el Colony's Steve Fuller Pulls Out All the Stops for TP-Link and Men's Wearhouse

Steve Fuller, NYC-based el Colony director and creator of the iconic Mad Men opening sequence, has been busy on both sides of the Atlantic.

Each region has its particular peculiarities - from completely different aesthetics and cultural references to sometimes being unworkable from an outsider’s point of view with budgets that local producers make work despite all odds.  

Steve is always after an interesting challenge in scripts that come in from further afield. At times, the challenge is in how the script actually reaches the director.

Over the New Year’s holiday in Havana, with no internet to speak of (five USD an hour in hotels doesn’t make it a friendly digital nomad zone) a message reached el Colony’s semi-dead phone, a message from a flooded village in Thailand, sent by a Russian producer, on a wavering 3G connection, literally standing at the highest point for better signal. A new smartphone had to be launched in Russia. It had to be launched now, as the local fashion demands. And so, work began on a launch campaign for TP-Link's new Neffos X1 Max with Steve Fuller set to direct.

In collaboration with Sila Sveta, a Moscow/LA projection and multimedia company, Steve used live 3D projections on the set, combined with live action.

The campaign, featuring Dima Bilan, a top Russian singer, launched in March.

3D projections aside, Steve turned his attention to fashion with a stylishly shot and moodily graded Men’s Wearhouse film, and also finished the post on a sunglasses brand film with Jamie Foxx and a new trailer for the fresh season of Spike’s Ink Master featuring Dave Navarro.

Full Credits

TP-Link

Director: Steve Fuller / el Colony

DOP: Mikhail Khasaya

Production: Stereotactic / Anastasia Formenskaya

Agency: BBDO