Directing collective Megaforce, Riff Raff Films and visual effect/post studio MPC team to conjure up a different kind of hailstorm and with it a deliciously contemporary take on Singin’ in the Rain in this spot for Burberry titled “Festive.”
Titled “Festive,” the piece centers on a quartet who dance through the streets; each step choreographed by the (La)Horde collective and creatively written, imagined and directed by Megaforce via Riff Raff.
A joint statement from Megaforce read, “We found the idea of this film digging though Burberry’s history. The founder, Thomas Burberry, created innovative weatherproof clothing that was used by polar explorers, which gave us this idea of a story that saw its characters braving the elements with ease. That iconic scene from the film Singin’ in the Rain came to our minds so we wanted to draw inspiration from it and make a version that speaks for our times. This year has been tough for us all, so we wanted to push the metaphor and transformed the rain to ice blocks. We also changed the narrative from a single character to a group of friends because going through the adversity is a thing that we’d better do together.”
Riff Raff owner/EP Matthew Fone noted, “The most pleasing thing for me about this collaboration is how Megaforce took the brief of capturing what Burberry stands for today alongside its prominent heritage; and made a festive film that encapsulates the notion of both, in a simple metaphor of adversity in their own, inimitable way, no baubles.”
Alex Lovejoy, creative director at MPC, added, “We always knew the Burberry ‘Festive’ film was going to be a special project. The film showcases our ambition to challenge the ordinary and push the boundaries of remote postproduction. A key element was building the falling ice blocks, to do this successfully it was essential to capture data on set, so we took detailed photogrammetry of the streets and referenced real ice blocks shattering. This was used as the base for our CG so that it could be synchronized exactly with the live action. We are all incredibly proud of the final film, which was a lot of fun to create.”
