Directing a commercial almost never comes with the same amount of creative freedom as directing a movie, but “Swiss Army Man” co-directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — aka “Daniels” — recently got to have the best of both worlds. The pair’s Nike ad “Unlimited You” that aired during the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday had all of their trademark weirdness, including a gymnast literally smashing Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan at one point during the ad. (Watch it below.)
How did Daniels retain creative control over a massive campaign that Nike first began working on more than a year ago? During an interview with IndieWire on Monday, the pair explained that the ad agency for the spot, Wieden & Kennedy, fought to give them as much creative liberty as possible.
“They basically gave us the freedom to just be weird, go nuts and have fun,” Kwan said, adding...
How did Daniels retain creative control over a massive campaign that Nike first began working on more than a year ago? During an interview with IndieWire on Monday, the pair explained that the ad agency for the spot, Wieden & Kennedy, fought to give them as much creative liberty as possible.
“They basically gave us the freedom to just be weird, go nuts and have fun,” Kwan said, adding...
- 8/9/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Every so often, a film is so innovative that it sends audiences running. Such was the case when “Swiss Army Man” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where the tale of a despondent island castaway (Paul Dano) and the talking, farting corpse he discovers and befriends (Daniel Radcliffe) inspired a seriously divisive responsive. No one is walking out now: “Swiss Army Man” led the specialty box office last weekend, (beating out the highly anticipated “Neon Demon”), and opens nationally July 1. It’s quickly becoming the breakout story of the summer. But while its directors are technically first-timers in the feature-length realm, they’re hardly newcomers.
The film’s success is largely due to its odd premise, dark humor, and — above all — a unique aesthetic that’s both tonally offbeat and profound. That aesthetic was honed by directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who go simply by “Daniels,” during their rise...
The film’s success is largely due to its odd premise, dark humor, and — above all — a unique aesthetic that’s both tonally offbeat and profound. That aesthetic was honed by directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who go simply by “Daniels,” during their rise...
- 6/30/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Swiss Army Man, which hits theaters this Friday, has been making waves with its already-infamous title as the odd, farting corpse drama that shook and divided Sundance this year. Following a hopeless man (Paul Dano) stranded on a deserted island who finds a companion in a talking corpse (Daniel Radcliffe). One can see our review here. The minds behind the madness are the directing duo Daniels — Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, hence the name — and while this marks their feature debut, the pair have been working together for years.
Beginning in 2010, the two created a Vimeo and uploaded the official video for The Hundred in the Hands’ song “Pigeons.” From there, they spent the next five years crafting an assortment of commercials, music videos, skits, and short films — all seemingly working towards the distillation and realization of their collective cinematic voice with Swiss Army Man. Their most recent short, Interesting Ball,...
Beginning in 2010, the two created a Vimeo and uploaded the official video for The Hundred in the Hands’ song “Pigeons.” From there, they spent the next five years crafting an assortment of commercials, music videos, skits, and short films — all seemingly working towards the distillation and realization of their collective cinematic voice with Swiss Army Man. Their most recent short, Interesting Ball,...
- 6/23/2016
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Following the recent announcement of their full film lineup that includes Trainwreck, Get Hard, and Spy, South by Southwest has revealed their lineup of Midnight movies and short films to screen during the festival. Chief among them is the Sundance 2015 hit Turbo Kid (read our review here) and the Sundance ’15 winner of the Short Film Prize World of Tomorrow. SXSW runs from March 13-21. View the full Midnighters and Shorts lineup below via the SXSW website.
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
- 2/10/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
On the heels of last week’s feature program announcement, SXSW has just released their selections for Midnighters and Shorts. In addition to several Sundance holdovers — including Jury Prize winners World of Tomorrow and Oh Lucy! — the several shorts programs feature new work from Leah Shore (Hallway), ornana (All Your Favorite Shows!), James M. Johnston (Melville), and Daniels (Interesting Ball), as well as the latter’s very viral music video Turn Down For What. Find the full list of added features and shorts below. Features Midnighters Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious. The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain) Director: […]...
- 2/10/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
On the heels of last week’s feature program announcement, SXSW has just released their selections for Midnighters and Shorts. In addition to several Sundance holdovers — including Jury Prize winners World of Tomorrow and Oh Lucy! — the several shorts programs feature new work from Leah Shore (Hallway), ornana (All Your Favorite Shows!), James M. Johnston (Melville), and Daniels (Interesting Ball), as well as the latter’s very viral music video Turn Down For What. Find the full list of added features and shorts below. Features Midnighters Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious. The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain) Director: […]...
- 2/10/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
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