Leningrad 'Voyage' by Ilya Naishuller
David Knight - 14th Nov 2017
A rich young guy is living the dream - but that's nothing compared to the story inside his head. Ilya Naishuller's latest blockbuster for Russian rock band Leningrad flashes back from our hero and his numerous lingerie model, pole-dancing girlfriends, to his career as a master criminal. It all serves Naishuller's true purpose - to deliver as many explosive visual thrills as possible in four minutes.
Featuring famous Russian actor Aleksandr Pal as the chain smoking anti-hero, Voyage is a trademark blockbusting thrill-ride from Naishuller involving girls, drugs, yachts and, of course, serious crime and punishment. It follows the jawdropping Kolshik, Naishuller's previous video for Leningrad, that's been scooping awards all over the place this year, including Best VFX in a Video at last month's UKMVAs.
The new video includes a cast of over forty models, and the jacuzzi scene is set in one of Moscow’s most famously expensive hotel suites (but they didn't have to pay the US$12K a night charge because the hotel owners are fans of both Naishuller and Leningrad, apparently). The final nightclub scene, where Pal's character pays his dues in a Bonnie & Clyde style pay-off, required 120 squibs to get that full bloodbath effect. Naishuller doesn't really do things by halves.
"I wanted the audience to feel like they're watching a typical male fantasy video where something feels a little off, then flip the concept on its head with a crime drama twist," says Ilya Naishuller. "We nodded our hat to a few impossible tricks to denote the imagination of the lead character. For example, old Cadillacs can’t drift, so we used a mix of practical FX and CGI magic to bring that to life. Also, Alexander Pal, is actually well known for his comedic chops in Russia. I wanted him to play against type.
When it came to the yacht scene, he points out it wasn't so glamourous for the models, as they were shooting in Russia locations in October, and it was very chilly. “It was only five degrees outside when we shot the yacht scene, so it's fair to say that Russian women are hard as nails! The stuntwoman who dove into the freezing waters is probably a Kryptonian.”
David Knight - 14th Nov 2017
Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Ilya Naishuller
- Producer
- Ilya Naishuller
- Producer
- Katia Kononenko
- Producer
- Ruben Adamyan
- Production Company
- Versus Pictures
- Production Manager
- Anastasia Kuropatkin
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Genrih Meder
Art
- Production designer
- Margarita Abaeva
Wardrobe
- Costume designer
- Anna Kudevich
Casting
- Casting director
- Anastasia Bagirova
- Stunt Co-ordinator
- Aleksander Stetsenko
Editorial
- Editor
- Vladimir Vaulin
- Editor
- Vlad Yakunin
- Sound design
- Aleksander Kopeikin
Grading
- Colourist
- Andrey Savchuk
VFX
- VFX Company
- CGF, Moscow
Agent
- Director's Representation
- Great Guns
- Director's Rep (UK)
- OB Management
Misc
- Director's Rep (US)
- Laure Scott
David Knight - 14th Nov 2017