Ballantine’s Launches New Online Film
‘Ben Mead’s Art of Drumming’

Ballantine’s unveils the latest in a series of global films, harnessing innovative new filming techniques to create stunning visualisations of the shapes and sight of sound

Ballantine’s, the world’s No 2 Scotch whisky, today launches a new online film featuring London based drummer and musician Ben Mead, as he embarks on an eye-catching and innovative experiment to capture the shapes, patterns and skills that define his art form. The unique film utilises innovative techniques to literally capture ‘The Art of Drumming’ through the use of LED ‘light trails’ on Ben’s drumsticks – capturing on film, live and without the use of after effects, the intensity, passion and artistry which drives the self-fulfilment of musicians and artists like him.

‘Ben Mead’s Art of Drumming’ is the latest instalment in what will become an extended series from around the world, featuring artists, creators and innovators from all walks of life who define Ballantines’ mantra of ‘Stay True’ – which applauds conviction, self-belief and authenticity. The films showcase these protagonists as they undertake a host of creative experiments that define their ‘Stay True’ stories, bringing them to life in a way that is both unique and engaging. These films will all be available to view through a dedicated platform, www.staytruestories.com.

This production follows Mead, the star of Ballantine’s recent TV commercial ‘The Drummer’, as he discusses his life story, philosophy and approach to creativity and music during a day in his life around his hometown of East London. The climatic finale of the film features the experiment itself, which was created by Mead, Ballantine’s and a host of technical experts and artists.

Taking its cue from ‘light painting’ in stills photography which has existed for many years, the experiment set out to create a new process as close to ‘in-camera’ as possible. This process could be previewed in real-time by Ben, allowing him to merge drum patterns with visually stunning shapes and outlines, seeing how different music styles look in space.

This unique piece follows on from ‘Kilian Martin’s Carmen’, a film collaboration between Ballantine’s and renowned freestyle skateboarder Kilian Martin, which fused his unique ‘Stay True’ story – steeped in the application of artistic movement and creativity to his boarding – with a reinterpretation of Bizet’s classic opera ‘Carmen’. Future films are also now in pre-production across three continents.

Ben Mead on the film: “Drumming, rhythm and creativity is something I’ve always been passionate about. I think creativity in music is not only something you hear or something you feel, but it’s also something you see. Taking part in this experiment and being able to physically see the way that I see drumming in my own head was so rewarding.”

The film is available to view on YouTube here http://youtu.be/JLSC5HUbvcQ and media can embed the video into news pieces using the following embed code;

Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s commented: “We’re so pleased to be continuing our working relationship with Ben and to help realise this experiment to visualise the art of drumming. Ben is the perfect embodiment of ‘Stay True’ and being able to see rhythm as he sees it is a unique and innovative spectacle.”

“We’ve seen a huge appetite for these types of films from our fans around the world, featuring authentic creators such as Ben and Kilian. Through Staytruestories.com, we can deliver a wealth of global content that continues to bring Stay True to life for Ballantine’s on a long-term basis.”

The film is the next in a series from around the world, which can all be viewed at: www.staytruestories.com

Notes

About the production of ‘Ben Mead’s Art of Drumming’
In order to capture the stunning footage, a bespoke application was developed C++ using the Cinder creative coding framework, taking a HD video feed from the main shoot camera and pulls out the LED-tipped drumsticks. The trails are not computer generated, but come directly from the images from the camera, creating light trails of the desired length and intensity. In addition, a 360 degree ‘time slice rig’ was used by Ben and the team to capture the light trails in 3D.

About Stay True
The film is part of Ballantine’s recently launched ‘Stay True, Leave An Impression’ global marketing campaign, which features across the Ballantine’s brand and serves as an invitation to express ourselves in a genuine and authentic way, applauding self-belief and conviction. An accompanying advertising campaign is rolling out globally, with a TV commercial ‘The Drummer’ now showing in selected countries around the world.

About Ben Mead
Ben Mead is a real ‘stay true’ person, chosen to front Ballantine’s TVC because he serves as the embodiment of ‘Stay True’ and has passion and self-belief, is rooted in self-fulfilment rather than impressing the crowd. Ben has played in a variety of bands ranging from hard rock to indie to electronic, following his passion around the globe, touring across the Americas and Europe. However, he is also someone who rejected the traditional path of record contracts, with his current band preferring to play less well-known venues in East London.

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the world’s No 2 Scotch whisky by volume, and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 130 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

For further information visit www.chivasbrothers.com