Turner Classic Movies and The Criterion Collection Unveil FilmStruck
FilmStruck is a newstreaming service for movie lovers from Turner Classic Movies and The CriterionCollection. FilmStruck delivers a constantly-refreshed, curated library ofarthouse, independent, foreign and cult films from critically-acclaimed studiosaround the world. Developed and managed by Turner Classic Movies in partnershipwith The Criterion Collection, FilmStruck is the exclusive streaming home tothe world-renowned Criterion Collection of films.
Held at 404 @ Hudson Yards, a white space in New York City, the eventhosted over 250 VIPs from the motion picture, television, digital and mediaworlds including Dawn of the Dead director George Romero, actress RoseMcGowan, and musician Laurie Anderson.
To launch thisunique service, FilmStruck called upon Empire to design and create a unique,experiential evening featuring immersive vignettes and experiences based onsome of its iconic film titles, including Mad Max, Clerks, MoulinRouge and The Seventh Seal.
Guests were able to become a part of Mad Max (1979), as Empirecreated a green screen production set where once in costume, guests could takethe wheel behind Max’s Interceptor, manically drive and create their owntrailer for the film. Guests immediately received a completed scene ofthemselves as Mad Max, which they could post to social media.
For the motion picture Moulin Rouge (1952), Empire created aFrench boudoir backstage of the famed Parisian cabaret. Cancan girls seducedguests with Absinthe cocktails and a caricature artist offered guests portraitscreated in the style of French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
To depict Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957), Empire reimaginedthe film’s iconic “chess match with death”. The brooding black and white seawas the backdrop as two actors embodying death and the knight played aninfinite chess match. Guests were able to participate in their own game with anoversized chess board directly parallel to the deadly match.
In the Clerks vignette, Empire replicated the film’s iconic“Quick Stop”. Complete with a cash register, live security camera and anindifferent store clerk, everything behind the counter was up for grabs. Adigital photo booth captured images as guests shoplifted and uploaded them tosocial media using the hashtag #FilmStruck.
Each vignette had its own custom cocktails and Turner, FilmStruck andCriterion Collection executives delivered brief welcome remarks in front of a20’ LED wall displaying footage from some of the FilmStruck titles. Guests alsoutilized a series of tablets to navigate and explore the FilmStruck app in comfortableliving room furnishings, driving home the message that these films are nowavailable in the home.
Empire worked closely with Turner and FilmStruck to design and executeall aspects of the event and engaged media partner Shore Fire to assist withpress outreach.
The resulting event generated substantial influencer awareness and mediacoverage for the FilmStruck launch and the event was highly enjoyed by allattendees.
During the same week, Empire also executed a presence marketingsponsorship for FilmStruck at the Walter Reade Theater at the Film Society ofLincoln Center, where guests attending the New York Film Festival could relaxin a living room set and explore the FilmStruck platform.
Empire is honored to work with FilmStruck, Turner Classic Movies, andThe Criterion Collection to launch this extraordinary new streaming service. Tolearn more about FilmStruck visit http://www.filmstruck.com
Guests received their first taste of technological innovation at registration, where they were welcomed by name on a reactive LED screen installation covering the full width of the entry wall. A large lunch café was created with a décor scheme that incorporated custom-built, ceiling-high steel LED frames draped with foliage to create smaller, intimate restaurant-style spaces that displayed both technology and nature.
A series of breakout sessions presented content targeted to attendees’ varied interests, while imagery displayed throughout the venue showcased real-life applications of how products designed to empower developers help to unleash the power of data and reimagine possibilities that will improve our world.
Every element of Microsoft Connect(); from registration, breakfast and keynote, to lunch and evening cocktails, were custom-designed to communicate exacting brand messaging and to deliver a high-touch guest experience to this important audience. The keynote and breakout sessions were livestreamed through an onsite studio built for this purpose and content was watched online by millions around the world.
Empire is proud to collaborate with Microsoft on this annual, top-tier business communication event.
To view excerpts of Connect(); 2017, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/connectevent