Axe spec spot sees the sweat hit the fan

Collaborating with The Martin Agency and AI filmmaking platform Absurd, Cassandra Brooksbank as created a witty unofficial AXE spec spot, that sees an overheating, expanding puffer jacket cause a cinematic explosion on a subway commute. 

Back in 2021, LA-based director Cassandra Brooksbank pitched the idea of young man's sweat situation spiralling into a full-blown disaster movie. But while the effects-heavy concept was gloriously absurd, its spectacular price tag saw it shelved. 

Brooksbank, however, never quite let it go. “I always loved this concept because it was as smart as it was ridiculous,” she says. 

Years later, Brooksbank found a way to bring the idea to life through her collaboration with Absurd, a Los Angeles-based filmmaking tech company. 

Created using Absurd's collaborative AI platform, the project offers a glimpse of how AI might support the filmmaking process without changing the fundamentals of directing. “AI has become incredibly powerful at generating images, but making a film is an entirely different challenge,” she explains. “You're managing hundreds of creative decisions, maintaining continuity, and collaborating across multiple disciplines.” 

"Absurd aims to bring those processes together in one creative environment, building tools around the way filmmakers actually work. The technology may be evolving, but the creative challenge remains the same: making an ambitious idea work on screen."