Through fun and comedy, Indy8 director Josh Appignanesi enhances reality to transform everyday dull and boring journeys through the extraordinary driving experience of a F-TYPE R coupe.
Created by Spark44, the films see four residents living in the aptly named towns Dull and Boring who are given a unique test drive of the most pulse-racing sports car on the market. Heads swivel as the thrilling power of the car is demonstrated by the roaring of the engine in contrast to the snail-pace culture of the small towns.
Beautiful cinematic shots provide strong single points of perspective to enhance the bold, assured and fun-to-watch framing. Iconic scenes such as Scottish salmon fishing and American farmland provide clear visual cues to give the audience a distinct sense of place as the film cuts from one location to another. With deft editing the films show the beauty and power of the car whilst focusing on the human response to the exhilaration of driving the Jaguar.
By building a strong relationship with his cast Josh Appignanesi earned their trust and empowered them to be the biggest and best versions of themselves on camera. Responding in-the-moment, Dull local girls Rebecca Deboys and Laura McHardy bring the audience into their fun and give new meaning to ‘popping out to the shops’ as they pass a group of male colleagues, who offer to show the girls how to drive the F-TYPE. Meanwhile Boring best friends Marty Beaudet and Adam Davis are happy to bring a bit of excitement to their quiet neighbourhood. There was a friendly tussle when it came time to switching drivers, and both pairs needed consoling when the Jaguar was returned.
Josh Appignanesi, Director at Indy8, says: “These films have personal experience at their core: what does it feel like behind the wheel of a next-level sports car? We’re right there with these very real, affable, voluble people having the ride of their lives – and when they burst into a grin, so do we. We used classic comedic character pairings and framings with sharp cultural contrasts, bringing out the sense of fun and watchability. And then we inserted that big aspirational hit of insane horsepower into the kind of relatable context where we rarely expect to find it.”
Scott Dicken, Marketing Director Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: "We wanted to show the world what Jaguar is really about, the thrill of driving, and what better way to do that than handing an F-TYPE to people in the towns Dull and Boring - when Jaguar is anything but?"
Matt Statham, UK Creative Director, Spark44, commented: “We set out to create social films that really brought to life the thrill and excitement of driving a Jaguar – but with genuine people at the wheel. The idea is a really simple one, if you had a Jaguar F-Type for the weekend, what would you do with it? Where would you go? Who would you show it off to? What roads would you drive on? Take two V8 supercharged F-TYPEs to two quiet unassuming towns and give them to real residents – and see what happens. You can’t help but have a ball.”
The towns Dull, Scotland and Boring, USA became unofficially twinned in 2012.