
Tell us the story behind the project.
The film was a school project for the New York Film Academy. My professor was Thomas Barnes. The assignment was to make a commercial for any product. For this project, I wanted to explore the concept of virals and web advertising. I used the school’s camera, but the footage looked too good. It was over-beautifying the standard viral aesthetics. So I came up with the idea that it doesn’t matter what I do, I just couldn’t fail, and I made the "commercial" about the camera itself.
The film was a school project for the New York Film Academy. My professor was Thomas Barnes. The assignment was to make a commercial for any product. For this project, I wanted to explore the concept of virals and web advertising. I used the school’s camera, but the footage looked too good. It was over-beautifying the standard viral aesthetics. So I came up with the idea that it doesn’t matter what I do, I just couldn’t fail, and I made the "commercial" about the camera itself.
What equipment did you use?
I used the RED EPIC MYSTERIUM-X with a full kit of Zeiss Compact Prime Super Speed lenses and a Zephyr camera stabilizer by Steadicam. No filters.
What do you think made this project stand out to the judges?
I think it’s simplicity. I’m a former designer, and everything I do is based on Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s ideas of "Less is more" and "God is in the details." And also I think they liked it because it’s funny. People like to laugh.