Director’s cut of the Western Union spot “Brothers”. The spot is an experiential piece capturing a slice of life between two young brothers...and their flat soccer ball.
Currently airing in rotation on Yahoo Sports, the spot was shot to engage viewers through the raw experience of the two boys and the value of connection to them. Although it is a narrative piece, it incorporates a great deal of documentary elements to deliver on the raw and authentic connection. This is seen in everything from purely improvised scenes to moments where the kids actually look and acknowledge the camera. This approach was especially useful in working with non-actors, which the two young leads were.
Regarding production, the shooting was completely hand held to free the frame and embrace the doc-style approach. The DP and director did not work with a shotlist, but instead came up with a list of “visual rules” to keep a consistent look and tone. They stayed on mostly wider focal lengths to give a more realistic look, with Cooke miniS4 lenses being utilized for the warmth and handling of skin tones, and shot in a 2.40 aspect ratio to ensure the film maintained a cinematic quality despite all the rawer doc influences.
Credits:
Starring:
Tomas Tovar, Anthony Lobato Jr
., Patricia Johnson, Luis Pimber
Director: Nickolas Duarte
Production Company: Riotmaker, Crown Chimp Productions
EPs: Nick Costello, Harrison Roberts
Writers: Nickolas Duarte, Drew Grubich
Field Producer: Rosie Zwaduk
1st AD: Thijs Boonen
Director of Photography: Wey Wang
1st AC: Peter Brunet
Gaffer: Oscar Rivera
Production Design: Adam Ray, Jessica Van Ravenswaay
Make Up: Sonia Campbell
Location Audio: Mike Clark
Production Assistanst: Frank Armendarez, Jackie Stubbs, Art Wallace
Editors: Nickolas Duarte, Harrison Roberts
Original Music: Daniel Vildosola
Colorist: Harrison Roberts
Camera: Red Epic
Lenses: Cooke S4i
Production/Post: Tucson, AZ
NLE: Adobe Premiere Pro CC