What really happens in Amsterdam...

At the Olympics, Katie Couric stated Dutch skaters are skilled because in NL, with its canals, ice skating is a main way of transportation. Of course the internet reacted. A few weeks later, the canals were frozen, so we supported her with a film.

We sent the news item in a tweet directly to Katie Couric, stating she was right all along. And from there it got viral majorly. We had no media budget so every view was organic.

Within two days the film was viewed over 2.2 million times. The film was the most popular video on Dumpert for a week. Even TV-shows showed it in their broadcasting (RTL Late Night, Pauw and AT5). Online both news media (f.i. DWDD, Parool, BNN, Hart van Nederland) and entertainment media (f.i. VKMAG, Dutch Cowboys, Lindanieuws) published the film.

For a couple of days, it was talk of the town. Showcasing the impact of film and the mere joy of making film.

We choose to stay in the news broadcasting theme as Katie Couric is an anchorwoman. We took the perspective of a local news station making a news item about the Dutch people using the canals as a main way of transportation. Just like Katie Couric stated.

The main question was about why there was such a buzz about Couric' statement, after all it's true isn't it?

To make it really something to talk about, we needed to translate all kinds of 'normal' commuting and traffic situations to an ice-skating version. From a mailman to a pizza delivery guy. Even traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing.

As filmmakers, we are always looking for ways to show the impact and fun of making film. In this particular case we wanted to show how film can tap into a news moment and at the same time, show the Dutch sense of humor by not taking ourselves to serious. Additionally, we challenged ourselves to produce a remarkable film within only 2 days, as we were fully dependent of that one moment the Amsterdam canals were frozen down, and there was a need to release the film at the moment this event was still newsworthy.

The objective was to create as much impact as possible in media and on social media with our film. We wanted our film to be the talk of the town.

JURY FEEDBACK

SIDE-PROJECT / BRONZE

What really happens in Amsterdam… is an admirable and fun project that resonates well with the current zeitgeist of fake news. It’s a beautifully executed idea, within a very limited timeframe.