and that no postproduction trickery was used (the entire film was shot in camera). “In the edit room, there was some discussion as to when the exact moment should be to reveal that these are two actresses,” Perez says. “When they are sitting and having tea, you start to get it. By the end of that scene and beginning of the next, you know.” This key reveal – similar to the opening of the delivery box containing the waking clone – is “a magical moment,” Perez says. The Malroux sisters, in the film sense, are not identical twins, something that may require a second viewing by cinephiles, but did not escape the eye of Perez. “When I was editing them, I could see subtle differences in the way they performed,” he observes. “They look alike and their voices were similar, but they are not the ‘same’ actress, which adds to the fun.”
Music also played a key role in Lovebirds. “My original intention was not to use music as a very dominant factor in the film,” the director reflects, “but Marco found some really cool old classic French tunes that elevated the overall feel and message of the story to a whole new level, which ended up working very well.”
“Working with Union, and Marco Perez, was such a great experience for both me and my producers, so we right now already are creating our next project together,” Abildgaard concludes. The film is Let’s Get Killed, and it marks the director’s feature debut. “It is in post production right now and we are all very happy to be at Union and to feel the great expertise and sparkling creativity.”
On the spot front, Perez recently wrapped the latest client-direct Indeed campaign, comprised of four spots directed by Craig Gillespie. He also completed Chevy’s holiday campaign, created via Commonwealth in Detroit, and directed by Andrew Wonder. Notable recent work cut by Perez also includes the Call of Duty: Black Ops IV campaign via 72 and Sunny; and work for adidas originals (Philip Andelman, director) and The Alexander Wang collection launch (Karim Huu Do, director), both via Johannes and Leonardo.
About Union
Union Editorial has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and London, where it maintains an alliance with Marshall Street Editors. The company also develops and produces original content through its Union Entertainment Group banner. Other Union companies include Resolution, a visual effects boutique specializing in commercials, features and gaming.
Union is presided over by Partner/Managing Director Michael Raimondi in LA, Partner/Executive Producer Caryn Maclean in NY and Executive Producer Vicki Russell in Austin. The Union roster is comprised of Partner/Editors Jim Haygood, Einar, Jay Friedkin, Sloane Klevin, Marco Perez, Christjan Jordan, and editors Christopher Huth, Nicholas Wayman-Harris, Rachael Waxler, Daniel Luna, Jason Lucas, Kevin Ray, Laura Milstein, Eric Argiro, Karen Kourtessis, Zach Kashkett, Andrew Doga, Paul Plew, Teddy Gersten, Jinx Godfrey, Ben Longland and Nico Alba as well as select projects with Tim Thornton-Allen, Matt Chesse, John Mayes, Spencer Ferszt and the Marshall Street roster.
