Martin Krejci Talks Smirnoff and Ghana

Today on shots.net, we featured Double Black, a new spot helmed by Stink director Martin Krejci.

The film marks the launch of Smirnoff’s Ice Double Black and Ice Double Black Guarana in Africa. It’s set to Audio Bully’s We Don't Care and merges documentary and music video styles to create a unique African story starring vibrant and confident individuals.

Below, Krejci offers further insight into making the film – which involved a team spending four weeks in Ghana navigating through open sewers, rats and collapsing from heat exhaustion.

What appealed to you about directing this project?

This project was a chance to do something different – it was about capturing the energy and natural performances from a cast made up of mostly local, real people. The technique and approach was intended to be very subtle, giving the film an almost documentary style, which is something I studied in film school and really relished the chance to work in that way again.

Tell us a bit about your time out in Ghana and Bangkok. Did you enjoy immersing yourself into a different culture?

That was part of the reason I really liked the project, I was very keen to go to the places the original concept was based around. I wanted to get a real feel for the people and the culture as opposed to taking the safer option of shooting on a set out in South Africa for example. It was great that the agency was so supportive of this and they were very understanding when it came to all the craziness which went on during both the pre-production and production process. While the Ghana shoot was really intense it was also a very rewarding experience – the people there were so nice, friendly and helpful. But with a project this large in a place like Ghana, it seemed like everything was a challenge. It was like everything that was supposed to be solid became a liquid; things constantly changed and moved and you had to adapt quickly to suit the situation. I think this made things pretty interesting for the producer. This combined with antimalarial drugs made the whole experience very unforgettable.

Shooting the second leg of the film in Bangkok really was like a paradise.

Four weeks is a long time to spend shooting a spot. How challenging was the editing process afterwards?

It was great because I had a chance to work with editor Tim Thornton-Allan, who is a super organised, calm and very hardworking man. We were playing with the 16mm pixilation for a while, but the whole editorial process was really calm and pleasant compared to the hectic shoot in Ghana.

What were your favourite moments in the directing process?

The wrap party.  

What were the biggest challenges you faced when directing the film?

We wanted to keep everything as authentic as possible and were hoping to find as many real locations as we could, but for various reasons (like the person with the keys to the door at the location not being available for a week) we ended up building pretty much all the sets. My biggest worry with this was that the film might not look authentic, but I think having the locals and the local materials on hand really helped to keep the authenticity intact.

How did you go about casting the spot?

We did two types of casting. We cast amongst actors and professionals and we also went to local artist and music scenes and searched their subcultures for people. I was very happy that the agency and client supported this way of doing it as it meant we ended up with two local rap stars – Quabene and Kazuka.

Why was Audio Bully’s We Don't Care chosen as the track for the spot?

It was part of the brief and since I really love the track I was very happy we got to use it. It also meant we could add that music promo feel to give the project another dimension.

What sort of reaction do you want viewers to have from watching the spot?

Ill leave it up to them. I would hope it’s entertaining, at least then they won’t regret the two minutes watching it…

In what way do you feel the film captures the essence of Smirnoff Ice Double Black?

There is a raw energy, an authentic feel and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.