COMMERCIAL WORK

The Rhythm of Denim - G-Star RAW
Halal Amsterdam

Shortlist

Title of Piece:	The Rhythm of Denim
Brand:	G-Star RAW
Production Company:	Halal Amsterdam
Director(s):	Paul Geusebroek
Producer(s):	Job Sanders; Gijs Determeijer; Julia Llamas; Vanessa Janssen
Agency:	The Family Amsterdam
Client:	G-Star RAW
Director of Photography:	Menno Mans
Editor:	Brian Ent
Creative Director:	Ed van Bennekom; Joris Kuijpers
Music Composer:	Mark van Bruggen; Rachel Tauwnaar
Instagram Tag:	@sizzeramsterdam @thefamilyamsterdam @halal.amsterdam @paulygeus
Extra Credit 1:	Music Supervisor: Rachel Tauwnaar
Short Synopsis:	The narrative of the film is based on how tap can form a conversation between two world-class dancers, separated by space, but echoing each other in a balletic call and response. The campaign’s choice of tap dance as its central medium was daring for a brand focused on ‘hardcore denim’: for many, the form presents a stuffy, classical image, lacking in the grit associated with G-Star’s ‘raw’ aesthetic. However, the campaign was inspired by the medium’s revival embodied in the urban tap movement as well as by tap offering something unique: of all forms of dance, it is perhaps the most auditive, where the expression and emotions of dancers can be felt most strongly through the sound of their feet. The reinvention of tap demanded that sound should be central to the entire film, and the composition integrated throughout every stage of the production. That meant a careful dance between disciplines: composing every step of the way alongside choreography and shooting. Drawing from a wide range of references (Stomp, Phil Collins, tribal drumming, and more), an initial concept beat set the rhythm for the dancers. Their first rehearsals, in turn, set the tempo for the melodic arrangement. A classical choir approach accentuated – without dominating – the core tapping rhythm, and provided a clear arc for the film’s build-up in intensity. That score accompanied the final shoot, during which the taps you see on film were recorded back into the final mixdown. The result was a uniquely interdisciplinary, dynamic film – a highly expressive conversation between forms, just like that of the dancers in the film.
Extra Credit 2:	Executive Music Supervisor: Sander van Maarschalkerweerd
Extra Credit 3:	Executive Music Producer: Michiel Marsman
Extra Credit 4:	Choreographer: Jack Evans
Extra Credit 5:	Dancers: Lee Howard; Kamira Samuel