The Friday Fix is picture perfect: Star Trek Into Darkness goes global, The Met Ball goes punk, The Sketchbook Project hits the road, Oscillation shakes things up, Buzzfeed and Starbucks get quite a reaction, ASTR are smooth ‘Operators’ and The Lonely Island party like rock stars on Between Two Ferns. Take your best shot…
May marks the official kickoff to summer blockbuster season, and the culmination of one of the most exciting campaigns we’ve ever had the pleasure to work on. Star Trek Into Darkness has continued to roll out the red carpet (in this case, the white carpet) for the globe-trotting international release tour, beaming into Australia, Russia, Germany and Mexico, culminating with the global premiere in London. The star-studded, multinational cast and visionary director J.J. Abrams suited up and reported for duty.
Into Darkness opens in 7 major territories today (including the UK), with another 25 the following weekend (including the US). The franchise continues the tradition of breaking new ground and boldly going where it’s never gone before, as for the first time Star Trek makes its way to the big screen in China. 2D, 3D and IMAX formats let audiences decide how much they want to supersize their epic experience. Following his successful reboot of Star Trek in 2009 and forthcoming Star Wars Episode VII that has the entire galaxy buzzing, all eyes are on Abrams.
Early tracking indicates that the second installment of Abrams’ series is headed for a $90+ million domestic opening weekend - the highest in franchise history. Take it from us… Star Trek Into Darkness is unmissable.
Speaking of shattering, the man behind the darkness is none other than Benedict Cumberbatch, the titular star of BBC’s Sherlock and voice talent in the forthcoming Hobbit sequel The Desolation of Smaug. A newcomer to the Enterprise ensemble, his role as the menacing psychological terrorist John Harrison is striking a chord with critics and sparking heated “conspiracy theories” amongst speculative fans. The concept of a crew torn apart by this maniacal mastermind is illustrated beautifully in this animated 9-frame “Cinemosaic”:
And speaking of speaking, audiences everywhere can’t get enough of his villainous voice, from his ominous trailer narrations to his chilling Starfleet Disruptions. British talk show host Graham Norton decided to playfully take advantage of Cumberbatch’s attention-grabbing voice, showing the actor’s lighter side:
Anticipation for the film is so high that stateside fans can hardly wait until Friday to see it. Fortunately, they won’t have to – Into Darkness has been (graciously) moved one day early in the U.S. Find your nearest IMAX theatre and book your tickets here.
From visual effects master J.J. Abrams, we turn our attention to School of Visual Arts student Daniel Sierra, who has created a masterpiece of a thesis project: Oscillate. The hypnotically stunning piece represents his desire to “create a mesmerizing audio-visual experience in which sight and sound work in unison.” A+ work!
Here’s some more art in motion: the Brooklyn-based Sketchbook Project is a mobile library exhibition, transporting over 4,000 artist notebooks across North America. They gear up for their biggest tour yet, stopping throughout the US and Canada to share art and inspiration. Visit their site to find out when they’ll be in your neighborhood and how you can contribute a sketchbook of your own.
The art of self expression is at the heart of this year’s Met Ball theme Punk: Chaos to Couture. Celebrities and fashionistas ensured that Monday night was full of bold statements – from Anne Hathaway‘s ‘for one night only’ platinum blonde do, to Cara Delevingne‘s studded Burberry - even a white-haired Nicole Richie in custom Topshop.
Yet the night’s real show stopper wasn’t a dress – it was the chandelier. Made from 25,000 razor blades, it hung in the museum’s atrium like a sharply shimmering silver beacon and stopped everyone in their tracks. Bold statements and a rebellious attitude form the backbone of the Punk movement, and the Met‘s exhibition (open until August 14th) explores the impact that it’s had on fashion.
Internet videos are designed to be short and sweet, trying anything and everything to make you laugh, smile or freak out. Yet commenting, emoticon sharing and simply writing “LOL” fail to capture the human quality behind the responses they elicit. That’s why the pop culture purveyors at Buzzfeed have partnered with Starbucks to introduce the “Reaction Cam” feature on their blog, allowing users to record and upload a 3-second GIF and give comments a more human touch. Try it for yourself – it will have you saying “OMG!”
Here’s a song that’s bound to get a reaction: New York-based duo ASTR presents their smooth and satisfying indie pop tune, “Operate.” Don’t be surprised if you give it a listen and find yourself humming it all throughout the weekend.
It’s been too long since we’ve found ourselves Between Two Ferns, watching our ever-gracious host Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover trilogy) talking to – and offending – some of our favorite celebrities in his low-budget, cult classic web series. After a lengthy hiatus he returns with flying colors, chatting with Oscar-nominated actor James Franco (Oz The Great and Powerful). The interview takes an unexpected and outrageous turn when the musical comedy trio The Lonely Island crashes the Spring Break party, debuting another instant classic. This video is Not Safe For Work, but it is safe for play:
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This Friday Fix will get your heart racing: Benedict Cumberbatch shakes the soul of Star Trek, Call of Duty unmasks new ‘Ghost’ teaser, Russian rockers give action some perspective, Beyoncé and H&M launch splashin’ new fashion, Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ enjoys a killer cover and fluid takes flight on Instagram. Let the adrenaline rush begin!
Star Trek Into Darkness is pulling out all the stops in the climactic countdown to release. An extensive international rollout including premieres in Sydney, Moscow, Berlin, Paris and London has truly made this film a global event. Yet amidst the star-studded glitz and glamor, the ominous agent of terror John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is ever-watchful. Hungry for vengeance, his latest psychological vendetta takes aim at The Soul of the Enterprise: Lt. Uhura. Her emotional vulnerability with Spock may become a serious liability, putting her entire crew in jeopardy. They say “love is a battlefield,” but it’s never looked this dangerous:
On the subject of mysterious identities, Call of Duty shows us the true power of masks with the new teaser for their forthcoming title “Ghosts,” honoring weapon-wielding warriors from every corner of the globe. Though we’re sure there are many secrets in store for the juggernaut franchise, we’re hoping much more will be revealed at the live demo and next generation XBOX reveal on May 21st.
If your pulse isn’t up by now, it will be soon. The latest production from Russian rock band Biting Elbows is more action film than music video. Kinetic pacing, inventive first-person filming techniques (using the GoPro) and gratuitous violence are all in a day’s work as the video quickly becomes a bonafide viral sensation. Believe it or not, their video for the single “Bad Motherf***er” is very much NSFW. Please enjoy responsibly:
Instagram is beloved for making every user feel like a true artist – but let’s not forget about professional photographers out there taking advantage of the social media platform. Belgium-based shutterbug Manon Wethly caught our eye this week with a style all her own. We haven’t been this caught up in a photo feed since Murad Osmann’s girlfriend dragged him around the world. While most Instagrammers are content to post the mouth-watering meals, Wethly isn’t afraid to play with her food – or rather, her drink.
While her hip hop husband Jay-Z debuts his contribution to The Great Gatsby soundtrack 100$ Bill this week, Beyoncé struts her beach-ready body for her new Mrs. Carter collection at H&M. The summer line includes sun dresses, bikinis and other seasonal styles (voluptuous curves and dance moves not included). In addition to looking good, you’ll feel great knowing that 25% of the proceeds go to sustainable water projects. We’ll drink to that!
Finally, multi-talented British musician George Barnett becomes a one-man Daft Punk - in fact, his cover for the smash single ‘Get Lucky‘ (off the forthcoming album Random Access Memories) has many claiming it’s even better than the original. You’ll just have to press play and decide for yourself:
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The Friday Fix salutes March Marketing Madness: The Wolverine drops its 6-second “Tweaser” on Vine, Game of Thrones goes modern-day medieval, Spotify gives new life to music, M83 ushers us into Oblivion, Pacific Rim goes large, Bioshock Infinite blows us sky high, Secret Door opens up the world around us and Bear Grylls learns to fly.
Summer is right around the corner, and the season’s hottest films are heating up their campaigns – the equivalent of showing off their “beach bodies.” Pacific Rim is beginning to pull out the big guns with an up-close-and-personal look at the towering robotic Jaegers protecting our future from Guillermo del Toro‘s nightmarish Kaiju creatures. After meeting these mechs in blueprint form, it certainly is a treat to see them taking shape in such an epic way. The expansive lineup is still being drip-fed to fans, but meet the fleet as it stands:
Fans of ‘The Wolverine‘ were teased to the point of insanity this week. Director James Mangold turned to Twitter’s up-and-coming video service Vine to debut the first ever “tweaser” (Twitter teaser) using this burgeoning platform (click here to view). Just as Twitter caps postings at 140 characters, Vine gives users a hearty 6 seconds to capture our limited attention spans – but Wolverine managed to pack a lot of action-packed content into that tiny frame. Of course, this byte-size blitz was only a teaser for the following day’s 20 second clip on MTV – which was in turn a tease for the official teaser trailer released the following day. Reinforced by motion posters and international trailer cuts, Wolverine has decisively left his Adamantium mark, converting all this teasing into audience pleasing.
‘Olympus Has Fallen’ also launched a Vine-based marketing initiative of their own, releasing 6-second fan reactions from early screenings to build buzz. It seems the social media platform is priming itself to becoming the next big thing in movie marketing.
In the wake of tomorrow’s technologies, Game of Thrones marketing gets medieval on our asses. The breakout fantasy-action phenomenon gears up for what promises to be its biggest season yet as it counts down to the hotly-anticipated Easter Sunday premiere. In the week-long lead-up to launch, the GOT universe comes crashing into our world with the ‘Game of Thrones Ascent’ social game, ‘Join the Realm’ app allowing users to create their own social media sigils, and a handful of pieces from the pop art pioneers at Mondo. Perhaps some season 3 ‘Easter Eggs’ are hidden within…
Speaking of spectacular worlds, why not take a closer look at our own? Not since StumbleUpon have we found a site this unpredictable, enriching and addictively distracting! ’Secret Door’ is your online portal to a mystery destination, allowing users to explore the new setting with 360 degree turnarounds (like Google Maps for exciting getaways). So far we have ventured to museums, forests and canyons — all from the comfort of our own desk. Where will it take you? Click here to find out…
M83 has provided the unofficial soundtrack to the FIVE33 office for years – now Anthony Gonzalez and co. will bring their cinematic grandeur to the sweeping sci-fi epic Oblivion. They dazzled us with the first release from the movie score , ‘StarWaves.’ Now they take their atmospheric sound to the next level, recruiting Norwegian vocalist Susanne Sundfør for the title track. The album is out on April 9th; the Tom Cruise-fronted film opens April 19th. Strap on your headphones and prepare to enter a state of Oblivion:
Streaming service Spotify has thus far found success turning ear-tingling bliss into word-of-mouth buzz. Now they launch their first formal campaign, assaulting the airwaves with AV pieces and print ads as uplifting and indescribable as music itself. Part inspirational, part irrational, you’ll laugh til you cry – and vice versa – as you rediscover the pure joy of music.
As Hollywood gets in shape for another blockbuster summer, video games continue to teach the movie industry a thing or two when it comes to pioneering storytelling. This week, our most anticipated video game of recent years BioShock Infinite was finally released after a wait that felt – well, infinite. The game is scoring big points with critics and consumers alike – racking up 85 awards and provoking hot debate amongst players around the world. It is that most rare thing — an interactive experience with rich characters, dramatic depth, a twist you’ll never see coming and something to say about the world we live in. Before we return to the airborne city of Columbia for the weekend, here’s a taste of what makes this game so infinitely engaging:
And just to end the Friday Fix with a good laugh, we turn to our favorite celebrity survival expert Bear Grylls (Man vs. Wild) as he instructs Air New Zealand passengers in his area of expertise: the fine art of not dying. You’ve most likely seen airline safety videos before – but not like this!
Pass along the March Gladness, and be sure to find, friend and follow us for all the Fix you can handle.
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Early tracking indicates that the second installment of Abrams’ series is headed for a $90+ million domestic opening weekend - the highest in franchise history. Take it from us… Star Trek Into Darkness is unmissable.
