ANIMATED FEED: GAME CHANGER - DIRECTED BY JOSEPH KAHN

Johnnie Walker "Game Changer" (2013) from Joseph Kahn on Vimeo.

This is my latest ad - for Johnnie Walker Blue Label in China.

It stars Bruce Lee.

You should watch it first then come back and read the rest.

Seriously, watch it first.

OK.





The making of the ad:

My good friend BBH Creative Executive Johnny Tan and I first talked about doing this concept a year ago. We shot it in Hong Kong, and then we worked with vfx company The Mill in London to create a completely CGI Bruce Lee over nine months. EVERY shot of his head and every detail in there is completely cgi. We got Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee's daughter, to come aboard and we really picked her brain to make sure that everything was accurate from look to soul. We wanted to be as respectful to the man and legend as we could.

A big thank you to Johnny, Shannon, Mill, and everyone who tirelessly worked on this.

CREDITS

Client: Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Director: Joseph Kahn
Cinematographer: Christopher Probst
Agency: BBH, Johnny Tan Creative Director
Agency Producer: BBH, Krystie Koh
Line Producer: Merrilyn Lim, Gravity Films
Executive Producer HSI Productions: Kim Dellara
Music: Brain & Melissa
VFX: The Mill, London

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT 7/10/13:

This spot isn't about drinking, nor does Bruce Lee ever pitch, hold, talk about it. It's a short inspirational film sponsored by Johnnie Walker. Those making comparisons of "water" to "alcohol" are literalists & wrong. Last thing alcohol wants to be is water. It's a metaphor for life. It's his metaphor in his actual words. I spent a year living and breathing this man, thinking about him every day. For me, it's not an ad. It's an exploration & celebration of him. This is a sculpture in a different medium, paid for by a different church. I stand behind it.