Vol. 21
Cut Culture is back, and this time round we’re bringing you a mockumentary masterpiece and an Apple etherealopolis. Then we’ll take you behind the scenes of our latest shoot for Mitre with a certain England international. And last but not least, we’ll intro you to our man with the camera in Miami for USC’s summer campaign (which, like summer, is coming soon…).
Cut Culture
Top Secret.
The artist soon-to-be formerly known as FIFA is re-branding as ‘EA Sports FC’. Catchy. And while the new name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, some of the content EA are creating around their new look is outstanding. Outstandingly bizarre, perhaps - but still outstanding nonetheless. To celebrate the 14th anniversary of Ultimate Team, EA collaborated with production studio Kode and creative agency 20something on this mockumentary-style film riddled with Easter eggs for hardcore gamers. And it’s even weirder than the fact they did it for the 14th anniversary rather than waiting for a nice even 15. But the film embraces its absurdity, opening with a David Brent-type character informing you that you’ve just started working for the Bureau of Independent Revelry and Gatherings for Ultimate Team - in case you weren’t sure, that isn’t a real department at EA Sports - who then goes on to take a DNA sample from Joao Felix. I won’t go on describing the rest of the film beat by beat, but EA deserve their flowers for getting out of their comfort zone and doing something entirely different from their usual go-to winning formula when it comes to content. Sure, there’s a place for action-ladened, gameplay-heavy promos, but there is also absolutely a place for this too. And we’re here for it.
Floaters.
From the absurd to the ethereal… don’t ever say we don’t give you the full spectrum. ‘Quiet the Noise’ is the latest work from Megaforce – made up of directors Leo Berne, Clement Gallet, Charles Brisgand and Raphaël Rodriguez (the same mob who brought you this Burberry ad) - who were enlisted to advertise the new AirPod Pros, in collaboration with TBWA\Media Arts Lab. Anyone who lives in a busy city can likely relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed by one’s surroundings on the morning commute. Especially if you ever go through the truly painful experience of forgetting your headphones - which is a time when many of us come to the unfortunate realisation that we don’t actually love music, we just hate our own brains. The ad expands on this idea, demonstrating how music can emotionally transport you out of the hustle and bustle of your real world to a much more peaceful place. But this doesn’t work unless your headphones are sufficiently noise-cancelling to drown out the sound of two people screaming in an attempt to have a conversation on the Central line. Fortunately, that’s precisely what the new AirPods have to offer, which just makes this an incredibly engaging way of bringing to life one of the product’s primary selling points. And any ad with ‘Where is my Mind’ playing in the background is always going to get a thumbs up from us.
BTS
What a beauty… Tyrone’s alright too.
We headed up to Brum town recently to shoot Aston Villa centre-back and England international, Tyrone Mings, to launch Mitre’s new Ultimax range. And if you aren’t au fait with your 90s footy, the Ultimax is the most iconic ball of the early Premier League era… so this was a biggy that a lot of people with some very strong opinions were going to have their eyes on.
As a brand steeped in heritage, Mitre are now looking to move beyond quaint nostalgia and memories of stinging thighs - if you know, you know. They’re re-establishing themselves in the current cultural conversation at the highest level of the game, and the new design of the Ultimax is a reflection of that. So we wanted to create an aesthetic that told that story.
We had a simple, stripped-back set and used low-light and flash to create the vibe of a midweek night playing 5-a-side in a cage, as well as some outdoor shots using crisp natural light, giving that Sunday morning pre-match feeling.
And we even turned it all around in a day and managed to get back to sleep in our own beds at a reasonably civilised hour. Bosh.
Check out some of the final stills and AV below - as well as a little bonus BTS content.
David is one of the premier photographers currently working out of New York. He’s collaborated with some of the biggest brands and names in the game and has established himself as one of the very best when it comes to capturing moments that tell a story. He’s also a Miami-native, which is why he was the man behind the lens for our recent shoot for the USC summer campaign (which was in Miami, in case that wasn’t obvious). We can’t show you anything yet, but head to David’s Instagram and website for a flavour of the type of things we’ve got coming. And keep your eyes peeled for the reveal in next month’s Cut Culture.