Christopher Walken on Friendship... | Commercial by Phil Hawkins, Director
Фильм және анимация
"You're born alone, you die alone and, in between, you spend your life looking for something... a connection"
I had the great pleasure of directing Christopher Walken in this film for YT Industries to launch the new Jeffsy bike.
There are A-Listers and there are legends… and Christopher is certainly one of them. He’s the king of the cameo and responsible for such classic moments in film; the pocket watch scene in PULP FICTION, the Sicilian scene in TRUE ROMANCE… to name but a few. He has an amazing presence on screen and as soon as you lens him up you can see why he’s a movie star. And he’s so flippin’ cool. It was a pleasure working with him. I shot full takes of the monologue so Christopher could keep a flow and that’s no mean feat for any actor. To be that focused during long takes over multiple set-ups can be quite draining for anyone but Christopher kept it fresh and unique everytime.
I’m from a features background so it’s exactly how we approached making the film. And I call it a film. Everything about the way we shot, lit, edited, mixed, graded would be exactly what I would do for the big screen instead of compromising for online or mobile devices. People watch KZread on their phones and on 8K TV screens at home so it’s needed to work for all. It was a brave piece of creative for our client… although they probably don’t see it as brave but not many brands in my experience would have spent this kind of money on a three minute monologue, bring onboard an Oscar winner and only feature their product for a tiny section of it!
The landscape of the conventional commercial or 30 second spot has been changing in recent years. Content is becoming king so it was a pleasure to be invited to direct an actual piece of film rather than a 30 second spot. It’s an engaging, thought provoking monologue that works because it’s more about feeling rather than flogging something. It’s probably also why it attracted such an amazing actor to perform it. It’s a prime example of where I think advertising is going. We need to engage people on an emotional level - whether intellectually or through narrative storytelling - take them on a journey which is rewarding to watch but also portrays the values of a brand. It’s a two way street.
Exec Produced by Gary Cowen.
Produced by Laura Smith at Velvet with Jess Motler and Emily Kinder.
Shot by Dave Meadows. Graded by Dan Moran.
Casting by Martin Gibbons Casting.
Cut by me. Post by Boardwalk Studio.
Music by Rob Westwood. Mixed by Dean Covill.
Thanks to my amazing New York crew and Indigo Productions.
And a real pleasure to work with Shift Active Media, and of course, our amazing clients at YT Industries.
#christopherwalken #speech #freelancedirector
Пікірлер: 177
This is a power truth of self awareness. Despite it being a bike commercial it is a deeper truth❤
This has to be one of the greatest commercials of all time
This is the most Christopher Walken thing I've ever seen lol
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
Its killing me to see him get old though
We love Christopher Walken he's created many memorable moments in cinema and this is a very well made commercial with a great description of true friendship even though its a bit disappointing that in the end he's talking about a bicycle
@EarlofCrawford
Жыл бұрын
I like my bike better than many, many people...lol
@blaze7386
Жыл бұрын
woah spoiler alert
@l0v3s2sp00ge206
Жыл бұрын
Not necessarily talking about the bicycle, I’d say that this well directed commercial was more about connection with the world than “hey check out this bike it’s my best friend” This message doesn’t just stop at friends but traverses so many interpersonal relationships in our lives… to see a bike commercial spread this type of love is INSANE and honestly I want a damn Jeffsy now 😂🎉 I love you all ❤
@extraBash
Жыл бұрын
but did you try riding bike with yor friends?
@SPDFRK
9 ай бұрын
@@extraBash Yes in my youth. I hurt myself. They laughed. I still love them 40 years later and think of them randomly. While lost in my daydreams. Thanks for the memory jolt anonymous friend.
I don’t know why Christopher made this. What I do know is I respect his abilities to communicate a meaning. Life can be rough. Especially in 2024. But every once in a while as he said. Somebody will touch us. Touch our soul. Remind us of the beauty of this world. Remind us that somebody cares. When we come across that person, pause think feel, that person can be gone as quick as they arrived. Love each and every interaction with this person. Be thankful for it. Be thankful that they reminded us that life is worth living. To not give up. To not let go. Because as we continue our life, we will continue to find those that give us strength. What a wonderful life
This was a bike commercial?! Walken is a maniac.
@wim0104
Жыл бұрын
you gotta burn that investor capital somehow!
@untitledperson1776
6 ай бұрын
@@wim0104hell yea !
Not just a product commercial. It's about something that matters.
I think he is going to be a great emperor.
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
he has been a great everythning. Of course he played the archangel gabriel, what could possibly top that?
It might be a bik😢commercial.But the words still have meaning
@homesickphotographycomau4107
Жыл бұрын
This describing what it feels like the bike as young kids which feels like a real friendship I connection that pushes each other to the limit
Fantastic script .....spoken by the legendary Mr. Walken. He is so engaging and I am listening to every word so intensely. The set, the music, lighting, camera angles, panning in and out. All of this for a bicycle. BRILLIANT! I say. This should've been nominated for a commercial award. Do they have those?
What’s so great is that this is one of the first things I’ve seen where Mr. Walken connects the words in a sentence with a comprensible rhythmic phrasing instead of his trademark quirky, disjointed delivery filled with pauses and sudden unexpected entrances and extreme variation in pitch. Honestly … syntactic delivery…….adhering …………..to societally accepted…………norms of rhythmic………….and timbral ……………….declamation of …………..words and ………………………………………………………phrases in an……………….easily………………………………………………………. Understandable manner…………………………………………………………………. I don’t understand why anybody……………would keep an otter in the bathtub ……….. of a studio…………………apartment!…………….That’s just crazy!
Man, that’s deep!
@billyjolly4855
Жыл бұрын
no, it's rare to say these things. We get what is really is daily. This is rare said, not deep. Its still the surface. And it's true.
His voice and Immediate Connect man IMMEDIATE!!
@StartingOver32685
Жыл бұрын
The voice of an 😇 He's talked....I'm hooked 🥰
as my life comes to an end, thank you Ronnie for your sharing and your talent. blessings, joanna
@mikesposato1580
4 ай бұрын
You still here?
@joannawhite1841
4 ай бұрын
Yes, I am still here. Thanks for asking. I hope you are fine too. Blessings, Joanna@@mikesposato1580
@chipchipdevil
3 ай бұрын
You here?
Yea.. the friendship thing ment something. I lost friends as I got older. No one puts effort anymore. Too busy hung up on their own lives to care about where and who they started with. I thought those sayings your parents told you were all done and most of them came true already. I'm 31 and I'm still seeing more come true. Some friends just fade away. Such a shame. I can't be the only one putting in effort. Life is definitely something. So mysterious... forget the bike part -_- lol
I've never heard of Phil Hawkins before, but no doubt I will never forget him after this!
❤❤❤ such a beautiful message
Christopfer Walken is the epicenter of coolness...what a great cinematic shot and monologue about what's important in life...those few and in between friendships that if we're lucky enough to find. Absolutely wonderful and magnificient even tho it's a commercial in the end it's words ring true thru the universe of friendship.
Beautifully written, engaging, and of course… Christopher. With Christopher in this role, this could’ve been an advertisement that only sells left footed shoes, and I would feel compelled to buy two pairs! 👞 🤷🏼 💕
Love this man ..talk about being unique
Brilliant, shared on tick tock and 1000s love him, like him, love this. This advert has cut deep into my soul as its 100% accurate. My life long best friend and I of 20+ years have come to an end 2023. Inseparable, always with each other day after day after day, through school, though life, through relationships, sharing our tears, and supporting each other within our own parenthood, our story has come to an end, mutually simmering out. We have the memories, we have the scars, we have matching tattoos, but its time for us to part ways and move on being parents within our own lives. This advert has made me feel so much better about the situation, I feel peaceful watching it, I feel more at peace. Thank you.
@GenXMafia
9 ай бұрын
Why? It doesn't make sense. We have to stop being too busy for each other. If your too busy to hold on to life long friendships then you're too busy. There's got to be useless crap you can cut out of your life to keep that friendship alive.
I love it! I am sharing it with friends. That's kinda the point... Maybe we'll ride bikes together this summer too. ;)
This is the most truthful statement. i sent a message to his email account asking for an autograph for his manager but never heard anything back.
That has always been the definition of friendship !
Friends are Great. They are there with you when your family might be the biggest problem in your life at the moment. They understand. Whose Family? We are. Friends.
Every time I watch this, I think of you and us.
This is fantastic. Bravo
@PhilmBlog
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Top ten actors in our time . When you can walk in the room and the audience leans in because we can experience real character . Denzel . Morgan . Diane . Clint . . They give us a peek and we almost believe we know them by first name
Wise words...
I never bought this bike, but this speech hit me in here ❤
It’s a…. It’s a bicycle commercial. I didn’t see that coming. However, I will take these beautiful words and spread them to others because it is a wonderful and true message.
Walken's had me deep into thing, and then I'm like, this was a fucking bike commercial lol
Thank you for posting this I have a tendency to be very cautious of people nowadays and given that in the hospital four times last year this post made me cry but I'm also very grateful thank you very much for posting sibling so eloquent
Nicely Done.
U R my Jeffsy! Love it.
I have gone from love to hate that fast in a long long time.
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
why? It was amazing
He has been 70 years old for the last 40 years..
I HATE THAT THIS IS A BIKE COMMERCIAL.....
@paulaneary7877
Жыл бұрын
I was all into it. I feel truly betrayed. Oh well, not the first time.
@suzyskye733
Жыл бұрын
I love that it’s a bike commercial and you don’t even know it for the first three minutes… And then you know what… better a bike than a bomb or a drug…
@crivket1235
Жыл бұрын
Is that all , you got out of it?
@UltraGamerZ148
Жыл бұрын
Loathe is a better word. Chris is the man, wise and boy can he cut a rug!
@seeburgm100a
Жыл бұрын
This was the best thing I've seen in a long long time.. words of wisdom, until he stood up and said "like jeffsy and I". fizzle...
We are born in His company, and , when we die, He is there too. If we rise into heaven, He is there, and should we suffer hell for all eternity, though He has placed us there, He will be there with us also. And after the first eternity has passed, and opened the doors to the next eternity, He will be there to usher us in. We are as closely connected to God through the promise of Jesus Christ as the orbits of the planets are connected to the sun. I have seen few in Walken's community of deceivers that ever figure out that connection. The passion of the Christ shows us one of the few actors that has grasped that concept.
Beautiful
Rosebud was a sled, Jeffsy was a bicycle. Both movies are great for what they are and the end reveal is similar though one of the movies is much shorter in length than the other.
I know this is add for bike but all his words are so true when it come real friend, feel like a young kid with his push bike and when older, different way set you free or give you freedom time to think which had all the aspects how's the good friendship. Christopher walken such a unique voice the connects to your ear like the needle to a old school record player, playing classical symphony.
If my wife loved me, she wouldn't be asking me to show up like nothing ever happened. Only a therapist from California would think of such a thing. I am the only sane one in the crowd.
When Christopher Walken gets Covid Covid has to quarantine for 14 days.
🙂💜👌
He could be talking about his Severance character, Burt, who valued a true friendship in Irving.
👍👌🙏
anyone know the original music in this video?
That was really a bike commercial? 🤔 It worked. Where do I buy that bike?
You know, this came out after Todd Phillips film Arthur Fleck came out. Idk what Christopher Walkin thought of the film. But its very close too that time when everything was going off. 2016-2020 was a hell place psychologically. And 2021 people changed, the world changed. Communication was hard and people mold as being part of the culture frame of infulencers, never reach out, red flags, social toxic tight arguments appropriation affirmations. Denying other peoples self while advocating an "appropriateion" But an alienated environment of peoples emotions. To be suppress by language. Early 2010s, was much more vibrant and optimistic, collage and university. And I certainly wanted to be part of the people that eventually, naturally cemented being responsible, but not carefree. Life dose things to people, they mold with the times and face presentation. I can imagine a senerio that is not far off the truth, speaking too someone walking up too them. Know it well. That you say something how you feel, think, the environment and saying rare things to exact the roles we play, and the other person would listen but stand there with a presentation, a smile, their workethic and life affirmative, everyone agrees with relatively, but no one is anymore less connected personally. They stand and stare and feel unease, not that your intentions are to frighten, you know they feel like this. Your only using words, that doesn't come out with social gatherings. They are right, you are wrong. Or your informal, and they are formal. They understand you fully they say and gove the thats life, but you know they just walk away with a diffrent agenda as talking too the like minded people. A gossip to laugh with a scuff of. But whose being honest, and true. What is going on. The one with mask that appears to right or the one without a mask that says what's going that doesn't wear a mask. But what dose this unmask person want? Connection, understanding, to have something like a what they wanted in their 20s, to watch films, play games, smile and talk about anything with the comfortablity your not judged. But mind and mind one knowing exactly full well its alright. Growing with people. That's what alot of people want. And for me as an autistic, I see it quite obvious regardless of what the ideals of people say what life is. I'm also life too with a voice, but not listened too which I know what everyone says.
Doesn't matter if it's a bike commercial, those were wise words that I connected to . Thank you mr.walken
Im a hoofer at heart.
Now originally there was no bike. That's the thing. No red bicycles to be found anywhere nearby it's just that that particular day Mr. Walken thought a lot about red bicycles. And it's a silly sort of feeling looking at a window and not seeing a red bike sitting there where a red bike belongs. Nobody likes that feeling. And so what do you do? You go out and you get a red bike. People think they don't want a red bike but they really do want that bike. We all do. You know it and I know it. You gotta have that bike
Hi, Simeone can tell me what he Say at 1:38 please?? I don't understand well and i want to translate to spanish
@PhilmBlog
Жыл бұрын
“you’ll uncage a thrill that will make you surge with life… but don’t be fooled…”
@hugoralaniz
Жыл бұрын
@@PhilmBlog thanks!!!! Gracias!!!!
I'm trying to type a reply to something I was supposed to see now. And I searched for it.
This is such a good bike commercial
It's also a bike commercial.
Does the bike have a cowbell?
@pygmyllama
4 ай бұрын
We need more cowbell!
Sounds like he loves General Grivous from Star Wars
I yelled at my fat cat after realizing this was only just a bike commercial
I dont get it.
This is a very excessive ad lol
Thank you, Christopher Walken. That's what I meant to say first.
are you selling bikes?
Ride it out
Get the stupid bike out of there and slightly alter the final line and you've got something deeply beautiful there.
Gabriel or Chris?😅
I saw a short clip of this. I came here to find the full video to share it..... and i find that it's a commercial for bicycles? 😒
The sincerity and conviction in his words tell a story about a connection that is deeper then the eyes of the soul that is in front of us. I may never meet you, or I might in passing. The light in your being is radiant with impanishable meaning, I feel your soul will such a valuable cost that you give to us all every time you put your self out there and keep showing us time and time again you are a master of your craft, your passion your life it is a fine line between acting and truth so thank you for your words. From one Creator to another Sincerely Actor Justyn Bradley
@revivinglights4882
Жыл бұрын
Beautiful response
@smashthatspartan84
Жыл бұрын
@Reviving Lights It is "The Undeniable Truth"
I love this guy ,Christopher
Loved this man since 1990, when I was 5. This was awesome lol
@davidw5532
Жыл бұрын
1990…King of New York! 👍🏻
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
@@davidw5532 love king of new york. Couldnt watch it until i was much older though lol. For me it was Batman Returns, a view to a Kill, and the Sarah Plain and Tall series we watched at school. Pretty much everything else he did was rated R, so had to wait until I was 16
@davidw5532
Жыл бұрын
@@jamiehartley4218 yeah, I think the first film I saw him in was A View to a Kill. I remember at age 7 or so asking to myself “who is this scary yet interesting dude?” 😂 He’s such a unique talent and I look forward to his performance as the Emperor in Dune Part 2 later this year.
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
@@davidw5532 same. I watched a view to a kill with my grandma when she picked me up from kindergarten for the weekend. She was going on and on aout how handsome roger moore was. Meanwhile im watching the bad guy and having feelings I didnt understand lol
Now I'm crying and want a bike
@PhilmBlog
Жыл бұрын
😂
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
Im crying and I want HIM lol
@rebecanunezreyes7086
5 ай бұрын
😂 lol
That was a f*ckin bike commercial?! Tryna make me cry about a bike named Jeffy?!
How to minimise a probably great product: blow it out of all proportion
I feel like I just got advice from my departed grandfather.
AI and Deep Fake, for this vid, isn't half bad
@PhilmBlog
8 ай бұрын
Nope. All real.
If anyone edits this bicycle crap out of this wonderful statement please let me know. The add ruined the message almost but it could be better without the bicycle. Hey Jessie how much for the straight talk without your bicycle? OK, Jeffy I didn't really pay attention to that part.
@PhilmBlog
Жыл бұрын
You should thank the “bicycle crap” for paying for this wonderful statement. It wouldn’t exist without it.
@MrBb716
Жыл бұрын
@@PhilmBlog Good point Philm. Thanks for the add but could you offer an edited section without the add.
@PhilmBlog
Жыл бұрын
@@MrBb716 That would be disrespectful to the folks that paid for it, from my POV!
@MrBb716
Жыл бұрын
@@PhilmBlog OK Phlim now you weren't satisfied my retraction with what you pointed out to me to be disrespectful to those that paid for the commercial. The folks that paid for it, one could argue that they were being decietful in their approach. That evoked a rejection. They did go to great lengths to get Mr. Walken to do this. The writer of the comment is to be commended on an observation of true, deep, connecting, friendships in life. Should they offer an edited version (without the bicycle) I am sure most that would share it would comment when asked about it that it was a bicycle commercial. They could or would then direct them to the KZread commercial. It is my opinion they could cover more ground that way and receive more bang for their buck, if you will.
@PhilmBlog
Жыл бұрын
@@MrBb716 Interesting idea but that’s really not how it works. The people that wrote this are the bike guys. Thanks for watching.
What the hell man.
Fantastic
Disappointed to be led into a bicycle ad, or any "material" ad, I guess. :( I'm a rider myself by the way... More and more I dislike advertising that manipulates...
Christopher Walken is ride or die. Just ask Robert Wagner.
Commical
How the fuck a bike commercial gonna put into words something I never could
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
because its christopher walken saying them
This has no business being a commercial for a bicycle.
Really? WTF!
Beautiful script spoilt by the fact that its a freakin' bicycle commercial
Really??? All these great words just for a bicycle ad??? That's ridiculous. 🙄
Amazing 👏
Powerful words.
Meh. All I need is more cowbell.
Well got damn I want a bike now thanks
@A_Jel
Жыл бұрын
You gotta have that bike.
“Even so, you, they, the world and time, everything and everyone changes. Slowly that boiling energy of young friendship will cool, and be replaced by the bonds of a deep mutual history, complete with the scars, that tell the stories of a lifetime well lived…”
Really? A Bicycle commercial? How much money do all of these celebrities doing advertisements really need?
Loved it.
He never rode a mountain bike in his life🤣
@johns1842
Жыл бұрын
He never stabbed you in the face with a soldering iron, either, but you loved him for saying it.
@jamiehartley4218
Жыл бұрын
@@johns1842 there is alot he hasnt done to me that I wish he had lol
This Man seems to have a grasp on life in a way few do
Shame that he was merely talking about a Bike... Really thought this was something heartfelt... but in the end, it wasn't... at all.
Honestly doesn’t matter if it was a bike commercial, the words before Jeffsy aren’t any less true. Whoever wrote that, it was great.
Absolutely beautiful.
Awesome words whom ever wrote this