Heckler teams up with Aussie A-Team on new Hemsworth fronted Abu Dhabi blockbuster ad
Seeking adventure? Check. Unique culture? Absolutely. It’s the promise of Visit Abu Dhabi in its new action-packed tourism campaign starring beloved silver screen couple Chris and Elsa Hemsworth. It was also a dream job for award-winning studio Heckler to collaborate on.
Peppered with larrikin humour and led by Aussie director Justin McMillan, ‘Find Your Pace with Chris & Elsa’ is a fun-filled, fast-paced spot that required Hollywood Blockbuster style VFX. It took the Hecklers, led by creative director Cody Amos, to some stunningly diverse locations across the Middle East over an intense three-day shoot.
The global campaign saw Cody and the VFX team create an imposing CGI particle monster and provide all VFX services on the ground. Heckler also worked on a director’s cut of the advert, with an original music track scored by Heckler Sound.
Teaming up with Heckler, director Justin McMillan says having a local, familiar crew on the ground was an immediate advantage when facing some of the obstacles of directing a high stakes shoot in a foreign country with cultural nuances and language barriers to consider.
Says McMillan: “I have a long history working with Heckler and there is a real sense of comfort and camaraderie knowing you have experienced people on your team that have your back and can deliver to a world-class standard with readily available resources across both its Sydney and Singapore based studios.
“Cody’s background and reel was exactly what I was after and my shorthand with Heckler EP Will Alexander meant this was an all-star Aussie team to bring together. Having Cody fly out to be on the ground at a moment’s notice meant we could be super reactive, literally designing shots with the drone team when we were on set.”
Says Cody Amos, creative director, Heckler: “This was a fun whirlwind of a project. I knew nothing about it until I suddenly found myself on set with movie stars and talking to the director about what sort of particle creature could chase people and make them jump off a building.
“It needed to feel like something that belonged in a blockbuster, so we looked at movies like Fantastic Beasts, and I dug up some techniques I used on Spiderman. In the end, I think we have created something pretty epic, that feels alive but ambiguous.”
Says Will Alexander, executive producer, Heckler: “Coming off the back of a tough year for everyone, we all feel incredibly fortunate to end it on such a high note working with our industry friends to create something we are proud of in a field we are all super passionate about.
“We go that extra mile – wanting the very best for the project and for each other, and that’s awesome for the client as they get to share in that collective spirit and experience, which definitely shows up on screen.”
Client: Visit Abu Dhabi
Director: Justin McMillan
Cinematographer: Matt Toll
Colourist: Billy Wychgel
Stunt Co-ordinator: Damien Walters
Production Company: Dejavu
Executive Producer: Manasvi Gosalia
Head of Production: Kavya Iyer
Producer: Maarouf Bikdache
Production Manager: Karim Hamade, Haider el Saaby, Danielle Barakat & Lia Gorbacheva
Production Coordinator: Azima Moon & Shanna Kay Gonzales
Production Support: Bethany Grace Kerrigan & Azalea Aznidi
Production Assistant: Gabrielle Dundee
Celebrity Coordinator: Mohamad Taha
Celebrity Chaperone: Daisy Thomas & Abdul Wadood Hamid
1st AD: George Cassab
Photographer: Rohan Shrestha
Sound Engineer: Jad Asmar
Key Gaffer: Sharfuddin Mohamed
Key Grip: Haratj Hakoubyian
Stunt Coordinator: Damien Walters
Art Director: Andronico Jr Bonita Del Rosario
Location Manager: Nawaf Noman
Head of Post Production: Rafic Sawaya
Post Producer: Nadim El Khoury
Post Production: Heckler
Executive Producer: Will Alexander
Creative Director: Cody Amos
Producer: Jillian Tan
FX Artists: Sen Ree Ooi, Cody Amos
Compositors: Davor Zec, Johnson Lim
Flame Artist: Abi Santos
I/O Edit Assist: Zackery Wang
Sound: Heckler Sound
Executive Producer: Bonnie Law
Composer: Johnny Green
Strings Arranged & Performed: Emma Greenhill
Brass Arranged & Performed: Scott Langley
Sound Designers: Nick Keate & Dave Robertson