The perfect way to space out on a Tuesday afternoon, KALEIDOSCOPE by Freddy brings viewers through an abstract paradise of runs, kicks, and jumps courtesy of the Italian National Team of Gymnastics. Created by DLV BBDO and production team abstract:groove, the collective, paired with Director Luigi Pane, experimented with the kaleidoscope effect for dramatic results.Just as interesting as the techniques used were the performers enlisted: The Italian National Team of Rhythmic Gymnastic 'le Farfalle', choreographed by their trainer Emanuela Maccarani.Recently we were able to speak briefly with Director Luigi Pane, who filled us in on his process:"Making an audiovisual experiment based on the kaleidoscope theme is an old desire that I had for years," says Pane. "We saw different videos based on the kaleidoscope, but for sure our main reference was a video made for a TED summit. My mind was literally blown up after watching it. I thought they did the most brilliant interpretation I've ever seen on this theme."EDxSummit intro: The Power of XStarting with this inspiration, Pane teamed up with Federico Pepe and Nicola Cellemme (DLV BBDO Executive Creative Director and Art Director) to create "a lyrical, abstract, and contemporary way to visually push this simple idea of four gym outfits, shot through the mirrors of a thaumascope.""We thought about rhythmic gymnastics and its own tools: hoops, balls, ribbons, clubs," Pane continues."And then we thought about how to play with big and small scales. The ball used for gymnastics could be substituted, in the following shot, by a small ball viewed from a small thaumascope, for example. Or the dynamic movement of the ribbon could be 'synthesized' by a colored liquid that flows through a worm-pipe.So we started to make experiments, to compose the music, to design the backgrounds… and that's the result!"The film is directed by Luigi Pane, who was personally involved in set design, soundtrack scoring ,and the combined choreography of the gymnasts and backgrounds.For more on Kaleidoscope, check out the behind-the-scenes below:You can find out more about abstract:groove on their website, Vimeo page, and Facebook.
Working with 4 thaumascopes of different sizes and shapes, the biggest 9 meters long with a triangular opening of 2.5 meters, and the smallest 1.5 meters in length with a square opening of 60 centimeters, the team worked extensively to achieve the graphic patterns above. By studying small scale models and then going into CGI simulations, all the above effects were obtained in camera without the use of post-production.
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