It’s said that life imitates art–and vice versa. In this case, director Luke Jaden borrowed from his own life for a Subaru Outback spec film that tugs at the heartstrings. However, the short tugged so movingly that Subaru embraced the piece and is using it. 

A young family realizes that the Australian Shepherd they rescued–named Finley–is too confined in their suburban neighborhood of tightly clustered homes. So they get in their Subaru Outback and trek to grandma’s farm where Finley can enjoy the great outdoors. After seeing how happy Finley is there–and the effect man’s best friend has on their widowed grandmother–the parents and their two daughters ultimately, albeit reluctantly, leave Finley at his new home. It’s a bittersweet situation–filled with happiness for Finley so he can run free, yet fraught with deep sadness at the thought of being separated from a dog who in a very short time had become a loving member of the family.

Titled “Finley,” this short for Subaru is akin to a similar real-world story for Jaden, his wife and kids–so much so that the Jadens’ beloved dog Finley and real-life grandma in rural Kentucky are stars in the film which was produced by ONE at Optimus, the director’s roost for commercials and branded content.

“It was deeply personal to make this for Subaru and provided me with the catharsis I really needed as we now have brought this moment full circle,” said Jaden, an alum of SHOOT’s 2023 New Directors Showcase.

Credits

Client Subaru Production Company ONE at Optimus Luke Jaden, director, executive producer; Diane Michelle, exec producer; Bret Curry, DP. Editorial Optimus Carl Schumacher, editor; Lauryn Smith, assistant editor; Tracy Spera, post exec producer; Alex Campbell, post producer. VFX Optimus Ryan Wood, VFX lead; Christian Allan, VFX/finish assistant and conform & deliverables. Color Grade Ethos Cameron Marygold, colorist; Brayden Deskins, color producer. Music Alex Tanas, composer. Sound Design Dan Flosdorf, sound designer.

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