Tonal steps back in time
In a dark and expressive short film directed by Aube Perrie, the home gym equipment brand takes us on a gruelling tour of Victorian fitness routines.
Credits
powered by- Agency Quality Experience/New York
- Production Company Pulse Films/Los Angeles
- Director Aube Perrie
-
-
Unlock full credits and more with a Source + shots membership.
Credits
powered by- Agency Quality Experience/New York
- Production Company Pulse Films/Los Angeles
- Director Aube Perrie
- Editing Rock Paper Scissors
- VFX The Mill/Los Angeles
- Color The Mill/New York
- Audio Post Sound Lounge
- Music Barking Owl
- Creative Chairman Ari Weiss
- Chief Creative Officer Cristina Rodriguez Reina
- Chief Executive Officer Daniel Gonda
- Executive Producer Sherri Levy
- Executive Producer Christy Carter
- Chief Strategy Officer Colleen Leddy
- Executive Producer Casey Engelhardt
- Producer David French
- Head of Production Chris Harrison
- Production Manager Gregorio Back
- DP Jake Gabbay
- Editor Gwen Ghelid
- Producer Grace Ahn
- Head of Production Cynthia Laplaige
- Executive Producer Justin Kumpata
- Executive Producer Anastasia von Rahl
- Creative Director John Leonti
- Producer Sherilyn Martin
- VFX Supervisor Sarah Marikar
- CG Lead Tim Kafka
- Production Coordinator Kathia Salgado
- Colorist Mikey Pehanich
- Executive Producer Alexandra Lubrano
- Producer Colleen Valentino
- Sound Designer Brian Emrich
- Mixer Tom Jucarone
- Executive Producer Dana Villarreal
- Creative Director Johanna Cranitch
- Executive Producer Ashley Benton
Credits
powered by- Agency Quality Experience/New York
- Production Company Pulse Films/Los Angeles
- Director Aube Perrie
- Editing Rock Paper Scissors
- VFX The Mill/Los Angeles
- Color The Mill/New York
- Audio Post Sound Lounge
- Music Barking Owl
- Creative Chairman Ari Weiss
- Chief Creative Officer Cristina Rodriguez Reina
- Chief Executive Officer Daniel Gonda
- Executive Producer Sherri Levy
- Executive Producer Christy Carter
- Chief Strategy Officer Colleen Leddy
- Executive Producer Casey Engelhardt
- Producer David French
- Head of Production Chris Harrison
- Production Manager Gregorio Back
- DP Jake Gabbay
- Editor Gwen Ghelid
- Producer Grace Ahn
- Head of Production Cynthia Laplaige
- Executive Producer Justin Kumpata
- Executive Producer Anastasia von Rahl
- Creative Director John Leonti
- Producer Sherilyn Martin
- VFX Supervisor Sarah Marikar
- CG Lead Tim Kafka
- Production Coordinator Kathia Salgado
- Colorist Mikey Pehanich
- Executive Producer Alexandra Lubrano
- Producer Colleen Valentino
- Sound Designer Brian Emrich
- Mixer Tom Jucarone
- Executive Producer Dana Villarreal
- Creative Director Johanna Cranitch
- Executive Producer Ashley Benton
Created by Quality Experience and directed by Aube Perrie through Pulse Films, this gruesome spot from home fitness brand Tonal, titled Power Progress, draws inspiration from the dark aesthetics of German expressionist cinema to portray a grisly journey through exercise in the Victorian era.
In distorted monochrome vignettes, we see people engaged in painful, repetitive exercises like banging anvils, lifting kettlebells, riding Penny Farthing bicycles, rowing old-time rowboats and swinging battle ropes to depict how outdated workouts still linger in today’s gyms.
The director added: "Working on Tonal felt like entering a development sanctuary. The trust and vision Ari puts in a director, how he allows for total creative space, paved the way for a project like no other, built by a shared obsession for uncompromising substance and imagery. Designing this old and bleak world and the light and progress storming into it, alongside the most committed and passionate people all along the journey, has for us truly been by far one of the most exciting projects of the year."