ABOUT

I directed a series of films last year which was a part of a big campaign for the GMC Sierra here in the UAE through Leo Burnette called #OurUAE. Attached is the trailer. You can see the series of films by clicking on the GMC Arabia youtube page.

It's an agency hopeful for multiple categories including Branded Content & Entertainment & Integrated.

The brief was to create a roadtrip film with two Emiratis rediscovering their culture and history and having some fun and adventures along the way throughout the UAE, visiting all seven Emirates.

I came up with all of the activities, locations and stories and we took a film crew on the road for three weeks.
The films coincided with a virtual reality film of the Sierra dune bashing through the desert which was released at the Dubai Motor Show which is a huge event here. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan even gave it a go and his seal of approval.

Our films were released twice a week just before the motor show and leading up to National Day which is a really big deal here also.

From Youtube alone we've gathered almost one million views as well as just as many Facebook views which is where the main promotional drive of the films was launched. The hashtag #OurUAE which was branded on the doors of the vehicle during the shoot, was on national day itself, trending in Twitter and mentioned in a prominent national news paper.
Google search Khaleej Times #OurUAE National Day trending

The films are beautifully shot with a mixture of high end RED film cameras, a high quality drone, remote stabilised heads and strategically placed go pros for close up action. Thanks to Ian Murphy as the DOP.
Our soundman had his job cut out for him with multiple microphones hidden from view in different places on and in the vehicle which gave a really immersive atmosphere for the viewers. This was a nice change to the studio he'd been working in for the last few years on the Hobbit movie series. Cheers Darren Maynard.
We also had an original music score composed for the series which added a real beautifully haunting, spine tingling and catchy upbeat feel to the films, mirroring the feeling of the scenes and further enhancing the production value.
Thanks BKP Dubai.

For me personally, this was my magnum opus for the year. I'm so proud of the series. There was a great buzz about the whole thing and highlighted a lot of interesting activities and stories about the UAE a lot of people living here and abroad never knew about. From the forgotten art of sword making & dancing through to stories of abandoned villages and crafty international stamp collectors.
It's proven to me that I'm ready to take on the bigger productions and I'm looking forward to what's ahead. I've worked for two years now on a series of films for the Zayed Future Energy Prize which has taken me all around the world creating films for the finalists of the prize. Though that puts me on the road for a month and a half, GMC was much more involved and a personally triumphant production.