The Fiat 500 by Gucci Promoted With These Four Short Films By Various Directors.

About a year ago, I gave my readers a good look at the Fiat 500 by Gucci (and the chic matching accessories).

Now, Gucci's Creative Director, Frida Giannini, and Fiat invited Jefferson Hack (Editor in Chief of Dazed & Confused and AnOther Magazine), NOWNESS, Olivier Zahm (Editor in Chief of Purple Fashion magazine), Franca Sozzani (Editor in Chief of Vogue Italy), and Alexi Tan (Film Director) to produce a short film with FIAT's 500 by Gucci as the inspiration.

The results are the following four short films of varying lengths starring the 500 by Gucci seen through the eyes of some of the most visionary creatives in the world today.

Vogue presents "Reverse to Perfection" for Fiat 500 by Gucci Reverse to Perfection, a film by Francesco Carrozzini where luxury recaptures its place:


Purple presents "Polaroid Papillon" for Fiat 500 by Gucci, a film by Olivier Zahm featuring Betony Vernon at the Museo Casa Mollino, Torino:


"The Race", a short film by Will Davidson. The Fiat 500 by Gucci, an exhilarating embodiment of Italian spirit stars in The Race - a short film exclusive to Dazed directed by Will Davidson:


"Assembly line", a short film by Chris Sweeney. Chris Sweeney's film for the 500 by Gucci fuses two power houses of Italian design with a playful twist that brings the 500 to life in a completely unexpected way:



Get a good look at the Fiat 500 by Gucci and some matching accessories.

500 by Gucci

Splitscreen: A Love Story by James W Griffiths. Shot Entirely on the Nokia N8 Mobile Phone.

As Adam Fraser reports on Nokia's conversations blog "Arm eight filmmakers with two Nokia N8s each, a $5,000 budget and ask them to produce a short film within a few weeks and what do you get? A bunch of amazing mini-movies, that’s what. However, there can only be one that wins the top prize of $10,000 USD. That award goes to JW Griffiths, for his movie – Splitscreen. You can see it below.

Love. It’s been the subject of many a movie since the dawn of, well, movies. Splitscreen is about two people falling in love who come from different parts of the world. Using two perspectives at once on the same screen, we’re able to follow each person’s journey through life as they embark on a journey to foreign lands, only to bump into each other half-way across the River Thames on Golden Jubilee Bridge."

Here’s the winning short film, Splitscreen, Shot entirely on the Nokia N8 mobile phone.



Director: James W Griffiths
Producer: Kurban Kassam
Director of Photography: Christopher Moon
Editor: Marianne Kuopanportti
Sound Design: Mauricio d'Orey
Music composed by: Lennert Busch

Get the music on iTunes: tinyurl.com/6acl6yp

Office Toy Satisfies His Cabin Fever In This Animated Short by Director Tom Jenkins.

'Address Is Approximate' is a sweet little stop motion animated short made as a personal project by director Tom Jenkins. A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross country road trip to the Pacific Coast in the only way he can – using a toy car and Google Maps Street View.

The short was shot using a Canon 5d MkII, Dragonframe Stop Motion software and customised slider. All the screen imagery was animated - there are no screen replacements.



Music by Cinematic Orchestra. The track is Arrival of the Birds and the album can purchased on itunes here.

Produced, animated, filmed, lit, edited and graded by Tom Jenkins of The Theory

You can view 'making of' pics on Facebook here.

What A Ride! Check Out This Inception Park Video From Black Sheep Films.

Film director Fernando Livschitz of Buenos Aires-based Black Sheep Films has created this truly captivating video. In the short film, ‘Inception Park’, roller coasters and other amusement park rides fly through the streets of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires. The music is "Worries" by Langhorne Slim.



via Technabob via Pop Up City

bsfilms.com.ar

New Mercedes Benz Film by Alex Prager Stars Lara Stone. And a Look Behind The Scenes.

Alex Prager’s New Short For Mercedes-Benz starring Dutch model Lara Stone (and shown further down in this post) is a bit Mary Poppins, a bit Wizard of Oz, heavy on the pretty and light on the concept. Given that it's one top model shilling for another, it may not matter. Both Lara Stone and the SL Roadster are nice to look at and the film shot by Alex Prager is compelling visually. I have no idea what it says about Mercedes Benz, but perhaps you will see something I don't.



press release:
Mercedes-Benz USA announces today the 2012 Fashion Collaboration starring the new SL Roadster with Lara Stone in Calvin Klein Collection, captured by Alex Prager.



The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icons of Style images by Alex Prager can be described as: A beautiful woman stands alone in the desert, suitcases in hand. Yet in this 21st century update on classic Film Noir, the blonde is her own getaway driver, outpacing a tornado in a sleek SL Roadster by Mercedes-Benz.




The American photographer and filmmaker, Alex Prager, is known for creating surreal and enigmatic movie moments inspired by Frederico Fellini and David Lynch. Yet in her versions - heady with mystery, lust and desire - the woman is in control.



Of her enigmatic images for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icons of Style, Alex Prager said she chose cinematic greats as her Icons of Style. "I constantly reference Fellini characters and Hitchcock as well," said Prager. Dutch supermodel, Lara Stone plays the update on the Hitchcock blonde, a strong protagonist who overcomes loneliness and fear. This inner strength is underscored by a timeless and elegant dress worn by Lara Stone and designed by Calvin Klein Collection's Women's Creative Director, Francisco Costa.



The SL Roadster featured in the latest Mercedes-Benz Icon of Style campaign, combines technical innovation with sleek sportiness and classic luxury and reinterprets the legendary Mercedes-Benz classic of the 1950s for today. Lara Stone commented, "It's an honor to work with Mercedes-Benz on a project like this.




Both Mercedes-Benz and Calvin Klein Collection brands represent great luxury and timeless elegance and it was a really unique experience."With a notoriety of creating images inspired by Fellini and Lynch, American photo and film artist Alex Prager, working alongside Creative Director Valentina Ilardi Martin, references the Wizard of Oz in the production of the A/W 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icon of Style.



But make no mistake, the femme fatale portrayed by Dutch supermodel Lara Stone is no Dorothy. This Hitchcock blonde is in complete command of herself, heady with mystery, dressed in Calvin Klein Collection, and aloof in the setting with the new Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster.


above: Lara Stone is dressed in Calvin Klein in the short film

In essence, this is the 1950s brought up to speed with today's look and pace: The luxury dynamism of the car and the timelessness of the fashion pieces designed by Calvin Klein Collection’s Women Creative Director Francisco Costa, all captured with a Hitchcock flair.

The short film:


The making of video:

Some production stills:




An interview with Alex Prager about the film:
Lara talks about the film:

Described by the director as “Mary Poppins meets The Wizard of Oz meets James Bond,” the fanciful short was shot in the dusty surrounds of Los Angeles. As well as conveying a sense of danger, Prager says her creation aimed to give “the impression that Lara is going somewhere interesting, off on a secret mission tucked away in those suitcases.” Known for her hyper-stylized, emotive work, the sought after young photographer and filmmaker was impressed by Stone's acting chops. “She was very on board with the whole tornado idea,” says Prager. “Being strapped into a harness with fans and rain blowing in all directions isn't the most fun thing to do, but she seemed to be enjoying herself and looking totally beautiful throughout.”



The star of campaigns for the likes of Givenchy and Jil Sander, Stone says she was more than happy to play opposite an automobile during her acting stint: “The difference about modeling with a car as opposed to with another model is that the car doesn’t talk back—which I quite like!”

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Collaboration, Icons of Style, is making its US debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 from February 9-15, 2012. The 2012 Icons of Style key visual is the latest in a stunning series of outstanding visuals celebrating the unique combination of design and style that is Mercedes-Benz. Nick Knight has posed Julia Stegner in Gareth Pugh with the SLS AMG; Miles Aldridge photographed Milla Jovovich wearing a spectacular hat from Philip Treacy next to the Mercedes E-Class Convertible; Craig McDean and David James staged Karolina Kurkova next to the new CLS and last season, Terry Richardson captured Jessica Stam on the roof of the A-Class concept car.

The protagonists:

Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster

above: unveiling the car on set

The designers have presented the most recent generation of SL icons in an unmistakable way, by combining a deep sense tradition with new perspectives and visions. The result is a stylish, sporty and elegant luxury sport's car with the classic, SL-typical well-balanced proportions: the long bonnet is followed by a compact passenger compartment and the wide, sleek rear perfects the look.


above: the other star of the film on location

Understated, artistically designed lines define the powerfully modelled yet smooth surfaces of its silhouette. Finely engineered details from the dynamic, traditional form repertoire of Mercedes-Benz visually underline the legend of the SL. From a technological perspective, the SL presents itself as a spectacular trendsetter. Manufactured almost completely from aluminium, it weighs a lot less than its predecessor. Innovations like the unique FrontBass system, which turns the SL into a concert hall, whether open or closed, or the adaptive MAGIC VISION CONTROL System are all pioneering developments with an eye to the future.

Alex Prager

above: Alex Prager watching a playback on set

Self-taught Alex Prager from Los Angeles is a rising star in the photographer sky. On a visit to a William Egglestone exhibition, Alex Prager made the decision to start taking photos herself. Since then, the 32-year-old photographic artist and filmmaker has impressed with her unconventional photography at several solo and group exhibitions. Her productions are inspired by the style of the sixties, as well as by the films by great directors like Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch and Frederico Fellini. Alex Prager describes her photography as a documentation of a world that at the same time exists and yet does not exist. In addition to her well-received trilogy with the series "Polyester", "The Big Valley" and "Week-end", Alex Prager has also made a name for herself as a fashion photographer. Her "Lofty Ambitions" editorial featured in the September issue of US Vogue and she also shot the spring/summer 2011 campaign by Bottega Veneta with Karolina Kurkova.

Lara Stone


The native Dutch model is currently top of the worldwide rankings on Models.com. Since her breakthrough in 2006 she has been the campaign face for top labels like Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Max Mara and Versace, has worked with star photographers including Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Craig McDean, Mario Sorrenti and Terry Richardson and has modelled on the catwalk for all major, international fashion houses. The gap between her two front teeth has become one of her trademark features.She is currently the face of Calvin Klein and has been linked to the brand for quite some time. French Vogue dedicated a whole issue to Lara Stone in February 2009, and fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld shot a short film with her.

Calvin Klein Collection's Francisco Costa
Francisco Costa is the critically acclaimed Women's Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection. Mr. Costa assumed this role in 2003 after working directly with Calvin Klein and other top design houses of Gucci, Balmain Couture, and Oscar de la Renta. Mr. Costa's first collection for Calvin Klein Collection debuted for Spring 2004. Known for his timeless, elegant designs, Mr. Costa has received numerous awards for his work, including being twice named the Womenswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and is a recipient of the Cooper-Hewitt National Fashion Design Award. A graduate of F.I.T., Mr. Costa was born into a family with deep roots in fashion, and grew up in the small Brazilian town of Guarani near Rio de Janiero, where his mother and father owned a successful apparel business.

www.mercedes-benz.com/fashion

Calvin Klein

Alex Prager is represented by M+B

Two Beautiful Bottles and Two Short Films For Bottega Veneta's First Fragrance Launch.

Italian brand Bottega Veneta, long known for their stylish and beautifully crafted leather goods, has launched their first women's fragrance with films by Bruce Weber and Christian Weber and with two different but equally beautiful bottle designs; one for the Murano Parfum and the other for the eau de parfum.




The Films:


Captured by Bruce Weber under the artistic direction of Bottega Veneta's Creative Director, Tomas Maier, the first film for the scent features Nine d'Urso, the muse of the fragrance (and Natalie Portman doppelganger):



the print advertisement:


The second short film created for the launch of the brand's new women's fragrance, was made in collaboration with the photographer and director Christian Weber (also under the artistic direction of Tomas Maier and no relation to Bruce Weber).



This film, The Scent (shown below), is a visual journey which tells the story of the fragrance:


The Eau de Parfum:
Bottega Veneta, the eau de parfum, evokes the suppleness and sensuality of the house’s renowned leather goods. The fragrance, a leathery floral chypre, marries the olfactory language of the Venetian countryside—fresh meadows, mown hay, flowers, earth, and wood—with the gentle richness of leather in a creation crafted with the meticulousness of a master artisan.

The Eau de Parfum Bottle:


The Bottega Veneta bottles combine soft, rounded curves and powerful shapes, a smooth outside and an intrecciato texture on the bottom (reminiscent of their well-known leather weave):


The colors on the eau de parfum bottle are signature Bottega Veneta: a brunito cap and collar, an ebano logo and a skin colored leather ribbon clipped with a brunito butterfly:


The bottle itself, inspired by Venetian glasswork and the traditional Italian carafe, designed with an eye for timeless lines and resonant juxtapositions, is in every way a vessel of harmonious simplicity and perfectly balanced contradictions.

The Murano Parfum:
Composed by renowned master perfumer Michel Almairac, the Bottega Veneta fragrance reveals its signature character from the start. The structure of the fragrance is unique, a fine mesh of extraordinary raw materials whose individual scents are woven together to create a supple and harmonious whole.

The Murano Parfum Bottle:



The Murano bottle is a particularly pure expression of the quality and craftsmanship of Bottega Veneta. The flacon, designed by Creative Director Tomas Maier as a vessel for the parfum, is an object of timeless sophistication and contemporary functionality. The bottle is made of exceptionally fine glass hand-blown by artisans of one of the leading glassworks on the island of Murano.

A full line of scented products is now available, including perfumed shower gel and body cream:


Bottega Veneta