A visual 90 second gem of a film

Once in a while there comes along a commercial that appears more like a movie clip, a trailer if you will, to bring its message to you. British Airways “To Fly - To Serve” is executed as if it were a major motion picture.


This is not an endorsement for British Airways, rather the desire to share a masterful and superbly crafted film, which embodies the companies heritage with the history of aviation. These elements were brought together through people, the aircraft, and CGI.


After watching the commercial, I know you will agree with me, that this is indeed a visual gem of nostalgia, which captures the romance of early flight, including the men who who not only pioneered aviation, but dared the unknown.




British Airways 2011 ‘To Fly. To Serve’ commercial

Transcript:

 
Those first young men, the pioneers, the aviators building super highways in an unknown sky. Leaving wives and children in their snug homes, with just a kiss and a promise to return.

Roaring into the clouds to battle wind and stars.

Their safety systems built of brain and heart. They landed where there were no lights. Transforming strange names from tall tales into pictures on postcards home. And those next young men, traveling further, faster, higher than any in history and the ones who followed them, who skimmed the edge of space, the edge of heaven, the edge of dreams.

And we follow them up there to live by an unbreakable promise. The same four words stitched into every uniform of every captain who takes their command.
To Fly. To Serve.




The making of the British Airways ‘To Fly. To Serve’ commercial




Making the most of visual effects




The background of the aircrafts in the film


I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

 

Thank you for your visit

and comment . . .

Egmont

End of an era

Today Eastman Kodak Co. announced that they will no longer offer Kodachrome film or it’s processing after a seventy-four year run as one of the best colour films ever invented.

According to news reports, Kodachrome amounted to no more than a fraction of one percent of Kodak still-film sales and only one lab in the US had offered it processing.

The unopened film box, including the unused roll of 35mm film, I have had since 1972 and in 1975 Kodak introduced Ektachrome Professional and from that point on, Kodrachrome started to decline in usage.

Now the box and cartridge are displayed among other ephemera on my bookshelf.

Three weeks earlier, one of the best Ektachrome labs on the west coast liquidated their equipment, closing their doors like so many other film processing labs in the Bay Area.