“I still remember the way things were” – Amsterdam clothing brand ‘The New Originals’ takes us back to childhood days, back to warm memories. Produced by StudioStudio and directed by Rutger van Leeuwen, the film complements their SS/23 collection, taking viewers on a journey down a memory lane true to the TNO founders’ childhoods. This film is about the memory of ‘endless days’, where the abundance of time leads to boredom, creativity, and imagination. Amp.Amsterdam was brought in to collaborate on the special vibe of this film through music production and sound design.

Narrated by a poem from Yohan Kebede (of the band KOKORO), the film takes us back to the brand’s heritage by reflecting on childhood days at home. In the film, we also see Freddy, the brand’s mascot, who appeared on posters, stickers, and the brand’s clothing since its inception. Freddy seems like an imaginary friend, neither real nor fake, both there and not there. He encourages us to imagine, to be playful and creative.

About The New Originals
The New Originals (est. 2015 Amsterdam) makes performance clothing for creatives. They strive to make durable and long-lasting apparel that emphasizes one’s individuality. They believe that—by thinking out of the box—anyone, regardless of their background, can find and flourish within their creative potential

Execution
We began with a simple chord progression in a 1/3 and 6/8 meter with a comforting and swaying character. The saxophone was used as the main melodic element for its warm and resonant sound, with piano and guitar used to strike the perfect balance between interlocking Ethiopian jazz-inspired melodies and counterpointing them with the voice-over and sound design. The recording and mixing of the track as if it were from an old record also contributed significantly to the film’s melancholic memory aspect.

The film’s sound design and voice-over add additional dimensions, which were mixed and timed with the musical parts, playing together as one band. This resulted in a perfect accompaniment for the edit, animation, and grading, creating a fully immersive experience for the viewer.

One example of our creative approach is seen in the use of a scene in which the sister takes the earbuds from the sleeping brother as a musical perspective break, transitioning from non-diegetic to diegetic music from the earbuds and moving into the flower field, using only the saxophone part in the background. This provides a refreshing break before returning to the main melodic motive, which accompanies the final family dinner scene. 

Big thanks to:
The New Originals
StudioStudio
Rutger van Leeuwen
Juul Schmidt
Ambassadors