Vol. 22
We’re back with another round of Cut Culture. And this one’s a belter, because we’re taking you behind the scenes in Miami for USC’s summer campaign. Plus we’ll be having a look at a 3-minute journey rife with emotion and electrolytes, as well as the most entertaining agency sales pitch you’ve ever seen. And lastly we’ll close things out with an intro to one of our favourite DOPs (who we’ve done some work with recently, which will be dropping in the next few weeks…).
Cut Culture
Corazon Break.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall madly in love. Someone gets their heart ripped up into a million little pieces. It’s a tale as old as time that has been re-told ad nausuem through billions of songs, poems, and Adam Sandler rom coms. And each of those have the same level of artistic merit; don’t be a snob. But despite being a storyline that everyone and their dog (probably a poor choice of phrase given the context) is more than familiar with, it is one that you perhaps wouldn’t expect to see within the context of sports drink advertising. And yet this is the basic premise of this new three-minute Gatorade film created by Mexican agency Isla, directed by Nicolás Pérez Veiga and produced by Primo Buenos Aires. Isn’t it nice to get out of the London-centric content bubble for a moment? The work feels vaguely Joseph Campbell-inspired, taking the viewer on an emotional journey through the perspective of the protagonist. And what stands out is the film’s willingness to broach uncomfortable topics such as depression, as well as potential connotations of toxicity shown through low moments such as stalking an ex’s social media or leaving some regrettable voicemails, but ultimately reaching its crescendo with the affirmative embrace of the old Persian proverb, ‘This too shall pass’. It’s definitely a different approach to the standard ‘show some hulking Adonis of a boxer absolutely leathering 7 bells out of a heavy bag then having a sip of an isotonic sports drink to replenish his electrolytes’, and it ought to be commended for trying something new. And the Bonnie Tyler soundtrack don’t hurt, neither.
Do Panic.
Have you ever wanted a masterclass in the animation process from some of the best in the business? And have you ever wanted that masterclass to be delivered by a bloke called Berthold who can’t stop itching his bollocks? If so, you are clearly a person of very refined, very particular tastes. But this is your lucky day, as that’s exactly what animation studio Panic’s new video is serving up for you. What proceeds after our intro to Berthold is a borderline psychedelic assault on the senses in the best possible way that takes you through Panic’s step-by-step guide to creating knockout animated content for their clients. Considering ‘agency process’ isn’t exactly the sexiest available pairing of words in the English language, the fact that Panic have been able to abjure the trite jargon and cliches and create something so eminently watchable and engaging from a potentially mundane subject matter is a testament to their own creative chops. And how better to tell potential clients what you can do than by actually showing them? But fear not, Panic also assure us that they speak fluent corporate, so if you do need to touch base, just reach out or drop them a line and they’ll be more than happy to put a pin in it and circle back in order to help you get your ducks in a row. Honestly, how does anyone talk like that?
BTS
When we were asked if we’d be willing to swap London for a shoot in Miami for USC’s summer campaign, we had to think about it… for about half a second while Skyscanner loaded.
We headed stateside to bring the ‘All in For Summer’ concept to life. And we did so with a classic road trip that embraces and showcases that feeling of unhindered summer freedom. And what says freedom better than Florida? Pardon me, I’m pretty sure that’s actually a Ron DeSantis campaign line…
We had 5 models in 2 classic American cars and shot across 5 locations: 2 motels, the beach, Jimmy’s diner, and the Rickenbacker Causeway (which any Fast & Furious fans might recognise…). And we had legendary photographer and Miami-native, David Cabrera, behind the lens. Because if there’s anything that bloke doesn’t know about the gaff, it ain’t worth knowing, so he understood the look we wanted to create and executed it expertly and authentically.
Plus the weather held for the full two days, which was a result (read: relief). And, if we’re being completely honest, we say Miami was the only choice, but we were actually originally meant to be shooting in LA, which at the time was unprecedentedly covered in snow, which wouldn’t have been ideal for a summer campaign. Bullet = dodged.
The campaign is now live so check out a selection of the stills and the final AV below.
Radar
Mark is a DOP who we’ve worked with on a few occasions now, most recently on a shoot for Smartwater (which you might see in next month’s Cut Culture, if you’re lucky). We first linked up with Mark for our Barbour Beacon shoot in South Shields a few years ago (video above), as he was able to bring the handheld vibe we were looking for as well as an ability to work with natural light and to create documentary-style video content, but bringing that extra little bit of spice and creative edge that ups the quality. And he’s also been reliably described as the nicest Aussie in London, so there’s that too. Eat your heart out, Jason Donovan. But don’t just take our word for it; we would urge you to go take a look at Mark’s work on his website.