Thanks to Emanuel for filling us in so quickly. Here it is on youtube:
... and thanks to Niko for the link to the HQ version:
iPhone Commercial at Apple.com
iPhone - 3G
That was quick! Just a few days back we had the reports coming in about the shooting of a new David Fincher commercial. Now it's already online. Prepare for the shortest 30 seconds you have ever witnessed. It's over so fast. It's so beautiful. And it's narrated by Robert Downey Jr!
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Must be the first of a series - where's the Fifth Avenue footage...?
ReplyDeleteperfect. as always. i'm getting tired of this guy always getting it right...
ReplyDeletealways great to see those Fincher frames and that Fincher flow.
ReplyDeleteA lot of his new work is so unadorned. His style has always been classic but he seems to be striping everything thing down to staging these days.
am I wrong?
Full Credits
ReplyDeleteClient: Apple
Agency: TBWAMedia Arts Lab
Chief Creative Officer: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Duncan Milner,
Eric Grunbaum
ACD/Art Director: Alain Briere
Senior Copywriter: Krista Wicklund
Copywriter: Alicia Dotter
Art Director: Drew Stalker
Agency Producer: Anne Oburgh,
Perrin Rausch
Music Supervisor: David Taylor
Director: David Fincher
Director of Photography: Pawel Edelman
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Executive Producer: Jeff Baron
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Colorist: Angus Wall
Post Producer: Chris Noviello
VFX/Online: Asylum
VFX Supervisor: Sean Faden
VFX Producer: Cassandra Khavari
Compositor: Tim Davies,
Rob Trent,
Joey Brattesani
Lead Modeler: Greg Stuhl
Lighting/Shader Artist: Matthew Maude,
Denis Gauthier
CG Animator: Piotr Karwas
Tracker: Gary Laurie,
Michael Lori,
Eddie Offermann
Texture Artist: Tim Clark,
John Hart
Music Composer: David Holmes
Sound Design: Mit Out Sound
Sound Designer: Ren Klyce
Sound Mixer: Loren Silber
Sound Mix: Lime Studios
I dare you tell me the difference between a commercial directed by Mr. Fincher and other commercial directors... it's kind of pretentious to say this is such a Fincher commercial with his "flow" (whatever that is in film terms) and "Fincher frames".
ReplyDelete@ kevin.
ReplyDeletei think you´re right. but his staging is flawless. wouldn´t you agree?
@ Jenna
ReplyDeleteTo me the special quality of a Fincher commercial and what I would describe as the "flow" that his work has, comes from a number of artistic decisions and techniques working in unison and that I rarely see so well thought out and so precisely executed as with Fincher.
In this commercial (which I haven't analysed to death by any means) some of Fincher's artistic trademarks are these: The low positioning of the camera (at about knee's height). Very subtle movements or tracking shots with the camera. The slight movement and radical focus pull when the security guy slides his card at the door.
And another thing that I typically see in Fincher commercials is a very perfectly thought out direction of the eye. If you look at the sequence of shots when the security guys put down the case, open it and the case unlocks to reveal the iPhone, go through these shots frame by frame and you will see how carefully the motions of the objects are directed and edited to create a flow. How there is an up-shot first, followed immediately by a down-shot of the edge of the case and how the editing speed and motion builds up (always editing at the perfect, highest vector of each motion) to finally reveal the product.
What can I say? To me it's masterful. And beautifully done. And since I know that it's foolish to try and put everything that makes up Fincher's genius into words, I would like to keep it at that: The rest is just magic -- you can't really tell WHAT it is ... but you can tell it's FINCHER!
(my god, before everyone starts bashing again, let me add some things that won't necessarily make my statements any better ...)
ReplyDeleteThere is so many more things to consider: The color palette, the choices in lighting, the sound design and music, the tonality of sound and images, the framing, the order of the shots and the ordering of images to form a sequence ...
There is this wonderful Fincher quote that I always feel sums it up really well (I'm paraphrasing): "Some say there's a thousand ways to shoot a scene. I say there is two. And the other one is wrong."
And that's true: When given a script, even for a thirty second commercial, there is probably a million ways or more that directors could tackle that scene, that they could evoke a mood in lighting, sound design, color palette, staging, framing, set dressing and so forth.
When refering to the "flow" now in particular that would also mean that there is probably a million ways to construct each shot and the order of shots and they way you organize them to a sequence -- and the sum of these decisions that are being made in that process is what makes the special quality or personality, if you will, of a director.
I am convinced that Fincher just takes a lot of time preparing the overall direction of each work he does in his head, making all these decisions, and then goes about it very rigorously to shoot and get exactly what he needs (the exact framings and movements and speeds) to make that vision come to life.
Other really good examples of Fincher's "style" I would say to be the Adidas, HP and Nike Gamebreakers commercials. And once anyone has watched all of these a bunch of times, I believe, you sort of develop an eye for what elements and shots a signatory for Fincher.
My god, I better stop raving.
Keep up the great work, Mr. Fincher. -- I adore it!
@Jenna
ReplyDeleteI am off to dine with some family and friends. I think Fincherfanatic as pretty much summed it up. But I'd like to add to it when I get back if I have time before my flight in the morning.
@Thiago
Totally agree simple but always right on the money
I'm also exited that Pawel Edelman was his choice for DP. A cinematographer from my country! And as we all know it, Poland have the best cinematographers... ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope they do a feature film together some day.
Are you guys working in the film industry or studying film? I ask because of your versity in film language. I study Film at NYU in the second year.
ReplyDeleteAwww. Am I not getting an answer?
ReplyDelete@ jenna
ReplyDeleteI have made the experience that as soon as a news is no longer headline people mostly don't leave comments any more.
I have studied film and screenwriting (here in Germany) and have been working as a screenwriter and script consultant for three years. So most of the stuff I recognize from watching the works of different directors is things I remember from film theory classes and directing seminars.
While in University I did shoot some short films myself and for that (and since I have always been a huge fan of David Fincher's work, ever since I saw SE7EN) I did analyse a great many sequences and how Fincher created them and pieced them together through framing, cinematography and editing. From this and from almost every work of his I have seen since then I have developed a sense of a certain Fincher style, the same as you could say about Steven Spielberg having a very distinct cinematic-narrative style (or others like Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Alfred Hitchcock, ...)
So, you study film to become a director? What are your favorite directors? And what's your impression and opinion of David Fincher's style?
I am asking because I know there is a ton of different opinions about Fincher: Some people adore everything he does, while others find his works clinical and distant. Since you started the "debate" about Fincher's style, I would be interested: What do you think? :-)
@Jenna
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late response, flew to iceland for a couple days was quite busy and am now In Kenya and it has taken some time to get up and running.
As for Film studies, I've studied film since high school, I then studied film in undergrauate collage and am now in Grad School getting and MFA with a concentration in Directing at Columbia University in NYC.
As for Fincher Flow comment.
I don't really think I have anything else to add to fincherfanatic statement.
I think you can take the shot analysis Fincherfanatic did for this commercial and look at a scene like fire blanket scene if Panic Room, or The car crash scene in Fight Club or the Riply's first discovery of the Alien in Alien 3.
Fincher's work as always been about nicely machine parts that seem to fit together in a particular order. He just seems to figure out how each piece in a given scene works fit together.
Thanks for the answers! Yes I study Film with an emphasis on directing at NYU. My favorite directors are Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Ang Lee and P.T. Anderson.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on style are that the "style" of the movie should always derive from the story, and not from the director or producer. I think it's a flaw when every movie of a given director has similar characteristics. And Fincher, asked about his style, seems to cherish the same notion. He said in an interview, which was cited in the book Dark Eye: "I don't know what style is. It's the things you fuck up as much as the things that you do well..."
So in my belief, every movie should have its own tone and style, or you're doing something wrong. Spielberg varies his "style" too, btw.
I think Fincher makes interesting movies, not all of them are, though. I don't like Panic Room or The Game, but I dig Seven, Fight Club and especially Zodiac (where he stepped back from his "trademark style") and I'm looking forward to BB, because he seems to mature as a filmmaker, and that's what keeps me interested in his work (not so much his persona, though).
Comments would be highly appreciated.
@Jenna
ReplyDeleteAnother late one, I don't check here everyday cause internet is slow in some parts of Kenya.
As for Style, I agree that every movie a filmmaker endeavors to make should have it's own style according to the story.
I don't think Fincher is the kind of filmmaker that beats the same style to death.
He does work more often than not in the thriller Genre, he does like certain tools, he does like certain themes.
and those are the things that we dissect here.
I don't think Panic Room is the same movie as the Game, as Alien 3 as Seven, etc...
Panic Room among other things is an exercise film, it about dramatic irony, its about holding on the the audiences eyes and expectation in a very, very precise manner.
To me; and this may sound silly to some, but Seven and Zodiac are more similar than people think.
The work of the camera in both movies are pretty relaxed. Seven doesn't have any BIG SHOTS. The camera is never doing anything special unless you count two shot walk and talks as special. It does have some steady cam work but nothing TOO ADORNED.
The main reason why people see them as soooo different is the atmoshpere. Zodiac doesn't dwell on rain or smoke. Zodiac isn't afraid to just let DATA be DATA.
But both movies are about "DATA" or "THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE HEARING."
I think it's an amazing testiment to Fincher's skill that a Movie so Violent as Zodiac is remembered as "Dull" or unadorn and a movie like Seven which is pretty talky is remember as ULTRA VIOLENT.
Zodiac though it has horrific scene of violence was great at pointing you towards the DATA.
And Seven though it was pretty talky was great at using the talk to get you to feel like you were SEEING more than you we HEARING.
When I think of Zodiac I think "Lake Berryessa." When people say that movie is dull I only remember my reaction to that scene. My willingness to go and turn over every rock.
With Seven I always remember John Doe's speech about "only in a world this shitty can you call those people innocent" and how much logical he was.
Seven is as much about Talk as Zodiac if not more so. Watch Seven again and note that there are a total of TWO scenes of ON SCREEN violence in the whole movie, the chase scene and the end.
Zodiac is very meticulous about how you are traveling the trajectory, doing the leg work, listening to all the mundane ordinary everyday speak of detective work. Zodiac ain't CSI it's HARD PROCEDURAL, HARD DATA.
Is ironic that people say Zodiac was fincher stepping away from his style when I don't think he stepped away at all.
I think he always uses what ever means he needs to accomplish what ever he is trying to get across but by comparison Zodiac is far more Adorned than Seven.
The CAB RIDE scene, GOLDEN GATE BRIGDE TILT DOWN, TRANS AMERICA BUILDING, the Z letter transition and even The 45 second BLACK OUT are bigger SHOTS than anything SEEN in Seven.
Fincher has one of the most Varied toolset of any of his contemperaries. I love Spike's work, or PT Anderson but varied these guys are not.
PT. though I ADORE his films loves loves loves his steady cam. He'll never get away from it, but the kinds of movies he makes are always very different from one another. Punch Drunk Love is obviously not There Will Be Blood or Magnolia.
But PT has a ridgid adherance to Animorphic lenses, he loves 25, 50 and 75mil lenses, he loves lens flares to the extent that he has his DP take the ainti flare coating off the lens.
Fincher though he often works thrillers seems to use a varied array of tools. Panic Room and Zodiac seemed to favor 17 and 21, 25mm lenses
Seven seemed to Favor 25's and 50s and 75mm
Panic Room only had one or two instances of a longer lenses like an odd choice (given the rest of the film )like 60mm.
Fight Club and Panic Room has tons of CGI Camera moves, Seven and the Game had None.
Zodiac ALMOST NEVER used push in (the most over used technique in film), there or two or three examples in a 2 hour 45 minute film.
Alien 3 loved to use Crosses (Not what jesus died on) but the actors crossing the 180 line or the Camera crossing the line.
the Game loved circular track
He's never mixed Media again like he did in the Game (16mm and 35mm)
Though he loves the low angle shot Alien 3 seems to have the camera at Floor height alot where as his other movies tend to go for knee height or belt buckle.
Zodiac adhered strickly to Sticks and Dollies except for the fly overs. And Zodiac saw Fincher employing the Zoom lens.
The list goes on and on. His tool set is very extensive. He seems to fit the tools to the story not his personality, not his "style".
As great of a filmmaker as P.T.A is he doesn't like to use new tools. He loves orginallity he just doesn't like any other paint brushes but his paint brush and thats more than ok.
As long as he use his brushes paint's diffrent pictures and improves his technique
Very few filmmakers ever really tell more than 1 or 2 stories. Hitchcock loved the Wrong Man movie. He loved the a man wrongly accused who can only triumph when he has the love and faith of his woman. 39 steps, North by North West, To Catch a Thief etc...
But Psycho was a very very different story that was about the boy and his Mother.
Though the mother figure is always in his movies that movie is a giant departure form is previous and future works.
He then does it again with the Birds. You could call the birds when Nature Attacks, but you can also call it when a Woman Attacks as that movie is very much about how this woman's sexuality throws everything in this town into total and utter chaos.
Again the woman's sexuality as a corrupting agent is in all of his movies but here it comes front and center.
Very few filmmakers do this. Muchless one who always worked on thrillers.
PTA loves the "All The Lonely People" movie. He's not done psycho yet. Daniel Plainview is a step away because he's the most lonely figure PT has ever depicted. Usually his figure do find a family but Plainview differs because he never does.
Fincher loves the life only when you Die stories.
When you surrender all control you find life.
BUT
Zodiac was his Psycho Zodiac was just about finding enough info so you can look your boogey man in the eye and say "I know you, I know your face"
Seven when you get down to the bone is about what the 1990's where about; "sin as virtue.
Fight Club, Alien 3 and The Game are about finding live when you are ready and willing to Die or even when you do die (Jack, Ripely and Van Orton all try to kill themselves).
Far as I am concern Fincher is the most interesting Filmmaker working today.
@ Kevin
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks for this great and detailed comment.
I just clicked to see the commercial but got stucked to read comments. Always great to find people with good taste. / Michael
ReplyDelete