Here’s another answer to a timeless question: what do advertising creatives work on in their spare time?
When last we heard from former BBDO VP/creative director Alex Taylor, he and fellow copy guy Hunter Fine had taken to Craigslist to convince a bunch of strangers to try constructing IKEA furniture while tripping on the drugs.
His latest project is a bit more intimate: it’s the story of a man and the poor winter coat onto which he projects all of his anger, insecurity and a general sense of impotence in the face of a cruel and unforgiving world.
Here is “Killing the Coat.”
That was so bleak that we kind of loved it.
Taylor explained to us that he wrote the short late last year before reaching out to director Aaron Stoller of Biscuit, who was into the idea and agreed to shoot it.
The two spent several weeks working on the project along with some friends on the production side of the ad business. They then entered the short into several late 2016 film festivals, and now they’re actively promoting it to get a bit more attention from the old press.
Taylor, who has been a full-time freelancer for several years after working at some of the bigger New York shops, told us “Killing the Coat” isn’t quite autobiographical. But it certainly could be. We’ve been there, too.
Sadly, the garment itself did not survive the shoot.
CREDITS
Directed by: Aaron Stoller
Written by: Alex Taylor
Cast: Landall Goosby
Executive Producer: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Producer: Michelle Stark
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Assistant Director: Brad Stevenson
Production Designer: Robbie Freed
Editor: Chan Hatcher
Assistant Editor: Josh Miller
Editorial: No6
Sound Mix: Mike Franklin
Mix Assistant: Aaron Cornacchio
Audio Producer: Kate Vadnai
Colorist: Tim Masick