Daniel Kleinman Talks Damme-age For Coors
JCVD has teamed up with Rattling Stick's Daniel Kleinman to putting his high-kicking skills to the test in making an ice bar for Coors. We caught up with Daniel to chat about the art of the montage and any action forays in his future.
Let's face it; the 80's action training-montage is one of the most enthralling cinematic tropes in the filmmakers' handbook. If you need to get from zero to hero in under three minutes, a swift cut of kicks, jogs, wallops and cheers is all that is needed to showcase the progress. In fact, the action montage contains many aspects needed for successful advertising (Storytelling – check! Compelling imagery – check! Beyond-awesome music – check check check!), so it's of little surprise that it's the form taken by the folks at VCCP for their latest Coors spot and, thankfully, they've got just the frontman for the job.
Back in 2011, Jean Claude Van Damme became the frontman for the Coors ice-cold Light brand in the UK, embracing his tough-guy persona and predilection for poor hair choices to the fullest. Since then, JCVD has cemented himself in the annals of advertising history by straddling a couple of Volvos to the strains of Enya. Therefore it's only fitting that, in his return to the Coors brand, The Muscles From Brussles has teamed up with another multi-award-winner – Rattling Stick's Daniel Kleinman – to putting his high-kicking skills to the test in making an ice bar.
We caught up with Daniel to chat about Damme-age on set, the art of the montage and any action forays in his future.
How did you get involved in the project? What was it that attracted you?
I was sent the script, a spoof 'training' sequence from a classic 80's film like Rocky. I enjoy directing comedy and satire, I felt this was fresh and something I could play with and make amusing.
What movie montages did you watch as prep? We're sure we spotted The Karate Kid and Rocky IV (or was it III?) in there!
I watched quite a few actually, some JCVD sequences from his early movies like Bloodsport as well as a couple of Rocky and Arnie films. There is something, period charmingly crap about them, I think it's the way they have to come across as cool, explain a long hard training period but do it as quickly, easily and cheaply as possible.
When it came to the montage, how did you decide on the different aspects? Were any thought up on set? We particularly enjoy the mullet being used to pull the sledge.
Most of the ideas were scripted beforehand between the agency and I; the action mostly required some SFX or props so not easy to ad lib on set. The mullet was an agency idea, I thought of sculpting a glass with his finger. We made a long list and picked our favourites.
Speaking of the hair, did it have its own trailer? Is it the best wig you've ever worked with?
It's a pretty serious syrup, but I have worked with one that was just as absurd - a quiff on Alvin Stardust. I may become the go to man for rug directing.
How much direction does JCVD need to take the mickey out of his persona? Is he in on the joke throughout?
Jean Claude is very sus about what's going on, he knows it's a parody and he gets the joke. However I wanted a celebration of him as well as sending up his film persona, I'm not a fan of spiteful comedy and I hope people are laughing with him as JCVD manages to be cool, self deprecating as well as OTT and a bit absurd.
Were you tempted to get an 'epic split' out of him at any point?
Well not really, we've seen that lately, but I did want a classic kung-fu flying kick through the air, a karate chop and a 'zen' moment of achievement, oh and a shot that repeats three times one after the other. The film language provides the satire as well as JCVD's action.
How was the shoot? Was much of the JCVD stuff on location or did he save his high-kicks for the studio? Did you run in to any problems?
We shot 2 ads, the one currently on air was all shot in two short days on location on top of a mountain in Transylvania. We had to lug all the props and bits of set up a mountain in a small cable car. JCVD arrived in a stealth helicopter (really) and did his own high kicks; he's very fit and limber, although he needed special 'high kick' jeans to execute the moves properly (the, err… vent, was covered up in postproduction). The weather was very changeable and the snow very deep but we lucked out with some sun and managed to get it done during daylight hours. The second ad, yet to be aired was shot in a studio.
The music is outstanding! Was this a specially-composed track or something from an 80's movie we've somehow blanked?
I believe it is an original 80's piece. 80's music is one of the reasons I got out of doing music videos at the time.
Did shooting this awaken an 80's action director inside you? Can we expect a Daniel Kleinman-helmed Expendable 4 in the pipeline?
I love doing all sorts of stuff, I'm lucky that in my career I've tackled most genres, but it's always a good idea that excites me rather than a style. Perhaps a spoof action film with overweight unfit blokes might appeal, more Expandable than Expendable.
What's up next for you?
I'm going to be working on the titles for the next James Bond film sometime soon, it's a job I love as I'm a fan and I do it for the sheer fun of it. I'm not done with ads yet either, the Expandables may have to wait a while.
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