Get the Promonews daily round up

User Accounts

Get the Promonews daily round up

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

Tags

  • Narrative
  • VFX
  • Rock

Popular content

Feedback

Problem with this page? Let us know

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

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

Stunt Co-ordinator
Aleksander Stetsenko
Director's Rep (US)
Laure Scott

David Knight - 14th Nov 2017

Related Content

Industry News

Promonews logo

Music video creativity everyday.

promonewspromonewstvpromonews.tv
Submit your video