Canon Pushes 'Boundaries' in This Gorgeously Lit Commercial Aimed at Younger Viewers

Can Canon convince a generation reared on smartphone photography to put its cameras in the picture? "Live for the Story," the brand's first big Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) campaign from VCCP London, begins with "Boundaries," an impressive 60-second spot that follows a spunky lad as he grows into a high-spirited young man determined to enjoy each day to the fullest: [kickout id="1"] Yeah, it's cool to chase horses in the middle of the night. (Did the dude spook them by using a flash camera? That would explain the long faces.) "You have to take an active role and put yourself in a place where great stories can happen," VCCP senior creative Seb Housden tells Adweek. "The places you haven't been, the people you haven't met—they aren't part of your world until you're willing to go out there and find them. The concept of illuminating these stories around you stems from this belief that great stories happen when you push your boundaries." A Canon camera appears just once, briefly, on the car's dashboard as our hero and his pals speed off toward new adventures. Ultimately, the ad succeeds as an intriguing, sumptuously shot brand manifesto, sharply focused on the deeper significance of photography in people's lives. Though the specific rationale for choosing Canon over some other line seems rather blurry. Perhaps this aspect will emerge as the campaign continues to develop. "The whole point is to get people to reassess Canon, to think differently about a brand they have either known of old, or have never come across before," says client senior campaign manager Steve Marsh. "It inspires people to go out there and tell their story, and the boundaries you create are the ones you make yourself." Directors Charles Brisgand and Léo Berne, members of the four-person filmmaking collective known as Megaforce, create an atmosphere of freedom and discovery, while Mikey Mike's anthemic track "Doin' Me" propels the images with an appropriate sense of urgency. Most impressive, perhaps, is the lighting—notably, the canny manipulation of light and dark, especially during the sequence where the dude bikes down the street, and details like houses, cars and people suddenly snap into view from the shadows. "Huge lighting rigs were used and turned on manually to sync with the movement of the actors," says VCCP's Ben McCarthy, who partnered with Housden to develop the spot. "This meant shooting at dusk, which was a very small timeframe, but allowed us to have more control. It also meant there wasn't much room for things to go wrong—and it was definitely not ideal when working with children and animals like horses, especially when they decide to make a bee-line for the client tent. The horses, that is, not the children." For added exposure, Canon cast actress Zoe Kravitz in its "365 Days of Summer" contest, encouraging viewers to share seasonal tales for the chance to win a year-long trip around the world. [kickout id="2"] CREDITS Client: Canon Spot: "Boundaries" Creative Agency - VCCP ECD - Darren Bailes Creatives - Ben McCarthy / Seb Housden Account Handling - Emma Whitmarsh / Olivia Packshaw Producer - Ed Mueller Director - Megaforce Film Production - Riff Raff Films Producer - Jane Lloyd Executive Producer - Matthew Fone Cinematography - Kasper Tuxen Editor - Joe Guest @ Final Cut VFX - The Mill VFX Supervisor / 2D Lead - Ben Turner VFX Supervisor / 3D Lead - Francois Roisin Colourist - Mick Vincent Producer - Gemma Humphries Sound Mix - Ben Leeves @ Grand Central Recording Studios Music Licensing - Finger Music Song - Mikey Mike - Doin' Me 365 Days of Summer Film (Zoe): Creative Agency - VCCP Creatives - Sara Soares & Maria Leiria Account Handling - Harriet Guppy Activation Handling - Laura Di Simone Producer - Charlotte Trotman Integrated Producer - Kirk Mechen Director - Duncan Winecoff @ All Expanded Film Production - All Expanded Producer - Emi Stewart Cinematography - Stuart Winecoff Editor - Leila Saraff & Trim 2nd Editor - Rob Brandon @ VCCP Colourist - Denny Cooper @ Rushes Sound Mix - Culum Simpson @ Grand Central Recording Studios Music Licensing - David Bass @ Theodore

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Canon Pushes 'Boundaries' in This Gorgeously Lit Commercial Aimed at Younger Viewers

A plea to 'Live for the Story'

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