Hollywood comedy duo takes viewers on a tour of the design brand’s Detroit factory.
Dallas, TX/Santa Monica, CA, September 8th, 2016: Reel FX (Dallas/Santa Monica) enlists the effortless deadpan humor of actor Luke Wilson to bring viewers along for an eccentric and at times amusingly clumsy tour of Shinola’s Detroit factory and offices in a new 360° video, produced direct-to-client. The 4:32 piece is helmed by actors and directors Andrew Wilson and Luke Wilson and allows viewers to make their way through the factory of the upscale retailer of watches, bicycles and leather goods, taking in a full 360° view of the space as Luke Wilson guides them along. The experience fuses the comedy finesse of the Wilson brothers with the technical VR and filmmaking expertise of Reel FX to take the idea of a simple factory tour to the next level.
Click HERE to view the 360° tour and HERE to view a behind-the-scenes video.
The immersive tour allows Shinola fans everywhere to experience the foundation of the Detroit-based brand: its people. The Reel FX team worked closely with Andrew and Luke Wilson to unite the signature comedy style of the impromptu duo with the newfound 360° set space that comes along with VR. This allows viewers to interact with the Shinola space and staff while also taking in a bit of the company’s history. They utilized the new-to-market Nokia OZO camera, touted as the first VR camera purpose-built for professionals, making use of the real-time HMD monitoring to streamline camera placement and shot composition and make the most of their on-set time. This new technology, combined with Reel FX’s proprietary post production workflow tools, allowed for the team to spend their time on the creative process, rather than harping on the technical challenges that are often inherent in the emergence of VR filmmaking. The behind-the-scenes video, which features the original track “Detroit Seal” by Pato Motown, takes a closer look into this process.
Notes Reel FX Head of VR & Interactive Steve Nix, “As an early pioneer in the VR space, Reel FX has aggressively embraced new technologies. This was an amazing opportunity to advance those efforts while engaging the talents of Andrew and Luke Wilson to tell the story of Shinola’s vibrant company culture in Detroit.”
“In 2012 we built a watch factory in Detroit and called it our home. The city and the people who assemble our products are at the core of everything we do. This film allows those who cannot make a trip to Detroit to take a peek into why we chose Detroit and what drives us every day. The combination of Luke’s sharp humor and this new technology was the perfect match to express the brand in a way that is both fun and informative,” said Shinola’s Bridget Russo.
Additional behind-the-scenes stills:
Credits:
Client: Shinola
Production/Post Production/Behind the Scenes: Reel FX
Co-Director: Andrew Wilson and Luke Wilson
Head of Production: Jim Riche
General Manager, Commercial: David Bates
General Manager, VR & Interactive: Steve Nix
Editor: Quan Tran
Executive Producer, Live Action: Steve Johnson
Executive Producer, Virtual Reality: Taylor Williams
Producer: Marcie Teague
Production Manager: Rachel Bradley
Director of Photography: Celine Tricart
360 Technical Directors: Ryan Hartsell, Dylan Rogers
Stitching Supervisor: Lyn Caudle
Lead Stitching Artist: Matt Stocks
Stitching Artists/Comp/Cleanup:
Sungman Pyun
Dan Margules
Doug Hogan
Kelsey Craig
Jessica Hogan
Ed Whetstone
Jeff Masters
Shannon Walsh
Jared Brower
Daniel Guindi
Audio Engineer: Frank Salazar & Frank Pittenger
Editorial Assistant: Steven Happel
Production Coordinator: Julia Gibson
Creative Director: Barrett Lewis
Designer: Bill Nuske
Motion Design: James Tobias
Online: Laychin Lee
About Reel FX
Reel FX develops and produces award-winning animated films, virtual reality experiences, mobile/interactive content, live venue projects and commercials. Based out of Dallas, Texas and Santa Monica, California, the company has over 23 years of experience working with studio partners like Fox, Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation and Universal Studios as well as national advertising agencies and global brands. In 2010, Reel FX announced the launch of its feature film banner, Reel FX Animation Studios. Its slate includes the Golden Globe-nominated The Book of Life with 20th Century Fox and Free Birds with Relativity Media. The two films have grossed a combined $210 million worldwide. Multiple feature-length animated projects are currently in development. Reel FX Commercial, the studio’s turn-key short-form division, crafts a variety of broadcast and digital content, music videos and themed attractions. The studio’s newest division, Reel FX VR, launched in 2014 and has already developed dozens of world-class VR interactive activations and 360º narrative content for innovative brands, such as 20th Century Fox, Acura, American Express, AT&T, Frito-Lay, GE, Legendary Pictures, Lionsgate, Porsche, Samsung, and the U.S. Air Force, and for all leading VR headset platforms including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and Cardboard.
About Shinola
Founding in 2011, Detroit-based Shinola was conceived with the belief that products should be well made and built to last. As makers of handcrafted watched, bicycles, leather goods, journals (and launching this fall audio equipment). Shinola stands for skill at scale, the preservation of craft and the beauty of industry.