A short film marking the 35-year partnership between Helsinki Airport and Finland’s national airline Finnair was shot by two separate directors in Finland and Seoul.
Produced by B-Reel Films, the short is entitled East and West Side Story, and is described as the first commercial campaign commissioned by both an airline and an airport.
The campaign is part of a broader branding partnership between Helsinki Airport and Finnair dubbed Match Made in Hel.
The 14-minute fictional story follows renowned but secretive US sci-fi writer BJ Novak who makes plans to meet Korean photographer Johnny in Helsinki for her first photoshoot.
Korean director Young-Wok Paik, known professionally as ‘Wookie’, helmed scenes focussing on Johnny, while Swedish filmmaker Johan Storm directed the story strand following Novak, with each narrative designed to view events from a separate point of view.
“When filming in locations like these, it means lots of work behind the scenes,” says Katja Siberg, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at Finavia, Finland’s airport operator, to KFTV.
“Safety and a smooth customer experience are our top priorities at all times. During the filming, we made sure things were running as smoothly as always. At the airport, all the safety and security issues go through a detailed review. All relevant parties were made aware of every single move.”
Location filming for the story took place in the Uusimaa region of southern Finland and at Helsinki Airport, while Wookie’s involvement steered the project towards a Seoul shoot.
See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in Finland.
A short film marking the 35-year partnership between Helsinki Airport and Finland’s national airline Finnair was shot by two separate directors in Finland and Seoul.
Produced by B-Reel Films, the short is entitled East and West Side Story, and is described as the first commercial campaign commissioned by both an airline and an airport.
The campaign is part of a broader branding partnership between Helsinki Airport and Finnair dubbed Match Made in Hel.
The 14-minute fictional story follows renowned but secretive US sci-fi writer BJ Novak who makes plans to meet Korean photographer Johnny in Helsinki for her first photoshoot.
Korean director Young-Wok Paik, known professionally as ‘Wookie’, helmed scenes focussing on Johnny, while Swedish filmmaker Johan Storm directed the story strand following Novak, with each narrative designed to view events from a separate point of view.
“When filming in locations like these, it means lots of work behind the scenes,” says Katja Siberg, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at Finavia, Finland’s airport operator, to KFTV.
“Safety and a smooth customer experience are our top priorities at all times. During the filming, we made sure things were running as smoothly as always. At the airport, all the safety and security issues go through a detailed review. All relevant parties were made aware of every single move.”
Location filming for the story took place in the Uusimaa region of southern Finland and at Helsinki Airport, while Wookie’s involvement steered the project towards a Seoul shoot.
See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in Finland.
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